Irish gal
Well-Known Member
The ability to communicate with animals is only alien to us in the white west, it is something that is universally accepted by some cultures. Take for instance the native Americans, through their spiritual beliefs animals were revered and during religious ceremonies they received wisdom and guidance from spirit animals seen in trance like states.
But it wasn't just confined to religious ceremony and medicine men. If you read the literature like contemporary accounts of Indian life, before their civilisation was effectively crushed, there are many accounts of communication with animals. The great chief Sitting Bull credited a small yellow bird with saving his life. He recounted how out hunting one day he had grown tired and fell asleep against a tree. He awoke when prompted by a little yellow bird who told him not to move. Only meters away a big brown bear was on the prowl. Sitting Bull took the birds advice and didn't move, and lived to tell the tale. As was the custom he created a song in praise of the bird that he often sang, his way of honouring and thanking the bird. In their way of thinking, respecting the animals like this made the animals more open to talking with them and helping them.
Seeing ourselves as 'above' nature and animals and now living lives so far removed from nature, it is little wonder that this ability has been largely lost by our 'superior' western selves.
But it wasn't just confined to religious ceremony and medicine men. If you read the literature like contemporary accounts of Indian life, before their civilisation was effectively crushed, there are many accounts of communication with animals. The great chief Sitting Bull credited a small yellow bird with saving his life. He recounted how out hunting one day he had grown tired and fell asleep against a tree. He awoke when prompted by a little yellow bird who told him not to move. Only meters away a big brown bear was on the prowl. Sitting Bull took the birds advice and didn't move, and lived to tell the tale. As was the custom he created a song in praise of the bird that he often sang, his way of honouring and thanking the bird. In their way of thinking, respecting the animals like this made the animals more open to talking with them and helping them.
Seeing ourselves as 'above' nature and animals and now living lives so far removed from nature, it is little wonder that this ability has been largely lost by our 'superior' western selves.