Animal-Speak
Ted Andrews
Llewellyn Publications
Nonfiction, Magic and Spirituality
*****
DESCRIPTION: Around the world, since the dawn of humanity, people have looked to animals to learn new behaviors and to understand themselves. Tribes and individuals adopted them as totems, aspiring to emulate the perceived qualities of a particular bird or beast. Even today, there are those who believe the animal kingdom can give us important messages about our lives. This book compiles numerous ancient beliefs with modern facts to outline what animals can mean on a spiritual level. It also describes various methods of divination and rituals to summon animal energies.
REVIEW: This is probably the best book on the market for describing the concept of power animals and animal spirit guides. Andrews uses a holistic approach, advocating book studies as well as gut intuition to interpret significant animal sightings or choose an animal energy to help one through a difficult patch. His descriptions are extensive, showing how not only the animal itself but its environment, predators, and prey factor into understanding its spiritual aspects. The list of animals included ranges around the world, from aardvarks to zebras and ants to elephants. Books like this not only provide interesting food for spiritual thought, but help immensely with my fantasy writing efforts; books this clearly written make magic systems much easier to understand, and spark great possibilities.
You might also enjoy:
The Alexander Cold trilogy (Isabel Allende, YA Fiction - An American teen discovers his power animal during a dangerous journey through the Amazon Jungle)
The Animorphs series (K. A. Applegate, YA Fiction - Kids learn about animals from the inside out when an alien gives them the power to morph, a tool against mind-stealing invaders)
Animal Magick (D. J. Conway, Nonfiction - Summoning and using animals as spiritual guides)
The Little Giant Encyclopedia Of Spells & Magic (The Diagram Group, Nonfiction - Historical spells and magic traditions)
Living Wisdom: Animal Spirits (Nicholas J. Saunders, Nonfiction - An examination of what different animals mean to different cultures, and why)
A Plague of Sorcerers (Mary Frances Zambreno, YA Fiction - A boy magician attracts a skunk for a familiar)
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