Sorry about the Hiatus
Wow, seems like we have some new members to the community over the past couple of months. Welcome! Hope you enjoy the community. I am sorry that I haven't been updating or posting much on here lately, but life and love have wonderfully been getting in the way. I hope you find the site interesting and (this goes for the older members as well) share any thoughts, ideas, experiences that you have in regards to shamanism and neo_shamanism with the rest of us.
Rest assured, the community isn't forgotten about... quite to the contrary actually. A couple of weeks ago, while at a wonderful state park/natural zoo, I shared some wonderful moments with what I consider my spirit animal, the Cougar.
I have always had an incredible connection to animals of all kinds, but what happend over those two days that I spent there with the woman I love was beyond coincidence, it was connecting with a wild animal on the most basic level and sharing wonderful moments and energy together.
At this park, they have a very large, natural enclosures that house many of the native flora and fauna of the area I live in (Midwest Illinois). In one of these exhibits, they have two beautiful Cougars in a huge natural area.
Phyllis and I looked at their exhibit from an overlook and weren't able to spot either of them. But as we were getting ready to leave and walk around the rest of the path. We saw them both come out of their Den look around spot us and went back inside. We thought that was it, a wonderful little glimpse at the majestic and secretive cats.
But as we continued along the path that went around the Cougars enclosure, we heard several women who were on the path ahead of us yell out "Oh wow, that cougar is following you!"
And sure enough, one of the cougars had come out and followed Phyllis and myself and wherever we went the cougar followed, even though there were other people all around. I had many moments of eye contact and connection and was genuinly thrilled about the experience. And pretty much chalked it up to a wonderful, unique moment.
I was wrong. The next day (we stayed at the cabin that they had at the park overnight), we walked along the same path towards the cougar enclosure and sure enough, both cougars were there and watched and followed us wherever we went and genuinely seemed happy and friendly towards us and I had several more moments of connection with them. One in particular spent a lot of time just watching and spending time around us and even though other people passed by, they paid them no attention. It was eerie to a degree, but so wonderfully awesome. Needless to say I was pretty much walking on air for a long time afterwards.
I don't know whether it was just the positive, happy energy that Phyllis and I were putting out, or whether there was some unseen spiritual "brotherhood" between the cougars and myself, all I do know that it was a very special wonderful experience and moment I had with one of my favorite creatures, and the animal I am proud to call my spirit totem.
Cougar pics under the cut
The cougar following us
And the cougar laying down literally 6 feet or so away from where we were standing on the path
Rest assured, the community isn't forgotten about... quite to the contrary actually. A couple of weeks ago, while at a wonderful state park/natural zoo, I shared some wonderful moments with what I consider my spirit animal, the Cougar.
I have always had an incredible connection to animals of all kinds, but what happend over those two days that I spent there with the woman I love was beyond coincidence, it was connecting with a wild animal on the most basic level and sharing wonderful moments and energy together.
At this park, they have a very large, natural enclosures that house many of the native flora and fauna of the area I live in (Midwest Illinois). In one of these exhibits, they have two beautiful Cougars in a huge natural area.
Phyllis and I looked at their exhibit from an overlook and weren't able to spot either of them. But as we were getting ready to leave and walk around the rest of the path. We saw them both come out of their Den look around spot us and went back inside. We thought that was it, a wonderful little glimpse at the majestic and secretive cats.
But as we continued along the path that went around the Cougars enclosure, we heard several women who were on the path ahead of us yell out "Oh wow, that cougar is following you!"
And sure enough, one of the cougars had come out and followed Phyllis and myself and wherever we went the cougar followed, even though there were other people all around. I had many moments of eye contact and connection and was genuinly thrilled about the experience. And pretty much chalked it up to a wonderful, unique moment.
I was wrong. The next day (we stayed at the cabin that they had at the park overnight), we walked along the same path towards the cougar enclosure and sure enough, both cougars were there and watched and followed us wherever we went and genuinely seemed happy and friendly towards us and I had several more moments of connection with them. One in particular spent a lot of time just watching and spending time around us and even though other people passed by, they paid them no attention. It was eerie to a degree, but so wonderfully awesome. Needless to say I was pretty much walking on air for a long time afterwards.
I don't know whether it was just the positive, happy energy that Phyllis and I were putting out, or whether there was some unseen spiritual "brotherhood" between the cougars and myself, all I do know that it was a very special wonderful experience and moment I had with one of my favorite creatures, and the animal I am proud to call my spirit totem.
Cougar pics under the cut
The cougar following us
And the cougar laying down literally 6 feet or so away from where we were standing on the path