Animals

[Sinera]

Something is communicated to me but I do not really understand it. I had never before any animal dreams. Now I have an entire zoo if I count it all together.

Some dreams or events, all very recent:

- I am before the cage of our green budgie deceased long ago (80ies). He looks at me as if to ask for help (he has shortly a human face then) while lying on the cage floor with a kind of broken or twisted pair of legs. I try to help him but do not know exactly how and first position him, then try to fetch some help but get back again only to note that he has gone. I ask where he is and a voice says 'a place which I did not even know of that it existed'.

- I asked my Higher Self for any specific purpose I might have had for coming here into this life (will write a dream programming thread on it soon). One possible answer in one night (I asked it in two) was as song: I saw and heard a performance of a singer with "Bungalow Bill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bungalow_Bill)" by the Beatles. I had a hard time finding out the song which is indeed on the White Album. I skipped through the songs, thankfully, the tune was catchy enough to recognise it without being able to remember any detailed lyrics from the dream. I am not a great Beatles fan at all and have not heard this album too often, but did once recently. The contents in short: It's about a kind of 'yuppie' guy who comes to an ashram but instead of meditating goes on a tiger hunt traditionally on elefants' backs. Lennon then blames him for life-destructive behaviour. Two possible interpretations, rather metaphorically as I am definitely not a yuppie: 1. I should meditate more instead of "killing tigers" with my thoughts (metaphorically), and yes, I am still too bad at shutting off thoughts! 2. The animal theme again: I should do sth for animals' lives protection or care. Indeed ... In following dreams tigers and elephants reappeared again - see below!

- I am sitting in a forest before an enclosure with deer, looking peacefully at the lovely animals. One of the keepers or animal caretakers, a woman, comes up to me and talks to me. I do not remember anything of the conversation but it was about me joining their work team. Then there is a another group with horses joining that corral. They seem to struggle with the other group, but it is more of a fun game they do. Some of the deer also leave the caged area and come up to me, as if naturally.

- This is not from a dream but from a recent projection (http://www.astraldynamics.com.au/showthread.php?11852-Volgerle-s-Lucidiary&p=107334#post107334):I checked the letter combinations (E,L,B,K) on that probable 'future self's' shirt for reasonable words and (not mentioned there) another word I came up was immediately was "Keleb". I knew somehow subconsciously that it was 'somehting biblical' and I was right: it's amongst other things a Hebrew word for ... "dog".

- I am in a kind of lab or animal shelter inside. There we do sth with cats or baby tigers (!). There are some kitten tigers, but also a female mother tiger that puts her head out of the cage she is in and seems almost to friendly huddle against my leg or knee. I do not remember more of the dream.

- In tonight's dream, I am out for a jogging tour in the forest. I turn around as there comes up trampling behind me a herd of elephants (!). For my own safety I leave the track and "hide" a few metres inside the forest (conifers) to let the herd pass me by. However, some of the smaller kid elefants deviate from the herd and join me trustfully (like the deer and the tiger mother did, too, in the other dreams). So we sit there together waiting for the herd to pass. I pet some of the animals and note there are not just little elephants but other furry animals, maybe cats or mice or hamsters. When the heard has passed I lead them all out of the woods again onto the forest path. There is a man (iirc he wears a suit and I for some reason compare him to a kind of hotel portier) who thanks me and takes over the little animals. There is a last one on a leash of which I say 'this is mine' but then I note it is my mp3 player (I use for meditating with hemi-sync), the "leash" being the cable and the "animal" just the player being dragged along on the ground.

Ok, so what the heck is going on? All are VERY recent experiences. Before that, almost no animals in my dreams.

Should I buy a dog or a cat? Should (since I seek a new job anyway) apply for job with an animal care/protection/rights company? Should I become an animal healer? I rule out any power animal / totem revelations, since there are too many different animals appearing.

Or is it a hint for developing better meditation skills? The meditation ashram and my mp3 player (mistaken for an "animal") hint to this possibility.

But why are the animals really 'seeking to be close to me' now, as the tiger, deer, elephants and other little furries did?

Anyone any idea or similar experiences with dream animals?

[Korpo]

The animal on the leash could be a hint - there's a connection. Animals often represent elementals, as the elementals and animals have a lot in common: An elemental has a certain intelligence of its own, and may have its own will and resistances depending on the state it is in.

