Animals of the Way

 From my blog at Witches and Pagan's Pagan Square:

"Animals who stay to help you after delivering their message are known as “Animals of the Way.” They will travel with you for a part of your life’s journey. Although these animals are not life-long companions, they may stay with you for years. Once they are no longer needed, “Animals of the Way” will leave. As with “Message Animals,” you need to accept them. Of course, find out about who they are and how they live. Enter into conversations with them, and ask how they can help you.

Sometimes you can ask a particular animal for help for temporary aid. But first, figure out whether the animal can work with you. Some animals are better equipped to help with particular problems. For example, Ferret is preferable to Sloth in increasing your physical energy. Moreover, animals that you have a relations with will be more disposed to helping you. Before asking a “strange” animal for assistance, do something to honor them first.

For example, I was grieving over the loss of a family member, and had asked the Manatees to comfort me. Since I assisted in various conservation efforts for manatees, They were more than happy to help. These friendly vegetarians know loss, for They have grieved over their fellow Manatees killed by motor boats. Soft and peaceful, the Manatees were all encompassing in giving their love to me. Through them, I was healed."

READ THE REST AT : Animal Wisdom: Animals of the Way

GIANT ! BRAZILIAN OTTER: Having A Good Family Life

The largest of Otters, Giant Otter is at the top of the Brazilian Rainforest food chain. She swims in tight circles to create a whirlpool that sucks up Fish from the Amazon Riverbed. Giant Otter prefers Catfish which hide on bottoms of streams and lakes. When She is tired of eating Fish, Giant Otter hunts Snakes and Crocodiles. For a hearty meal, She kills either a Cayman or an Anaconda.

Besides Giant Otter’s great size (longer than a tall person), She is also distinguished by her boldly blotched throat and flattened tail. Because of Giant Otter’s distinctive characteristics that seem un-Otter-like, such as her size and tail, some people question whether Giant Otter is an Otter. However, Giant Otter has several distinctive Otter characteristics. For example, She likes to play and swim.

Giant Otter leads a small family of Otters called a holt. In her holt, She plays with her Husband and Pups. They socialize together, talking with each other by barks, twitters, chuckles, and other sounds. When Mother and Father Giant Otter go hunting, Older Brother and Sister Giant Otter baby-sit the Little Ones. Later, the whole Family rests together and groom each other.

Giant Otter demonstrates having a good family life. Like all good families, her family enjoys each other’s company. Study Giant Otter’s example to have a family life that you would want to come home to.

SEA OTTER: Second Chances

When people think “otter”, they imagine Sea Otter with her cute face, floating on her back, holding a clam. The most aquatic of Otters, Sea Otter spends most of her life at sea. Since She likes to be in the water near the shore, Sea Otter prefers living along coasts instead of the open ocean. During rough weather, Sea Otter will seek shelter in a rocky cove.

Unlike other Otters, Sea Otter catches Fish in her clawed forefeet. Other times, She dives to the sea bottom, snatches a tasty Clam, and returns to the surface. Swimming on her back, Sea Otter uses a rock and bangs open the Clam on her chest.

From time to time, Mother Sea Otter will gather with other Mothers and their Pups. While her Pup is playing with the other Pups, Mother Sea Otter grooms Herself to keep her fur clean. As her Pup has fun with his Playmates, Mother Sea Otter rests with her Friends.

Sea Otter’s history with people is a sad one. Russians and Americans hunted Her to near extinction for her fur. What saved Sea Otter were other, more thoughtful people. When the hunters thought that there were no more Sea Otters, other people knew where Sea Otters were hiding and kept the place secret. After laws were enacted to save Sea otter, her numbers slowly recovered.

Sea Otter once trusted people before they hunted Her. After about a hundred years, Sea Otter is willing to trust again. As people are working to give Sea Otter a second chance to thrive, so She is giving people a second chance.

RIVER ! CANADIAN OTTER; The Value of Play

Mother River Otter builds her den (holt) along the shore of a wooded stream. In her holt, She gives birth and watches her Pups for about six months, alone. Then Father Otter rejoins Her and helps with their Pups.

Mother and Father River Otter teach ingenuity to their Children. Mother River Otter punches holes into Beaver's dams and when the water recedes, wades in and feasts on the trapped Fish and Frogs.

Father River Otter teaches the Pups how to launch a submarine attack on a sleeping Duck. The entire River Otter Family spends a lot of time playing, sliding down muddy hills or diving for pebbles. Play helps their Pups to learn to hunt and live an independent life.

River Otter teaches the value of play. Through play, She learns how to swim and hunt. River Otter chases her Friends in the water and dives for rocks with Them. River Otter repeatedly slides down a muddy riverbank to learn how to travel in snow.

Play serves to teach as well as to have fun. Let River Otter teach you how to play well.

Otter Family: Living a Well-Rounded Life

Most people think that Otters live only in the sea or along rivers in Europe or North America. However, Otters live everywhere – in the tropics of South America and Africa, near Siberia, and in Asia. The only place that Otters do not live is Australia.

Wherever Otters live, They are known for their energy. They chase each other underwater, slide down muddy hills, and dive for pebbles. When They are not playing, Otters travel long distances looking for food or for a mate. The only time an Otter is still is when Sea Otter is asleep in the ocean or when River Otter suns Herself.

Otters are well suited for life in the water. With their long bodies and webbed feet, Otters easily paddle with their hind legs. While They are swimming, Otters move their powerful tails. Quite the acrobats, Otters turn somersaults in water.

Strangely enough, Otters are not born knowing how to swim. Mother Otter teachers her Pups how to survive in the water. At first, She plays water games with Them. When the young Pups are ready, She pushes Them into the water. While They try to swim, Mother Otter stands ready to rescue her floundering Pups. After much trial and error, They learn to swim.

Otters are curious about the world around them and like to explore. But what They like best is to play. Sea Otter will use a beer can to entice a small Octopus to come near. River Otter opens a house door and go inside to look around.

Otters live a well-rounded life, playing and working. They have boundless energy to do everything but Otters stop from time to time and sleep in the sun. Learn living well from Otters.