Spirit Guides

Spirit Guides

Native tribes in most areas of the world, believe anything  of the world can be a spirit guide for people. Since most native cultures believe that animals as well as plants, have a soul as well as humans.

Much thought must be given before deciding on a tattoo. Each plant or animal possessed qualities that could be desired by the person receiving the tattoo. For example, the strength of a mighty oak tree, might be a quality that a warrior would need in battle. Something as simple as a reed, that cannot be broken by a strong wind or storm, but bends instead of breaking.

Many native cultures had shaman or medicine men, and for many of these societies, the shaman will decide what an individual spirit guide will be. Other societies choose their spirit guide themselves. Some individuals will have a dream, where an animal or object will be prime and in the dream, this may become the individual’s spirit guide. In many cases to have this dream or vision the individual may have an ordeal that could include fasting for many days, the use of sweat lodges, ritual dancing  until exhaustion, or a vision quest.

A vision quest would send an individual into the wilderness alone where they would fast until a vision came to them. In the use of a sweat lodge, the person uses extreme heat until a vision comes. When the Sun dance was used for a vision, the warrior was generally pierced by small bones place in the chest attached to a leather thong, the other end of the thong, would be attached to a tall pole or tree. The warrior would then dance while blowing a whistle, until exhaustion. At this point the warrior would expect a dream or vision of an animal, that would then be their spirit guide.

Some tribes believe in the use of plants that alter one’s perception and open the mind to a vision. As with the other methods mentioned above, when the vision came, your spirit guide would be made clear to you.

Each animal or other totem, such as a tree or plant, has its own strength that would be transferred to the individual. Many societies believe puberty was the time to find one’s spirit guide. Other societies believe that a spirit enters at  birth and served as a guide throughout the person’s life.

This spirit guide would help the individual at critical times and at rights of passage when extra strength was needed. Shaman had their own spirit guide that would help them with cures, ceremonies, dances and healing rituals. For example Black Elk, learned the ghost dance from his spirit guide. His guide told him to teach the ghost dance to his people.

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Tags: Animal, Animal Rights, Animal Welfare, Black Elk, Fasting, Health, Human, Organizations, Plant, Soul, Spirit guide, Sweat lodge