Take a note of how the song makes fun of the one who goes chasing tigers and how in contrast to that the animals come to you. It is not so much about chasing certain experiences, following along the ideas about what is needed that come from the elementals. It is more about what comes up, as it is what is required. Furthermore, dealing like this will keep the elementals aligned - notice how docile the animals are when they come to you.

Charles recently told me that "pushing is a mental body thing." This means that pushing occurs when the ego is in charge. The ego isn't supposed to come up with the plans, but to execute them. The really important impulses come from the soul, and the ego is needed to observe them, interpret them and put them into action. When the ego comes up with plans, it pushes into the direction of what it thinks must be right, following some arbitrary plan with more or less conviction.

You can see if you're doing this by being mindful of what comes your way. What is the feedback? When you're acting on a soul impulse, feedback will be different than when you're acting on some belief how things should be. You will feel different. Your reality will be different. Your reactions will be different.

By becoming mindful of what comes to you as the consequences of your action you develop the sense of direction you're asking for here. You're asking what all of this means. The same sense gives you a hunch to the answer what these dream images mean and what actions might be appropriate. Learning to discern the quality of the impulses you feel inside yourself is a most valuable skill that needs time to develop.

By doing so you all learn to take care of the needs of your animals - represented here by the porter and the animal caretaker in two different dreams, and also by the leash. By being mindful of your own reactions, impulses, your hunches, your feelings, your spontaneous ideas you will also learn how to work with your elementals, how to take care of them (caretaker), how to keep them aligned (up in the corral) without force (the deer that walked freely). You will learn to align them to further your progress (taking them back to the forest=growth path). There's power in the elementals (tigers and elephants), but when tamed they can be as docile (the tiger mom and the kittens).

Compare Neil's dream where the tigers turned into kittens. When you understand the nature of your elementals then you're the ringmaster of the circus. The soul will settle into the driver seat when you bring your horses together, and then you will have a better sense of the direction you look for.

[CFTraveler]

Charles recently told me that "pushing is a mental body thing." This means that pushing occurs when the ego is in charge. The ego isn't supposed to come up with the plans, but to execute them. The really important impulses come from the soul, and the ego is needed to observe them, interpret them and put them into action. When the ego comes up with plans, it pushes into the direction of what it thinks must be right, following some arbitrary plan with more or less conviction. I like this. I hope you don't mind if I make a note of it.

[LPCF]

Volgerle, I read your post with great interest. For me, the most telling part is that you asked your Higher Self what was your purpose in life. I can't speak for others, but when I did that I got the answer quite rapidly. So IMHO (and I am very hesitant of offering an opinion to a Very Senior Member!) you are being told that you should devote your life to helping animals: if not through your work, then at least in a voluntary capacity. Wild animals are particularly in need of protection. Perhaps it is worth going back to your HS and asking for clarification? I can't say how much this thread interests me. Do please come back to tell us more!

[Neil Templar]

Isn't it wonderful, having experiences like these with the animals? :D
I've very little to contribute here, other than to say i think Oliver's nailed it. I'm finding the elementals appearing as all kinds of animals, very frequently for me.
As for working with animals, whether or not these experiences are actually telling you this would be a good direction to go in life, i reckon it would be a most rewarding way to live, protecting animals. I'd love to do something like that.
Thanks for sharing V. :)

[Sinera]

Thanks to all of you for your comments. Yes the attraction / control / alignment of astral elementals could make sense and be related to some kind of spiritual progress taking place with(in) me, maybe also supported by the fact that I work to become a healer and retriever - this can be for humans and animals. The elephant herd dream also reminds me of a retrieval situation for animals, which I also wrote about in my journal now. However, I only remember one example of an animal retrieval by a human. It is mentioned in Bruce Moen's Afterlife Knowledge Guide Book, the discarnate 'angel' helper was, however, another dog then.

Just a question to Korpo: As you said "my" elementals. Does it mean we create them or just attract them as conscious beings of their own and they then stay and become "ours" - just like pets can become "ours" in physical life? Or just like power animals in shamanic teachings?

And yes, the elementals-interpretation does not at all contradict the more 'mundane' interpretation of caring for animals in this physical life - or even in the astral, too?
I looked out for jobs in animal care / protection but it is difficult. So far, I only applied to charities that care for humans (famine relief, Third World child sponsoring, ...), but I will keep an eye on this possibility, as I am still on the search for a good part-time job opportunity to finance my healer training (.... I need to as it seems I've given up on winning the lottery by now ;)).

