“Every animal is a gateway to the phenomenal world of the human spirit. What most fail to realize though is that what they think of animals reflects the way they think of themselves.” – Ted Andrews Animal Speak

Have you noticed anything turning up again and again, in your dreams, conversations, or life? I call this the repeating question that never gets answered. Typically it’s an issue that is painful or scary and so we stuff it down hoping it will go away. You already know the answer to this one, it never goes away. At least not until we deal with it. It will keep re-presenting itself until we take a look  at it, and it can manifest in some pretty unconventional ways. This got me thinking about some of the unusual ways questions ask to be answered.

This has been on my mind because it’s bear season in Asheville and that means the bears have come off the mountain and are roaming around downtown. I notice this because I’ve had bear energy following me around for a long time. It’s a question asked of me I haven’t been able to fully answer yet.

It all started in community college where I met one of my most influential teachers, Dr. Mooney. It’s funny how we meet the most extraordinary people in the most unassuming ways. She was part Choctaw, part Chickasaw and a shaman. This was not one of those teachers where you passed a note in class or didn’t do the reading. She had super-human intuition. She immediately honed in on you to intercept that note. And if you hadn’t done the reading, it was guaranteed you would be called upon to share your insights about it with the class. She was a major influence that helped me grow and become more thoughtful. She is also the one who introduced me to Carl Jung, dream analysis, and the world of mythology and symbols. When I did a private study class on the medicine wheel with her was when my first bear turned up, and bears have continued to return throughout my life. Initially, the bear asked me to protect the truth of who I am. And that is a question I have had to answer in many different ways throughout my life. 

I am convinced specific animal energies turn up in our lives to point out what’s missing. They tend to highlight what we ignore. Animals point to energies we need to incorporate or perhaps energies that have overrun us and need to be corralled. What shows up in our life has a message for us, if we listen. Now when the bear shows up for me I am reminded to protect myself or to stand my ground. Especially when it’s time to draw the line with someone’s bad behavior.

All animals can give us different insight into our feelings, our hang-ups, and how we live. Maybe you are being confronted with a question that needs an answer, a behavior that needs attention. What keeps turning up in your life? (Right now I have a dragonfly swimming laps with me in the morning.) It’s always good to do a little research on the energy and symbology a particular animal conveys. The book Animal Speak, is a great place to start.

The messages are all around us all the time. It’s just a matter of taking the time to notice them and figuring out what they ask of us. Sometimes I think we wait to be hit over the head by life before we look inside. Paying more attention to what’s going on softens the blow. So who’s showing up in your life, animal or otherwise? How do they ask of you?

Here’s to answering the questions,

kb