Hello to all who enter this group. My name is Cly. It is my spirit name, and the name that everyone calls me by. I started this group because I couldn't find any other group that dealt specifically with Shamanism and Spirit creatures. Let me tell you a little about it.

There are many different Spirit Animals, and many ways they enter and leave your life. Some stay with you 'til your final passing into the Spirit Realm. Some change constantly throughout your life. There are all sorts, everything from every creature on this world, to creatures from other worlds. Never fight what you see in your Journeys. Just because it's a giant blob of goop with whiskers doesn't really mean it's just your imagination. If it keeps coming up and it gives you a feeling of peace to be in its presence, it really is there to help you.

There are differences between all the different words like "totem" and "power" animals. Let me see if I can clear some of it up for you. Though remember I am fairly new at this as well, though I have been doing it for 4 years now.

Totem Animals are the creatures that represent you. Your soul. Your path. On the top, dominating all the others, is whatever creature your own soul feels like. For me, it is a wolf. Along the totem are all the other creatures that stick with you, or have a hand in who you are. Under the Wolf would be the Cat, because I act so much like a cat all the time, meowing, batting at shiny things, staring into space for long periods of time, always in search of the warmest, softest spot, plus my familiar is my cat who saved my life from myself. There is rarely just one totem animal. They build up over your life.

Spirit Guides/Teachers are creatures that come to teach you lessons as you journey through the Spirit Realm and the physical realm. They help guide you to the right path, though that path may not seem that right when you first take a step on it. It may be too rocky, too full of obsticules (sp?), but keep following your Guide and it will teach you how to get around the obsticules, how to dodge bad things, and how to deal with them when you can't. And once you have learned the lessons that creature offers, another will take its place. I started with a wolf, moved to a lion, then a hyeana, a stilted fox, a ferret, a very lazy cheetah, and now again it has changed to an undead dog. As I learn their lessons I lose them and gain new ones.

Power Creatures stick with you. They give you power, and they protect you. Some people have bears, because they are powerful and big and you can take comfort knowing a giant grizzly who loves you is watching over you as you Journey through Spirit Realm. Mine is Spiders. That's right, Spiders. Billions of tiny shiny Spiders that crawl all over me and around me and wrap up any threat in their web while stinging it again and again. Very powerful. They have always been with me, helping me, guarding my sleep, putting up webs to keep away nightmares. They warn me whenever something bad is about to happen, they guard me when bad things are happening. They are with me, both in Spirit and in physical. And yes, I did fear Spiders for a very long time, and still do, a bit. Just because you fear a creature doesn't mean it doesn't have anything to teach you. If nothing else it is there to teach you to get over your fears.

Guardians are creatures at your beck and call. Mine is a minotuar made of shadow. Any time I see something supernatural that scares me, I call for him and he comes up out of the Earth, peels away from the shadows, and defends me. Guardians can be the same as your Power, but they are *usually* different because one is "physical" (like my minotuar) and the other is mostly spiritual. Now remember, I say USUALLY because that's not always the case, nor is any of this ALWAYS the case. There are always exception to every rule.

Familiars are physical animals with which you make a spiritual bond. My cat is my familiar. He and I can speak even though 90 miles seperates us right now. They will always change as one familiar dies and another eventually takes its place.

As for your true Soul Creature. That is what you are. My soul is a wolf. It was a wolf, and it still believes it is a wolf. All my instincts are wolf, all my thoughts are wolf, the way I act, the way I respond, the way I feel is all based on wolf behavior. I am aggressively monogomous, highly territorial, and desperate for the company of a pack of friends. I whimper when sad or excited, yelp when surprised, and snarl when I'm pissed. Even though I act like a cat a lot, I know my soul is wolf. I have visions of myself in my wolf form, an extinct form that lived in the frozen deserts at the base of the Himilayans.

So, I hope that clears up some things. Now that I've given you all some info, I would like to say for those nonbelievers, these are NOT dreams. I am never sleeping when I go on these Journeys. I am fully aware of my body and of things that are going on around me. At any time I can return and respond to anything that is happening as if I'd never left. Shamanic/Spiritual Journeys are literally where your spirit leaves your body and goes to the Spirit World and meets other Spirits. I have met people on other websites in their animal forms and the truth is that anything that can be done in this world can be done in that one, including conversations, frolicing through woods, and yes, even sex. These worlds are not safe though. There are dark beings that lurk, waiting to steal what is most precious from you. Also, during your absences, your body can be taken over by a passing spirit. I've known good people who got taken over because they didn't tether themselves properly and turned into completely different people in only a few minutes. Journeys are not for the unprepared. It is best to have your first one with someone who knows what they are doing and can help you. Also, you can enter the body of a living animal. You can experience everything as that animal. (Contrary to popular beliefs, dogs CAN see color nearly as well as ourselves! And my cat's favorite color is red, which is so bright it sometimes hurts their eyes.) This is even trickier, and takes a lot of preparation. Please don't try without first doing everything needed to ensure your spirit finds it's way back to your body or risk staying stuck in the animal.

Well, that's a pretty basic explaination of everything. If you'd like to know more, please let me know. And anyone can share their Shamanic/Spiritual Journeys, which are good to share in case you can't figure out the meaning. Also technique sharing, and helping of novices is the number one goal of this group. Ask questions, interact, and most of all, Love everyone. I hope you all have wonderful and peaceful lives. Love, Light, and Peace to you all. Namasta.

Oh, and one last thing, I often go long periods of time without visiting my own group. If anyone is disrespectful to another or if anyone feels uncomfortable with anyone else, PLEASE CONTACT ME! Copy and paste what you think was inappropriate that the other person said, with their name, and I will decide whether it was serious enough to ban them. I am also in search of a "beta" for this group, to watch it while I am busy with school and life in general. Please let me know if you are interested. Thank you.