[Neil Templar]

Remember, we humans are animals too. This new awareness of the various animals could also symbolise the inclusion of ALL living beings into your everyday experience...

as for the elementals, Oliver wrote a series of blogs concerning them, I'd recommend taking a look there :)

[Korpo]

Hello, Volgerle.

"Elemental" can be used synonymously with energy body, as they are the same. It's another perspective on the nature of the energy bodies.

Essentially you can say that no energy body is you. Each is a vehicle of consciousness (hence sometimes portrayed as car, bike, space ship, ...) - your consciousness. Your consciousness incarnates on Earth taking on in turn ever more dense vehicles as its means of expression and perception. These vehicles are said to be formed (according to theosophy) from the elements of the planes they derive from, hence called "elementals."

The consequence is that an astral body takes on certain characteristics according to the nature of astral matter, and a physical body according to physical matter and so on. This is another consciousness that cooperates with your consciousness to give you means to experience, learn and evolve, but this also means you have to find ways of fruitful cooperation with it.

An elemental has needs. The physical body needs food, shelter from the elements, health and fitness maintenance, good nutrition, etc. The etheric body, linked with the physical body needs authentic sensation, experiences of nature, touch, physical intimacy, etc. The astral body needs connection with others as emotional bonding, social interaction. The mental elemental needs intellectual stimulation, sharing of beliefs and ideas and an environment where its beliefs are acceptible and can be practiced. The causal elemental needs to lead a life of purpose. I'm basically paraphrasing Kurt here, who brought this information through with Charles.

As elementals are both part of us in a sense but also independent consciousness, it makes sense to portray them as animals, be it power animals (to portray the raw power and sometimes willful resistance of an elemental) or as pets (to portray the bond and loyalty). By dreaming such things you get a readout of how you relate to what makes up your energy bodies, how you meet their needs, how you keep them aligned and balanced. If you keep your needs satisfied, you usually have more resistance against stress, influence, manipulation, psychic attack. Your elementals become your allies, and change and evolution become possible, just as a power animal or pet can be your loyal friend. Deny them what they need and it may seem like you are sabotaging yourself at times or worse.

I read about a similar doctrine from a Tibetan lama once. He described the relationship of your awareness and the mind as one of horse and rider. He tried to convey that one needs to be mindful and kind towards the horse (mind) and then the rider will be in charge and chose the direction. If the horse is ill-treated, it will buck, it will not submit to pure force. This is the elemental nature of the mental body and a hint towards a training program which helps the causal consciousness to refine the mental elemental into a loyal ally - hence the title of the book "Turning the Mind Into an Ally" by Sakyong Mipham.

In this sense the "animal nature" of the elementals can be brought up in dreams, but they can also appear as children (to show the degree of their growth and their specific issues, their role as "smaller selves"/points of identification) or people, depending on what specific quality or attribute is to be highlighted.

I found the elementals to be rather archetypal and popping up more often than people would think. It is a kind of self-reading and self-monitoring many people miss out on in dreams because they don't know it exists. Seeing them as self-aspects or parts of the self can also lead to similar interpretation results. The astral elemental would then be one's emotional nature while the mental elemental would be one's intellectual functions, which is precisely what the elementals are.

Oliver

[CFTraveler]

An elemental has needs. The physical body needs food, shelter from the elements, health and fitness maintenance, good nutrition, etc. The etheric body, linked with the physical body needs authentic sensation, experiences of nature, touch, physical intimacy, etc. The astral body needs connection with others as emotional bonding, social interaction. The mental elemental needs intellectual stimulation, sharing of beliefs and ideas and an environment where its beliefs are acceptible and can be practiced. The causal elemental needs to lead a life of purpose. Just making a note of this... I like it.


I read about a similar doctrine from a Tibetan lama once. He described the relationship of your awareness and the mind as one of horse and rider. He tried to convey that one needs to be mindful and kind towards the horse (mind) and then the rider will be in charge and chose the direction. If the horse is ill-treated, it will buck, it will not submit to pure force. This is the elemental nature of the mental body and a hint towards a training program which helps the causal consciousness to refine the mental elemental into a loyal ally - hence the title of the book "Turning the Mind Into an Ally" by Sakyong Mipham. This makes me think of how sad it is when some religious and spiritual organizations demonize their own energy bodies (some the body, some the mind) and approach them as something to be tamed or suppressed.

