It is highly personal whether it is normal for you to apply animal parts for magical practice and rituals or not. But most of the magic practicians intend to honor animals while using their remains and for them the meaning of such rituals is positive.
Witchcraft and magic have been connected with animal spirits for centuries. Mysterious legends about witches always refer to animal spirits in multiple ways. Witches themselves are often associated and depicted as wild beasts and believed to have their powers. Kind and evil creatures may also appear as animals. Even the Devil himself. Animal parts in spiritual practices can symbolize strength, serving as an omen, or can help a magic practitioner foresee the future or obtain additional super powers.
Each person who positions himself as a shaman, magician or witch, tries to connect to the animal realm in numerous ways – material or not. They decorate their homes with animal parts, practice taxidermy, and identify themselves with their spirits and representations. But let us find out how they can actually improve their powers and practices with animal skin spirits.
The process of building relationships with animal spirits can really take much time or never end. Animal parts help build this connection and make it stronger. Sometimes magic practitioners contact animal spirits even unconsciously, randomly. This process has much air and methods of achievement. Many tools, shamanic amulets, various skins and animal parts including tails, claws, hooves, paws and fangs enter the process of building the relationships with animal spirits.
Animal parts serve as a symbol and goes far from its material meaning, turning into a concept. The purpose of a practitioner is to understand and study this concept better. A bear, for example, gives understanding of a wild maternal instinct, an elephant – of a strong family bond and power, a wolf – of freedom and independence as well as leadership qualities. Thus, animal spirits serve as archetypes able to enhance and enrich our belief and magic experience. Certain weaknesses of a human can be “healed” with animal artifacts as they are able to compensate something people lack – strength, leadership, parental instinct and more.
Hundreds of legends, myths and folk stories in different countries and within different cultures refer to animal spirits and animal powers, as well as their bond with humans. Since childhood years, we are taught to understand the behavior of animals, the role in nature. Growing up, many people strive to study more – to explore the powers of animals, animal spirits and the ways they can change a human life. It’s when magic comes into play.
A magic practitioner or a shaman can build relationships with an animal spirit as an individual substance or as a collective one. Such spirit is intended to guide the human along his complicated journey to the parallel world. The number of the roles, which could be played by an animal spirit in the magical practice is truly high. Although, it remains personal and depends on the aims of a human who has formed this bond with an animal spirit.
Animal parts can be one of the most evident and reliable tools for making a shaman or a magician stronger. Their magic obtains more energy and efficiency. An ally or a messenger represented by an animal spirit is moving a practitioner forward, providing him an insight into the essence of the spiritual life and his personal opinions and decisions.
Practitioners decide on the role of an animal spirit in their practice – whether it’s just assistance or something huge and decisive. Symbols for them is a path to better understanding of many things. Having formed a set of own symbols for daily practice, they refine their results in magic. But it never works without love! Love and respect for animals is the main thing! All of us get captivated by the moves of wild animals, we like seeing them in real life and wish to understand their behavior better – partially because we unconsciously realize the connection between all living creatures. This love and admiration flow into magical practices and rituals, and it never works any other way.
You should not expect any guidance or assistance from animal spirits, if you don’t respect and admire the powers of animals, the powers of nature itself. The applications of animal parts in the efforts of a magician are endless. And these magical experiences can be very enriching and favorable.
