I always feel like I’m so long winded…lol. I have a lot to say! But with power animals, there are reasons why I tend to say a lot. Power animals don’t have their spiritual associations for some mystical, unknown reason. They have their meanings based on their habits and the way they live. People would observe them, back in those days when we lived more commonly with animals and nature as part of our daily lives. Then when someone would start to see these animals popping up around their homes a lot kind of suddenly they might take this as a sign that they needed to take on some of the traits of that animal.

So for instance, last week Wolf was one of the animals that we had come up. What I said about the message from Wolf last week was this:

If you connected to Wolf this week you’re reminded of two things…working with others can be a time saver and bring bigger rewards than working alone…and being exact in your communication is the key to effectively working with others. Take the knowledge that you gain from talking with others and apply it as workable wisdom this week. It’s time to get things done and make things happen, but only when you willingly partner with others will you see things really get moving.  

Wolves can be observed as being very careful in their hunting process, almost stalking their prey, taking time to really watch their target’s movements and gathering an idea of what they may do next before pouncing. Wolves also have a very noticeable and distinct set of howls and “laughing” tones that they use for communication. They are very “chatty” animals and if you have wolves around you, you are always aware of their near constant communication.

So all of this lends to our idea of Wolf being an animal of careful planning, wisdom, and communication.

This is why I always talk about the animal themselves and not just the spiritual message in hopes that you will see that correlation. I always find it funny when I have someone tell me to ditch the “facts for kids” about the power animals and get “get to the magickal aspects.” I always have to reply by saying “Where do you think the ‘magickal aspects’ come from? Thin air?!”

In order to keep these messages a bit shorter, I try to skip the facts about the animals as much as I can and focus more on the magickal and spiritual part. It can be hard for me to not think about the practical side, my brain just has a hard time separating the two. Give a quick Google search for “facts about” your animal and you’ll find lots to go on, or of course, ask down in the comments!

When it comes to power animals and spirit animals bugs and insects get forgotten about, but they are just as important to our work as any other animal. In the case of the scarab beetle, I think this one is even more forgotten because we don’t understand them that well. They are actually a family of beetles with over 30,000 species among them, but let’s be honest. Most of us upon hearing “scarab beetle” instantly have images of ancient Egypt come to mind. But in truth, you can find them in every part of the world except Antarctica due to the climate and temperature.

Symbolically, beetles represent community and working together to accomplish something greater in numbers. They are strong insects that can lift upwards of 600 times their body weight, so while individually they are strong, together in their communal structure they are capable of so much more. They are also an important part of our ecosystem since they are one of nature’s best recyclers, often eating things that are in states of decay and making use of the what would otherwise go to waste.

This week if you are connecting to the Scarab Beetle you are reminded of the power that you hold within yourself, something that may have been forgotten in recent months. You have the ability to do so much more than you are currently doing, and that could very well be because you have lost sight of the fact that you are able to make magick out of nothing…that you can certain something from thin air if you put your mind to it. Focus on your power, find your strength, speak your truth, and do something creative and empowering this week to remind you of that power you hold within.

Poor skunks, so misunderstood and often overlooked as having “power”…other than a power most people don’t want to encounter. But the truth is that skunks only emit their spray when they or their young are threatened. It’s a form of defense and not one they use for no reason. They will actually go through a list of other defensive acts first, from spitting to stomping their feet, and use the spraying as a final resort since it is sure to frighten away pretty much anyone or anything.

Skunks show up for us when we need to remember that we deserve to be respected by everyone we encounter, but we need to also remember respect received comes from respect given as well. If you are connected to Skunk this week, ask yourself if you are being too much of a people pleaser or are you making sure that you are giving and receiving respect in equal measure. Are you giving more than you need to just to make someone like you? Are you playing too much of the “go along to get along” game with those you work and live with? Sometimes we really DO need to “raise a stink” to make sure we are getting what we deserve. If you need to do that this week, don’t see this as you doing something negative, but rather doing something that will be showing the most important person in your life the respect they deserve (…that would be you, BTW).

Bees are hard workers with a very important social structure in place that they need to follow in order to get things down. The process of making honey and the many different jobs that bees have in order to make that process happen in not only fascinating but surprising when you first learn about it. Without their social structure and following their designating jobs the whole hive, that eventually the whole structure of the bee world could risk falling apart. But, knowing they are working on some pretty “sweet stuff” they do what they need to.

This week if you have connected with Bee there are a few important messages for you to hold on to. First, remember that when you are part of a group or community and there is a structure, there’s no need to rock the boat or try to fix what isn’t broken simply because you’re bored or desiring a personal change. If you have a job to do, do it for the sake of everyone else in the group. If you feel you need to bring up concerns about the group or the process do it in a way that isn’t going to throw everything into disarray.

The other message is to remember, the rewards of your efforts will be sweet especially if you remember that you’re here to play a part in an ensemble cast. You’re not the lead but that doesn’t make you any less important. Focus on the end goal that you’re working toward right now and not the glory of the spotlight