[Korpo]

This makes me think of how sad it is when some religious and spiritual organizations demonize their own energy bodies (some the body, some the mind) and approach them as something to be tamed or suppressed.

Force and application of will is one way we try to achieve our goals in reality creation. These tools have their limits, and practicing them one will encounter these limits and learn other ways, taking you further. Many people on the planet are at this clashing of wills level of creating reality, and by finding these traditions they might learn the limitations of such approaches.

I tend to think that for people who don't need such a lesson such traditions would not hold much of a lasting attraction. And they might still be a helpful step for those who would formerly not even consider training the mind at all.

We're in a lucky age where we can mix and match, contrast and compare so easily. This can speed up the whole process.

[Sinera]

In this sense the "animal nature" of the elementals can be brought up in dreams, but they can also appear as children (to show the degree of their growth and their specific issues, their role as "smaller selves"/points of identification) or people, depending on what specific quality or attribute is to be highlighted.
Thanks for this:clap:. Like CFT, I will also make a huge mental note of it. Hmm, so maybe in my journal entry of Jan 28 I was right with this interpretation then when I wrote: "Therefore, maybe the little children were aspects of myself reminding me of this. Maybe the 'chocolates' also were meant to represent a kind of 'reward' for my retrieval success?"?

[sono2]

Just making a note of this... I like it.

This makes me think of how sad it is when some religious and spiritual organizations demonize their own energy bodies (some the body, some the mind) and approach them as something to be tamed or suppressed.

Just to say I am honoured to be in such wise company here!

[sono2]

Volgerle, I hope you don't mind, but I asked for clarity on your dreams, as they really resonated with me - (I have had some free time as I was off with gastro!) & the reply I "channeled" was, "Find and then AVOW your purpose".

I quickly scanned your dream images, & came up with the following associations, which I offer ONLY "for what they are worth" :

GREEN = heart chakra. I am certain that many people are experiencing heart chakra stimulation at present; there is definitely some sort of "activation" going on, which I THINK is to make us aware that we are all planetary species & the time has come to overthrow not just racism, but species-ism, too. I get the feeling that we are all being required to reach beyond the personal, to a higher level of existence.

Looking at your archetypes from a Hindu viewpoint, the elephants seem to represent the energy known as Ganesh, the remover of obstacles; the bird could represent the energy of Garuda (Vishnu's carrier); the cats/tigers would be Narasingha, etc.

And as regards the word keleb= dog, backwards = god.. . I find that reversing the order of letter in words can be revealing, & lately my dreams have become very wordy, even with puns!

The mp3 player could be your electronic "servitor", assisting you to assist others; you can OWN it, only because it does not have independent life force.

I have also had dreams about elephants, & I also hid over the edge of a cliff to escape the herd! But then I felt the soft, gentle trunks as they leant over & touched me. . . .

If I may share this, I also used to have many animal interactions in dreams; some of my earliest dreams as a small child were of injured animals. I have always been vegetarian, (I have never tasted flesh) & lately have become totally vegan as I became aware of the cruelty in dairy farming; something I had somehow not considered before; a sort of blindness engendered by my taste for cheese!

I have always taken a stand for animals, but lately I have become rather more of an "activist" in my small way. To me, it is of great importance not to cause undue harm; animals are also spirit-souls, as are we; they experience as we do, & I am convinced we have no right to feed on their bodies. One of my favourite quotes is from Isaac Bashevis Singer, "Every day is Treblinka for the animals". Since giving up dairy products & vowing to make my energy available for astral rescue of animals, I have very few animal dreams. But that may just be in my case.

I feel that we cannot evolve as long we remain active participants in the sentient food-chain. Yet I also think we should approach it from the understanding that human "carnies" are also victims of social injustice - whose mother sat them down as a small child, explained what meat is & where & how it is obtained, & ASKED whether that child chose to eat it or not? It is presented as a fact; part of the dominant human culture of Macht macht Recht. Those who choose not to eat corpses are always required to defend their stance, as if we are somehow "peculiar" for wanting the best for other species.

So I actually DO think you are being called on to assist animals in some way - but, please don't BUY a pet - adopt one instead. 8) Your life will never be the same again, but both you & the animal will enjoy a mutual enrichment.

If I may end my proselityzing with a quote from Albert Einsten: "A human being is part of this whole, called by us "Universe", a part limited in time & space. He experiences himself, his thoughts & feelings, as separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricitng us to our personal desires & to apportion for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourelves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures & the whole of nature in its beauty".

I know there are those who will argue that vegetables & fruit are also alive. I have no definite answer to that, except that they are not sentient in the sense of having nervous systems; also that eating an apple is actually assisting the tree in spreading the seeds. . . (My personal feeling is that anyone who can equate cutting the throat of an animal with picking a vegetable is a psychopath.)

Namaste!

[Sinera]

Hi sono

Thanks, a lot for the kind words and interesting aspects you raise. Indeed this is what I also thought about. Maybe a green (active) heart chakra might attract animal-elemenals and you are able then to align more (on the astral) with these kinds of creatures/creations. That can also include that you align with animals on the physical levels more. I do not know anything about the Hindu metaphors for specific animals, so thanks for these interesting points.

Yes, and I am vegetarian, too. I had recently also thought about this to be yet another supporting reason for this attraction of animals. However, I have been a vegetarian again now for 2 years (also had a phase for about a year or so in the 90ies) and the animal dreams only happened recently. Before that, I hardly dreamt of animals although I can say I always liked anmials a lot.

So far I have not reached the state of veganism, which is indeed hard to attain for me. And yes, it's also the cheese and some other dairy-based products I cannot let go of. Although browing the internet gives you alternatives, such as 'vegan cheese' too. Normally, it is hard to get hold of this in normal retail outlets. Moreover, there is the cost factor. One already (as you might know) pays a lot on top for vegetarian products. Since I am also keen on buying 'organic' most of the times, I have a double burden. I'm afraid that specified vegan imitations of "normal" products just as cheese would definitily blow up my money wallet then. ;) (However, sometimes I buy soya bean pudding now!).

As regards your problem with harvesting and consumption of plants, I recently listened to this "kind of channelled" material on this topic, which might interest you. You need to fast-forward to min 42:30 where an answer is given (I wish there was a script of it available though) exactly as to this question: http://www.monroeinstitute.org/downloads/explorer-series-10/

I think it also ties in with some of the shamanic views about plants (as drugs or supplements) and the state-of-consciousness-altering or even the temporary 'merging' of consciousness(es) by consuming them.

Personally, I also think that e.g. an apple or an orange (as a fruit/plant) is just "there for being eaten" at some point. From a mere ontological viewpoint, I have the feeling that "it" just invites you to bite into it by the nature of its being, and this is so almost in its natural and untempered state, true? Pigs, chickens, fish and cows don't necessarily do so, at least not raw ;). So maybe they (as conscious entities indeed - if they are) are 'fine with their purpose' because it IS their purpose? But that's just my opinion and speculation.

Yes, when the time is right, I might consider getting a dog, and yes, of course I did not mean buying but going to an animal's shelter for it.

[imogen]

I go away because you people rattle my cage too much. I return with more question's than answers because when the cage doors fall open, they are OPEN ... and the Nature of all things spill in from all aspects of life not just this one. *lol*

Korpo - I am in awe of your knowledge.

As an American Native I traditionally eat wild meat - fish, bison, bear, deer or moose; as a young adult in my twenties, I took offense to eating wild or domestic meat and became vegetarian. (I do not see how this advanced me spiritually at all). When I married in my early thirties, I reverted back to a subsistence oriented and wild meat diet, as was the tradition of my Native-raised husband. For indigenous people of Alaska eating wild meat is essential to gain the fat storage necessary to survive the winters. It is not brainwashing, it is a fact. You would not be able to survive off of plants and berries in Northern climates.

It is not what you eat that matters. It is the ATTITUDE in which you eat. Traditionally, the people of my mother, the Yupik, celebrate the upcoming hunt or meat harvest with prayer, song and dance. They state their need and intention to Nature who provides for them. When a hunter takes an animals life for food, it is a sacred act. Yupiks are very conscious people, of how all life is interconnected and give sentience to everything. The animals that thrive around them are their brothers, sisters and cousins, so their life is never is taken for granted, even if the meat of fish and mammals are relished. The Yupiks were also huge lucid dreamers with a huge knowledge of the astral realms mixed into their folklore. So, I do not see how their diet hindered them one bit. The diet of Western civilization, however, has nearly annihilated them.

So, this is my contribution: when a man takes an animal or vegetable and eats it ignorantly without consciousness towards its elemental spirit or vital life energy that is when what he eats affects him spiritually. In our modern world our food is often killed and processed for us, so we are often out of touch with its life energy. I think that is more damaging to us than eating flesh could ever be.