Here are some methods of finding your animal.

A SIMPLE JOURNEY EXCERCISE

Here is a simple meditation which can be used to help you find your animal ally.

Get into a comfortable position, either sitting up or lying down. Just relax and breath deep from your
stomach, in through your nose and out your mouth. Take four deep breaths. Imagine a ball of white or
gold light above you, a brilliant yet gentle ball of light, made of pure love. Allow it to send a beam of pure
light into the top of your head. Feel this loving energy flowing into you, relaxing you and making you feel
protected and relaxed. Let it flow down your spine, absorbing all the tension and fear within you,
leaving you relaxed and at peace. When it has reached the bottom of your spine, take a few deep breaths
to make sure that all the tension and resistance has been absorbed by the pure light.

Now, imagine that this pillar of light within you expands, so that it encircles you entirely in a sphere or
egg of pure light. Know that you are loved and protected. If you wish, call upon Great Spirit (Jesus,

Goddess, etc.) to guide and protect you. Now, imagine that you are walking along a woodland path. Feel
yourself there. Feel the grass beneath your feet and the gentle breeze upon your face. Smell the flowers
and trees. Hear all the sounds of the surrounding forest. (Try to imagine yourself as being "fully there",
but don't force the images to come. Let them come naturally.) Ahead you hear the sound of a gentle steam.

Soon you are able to make it out and find yourself in a small clearing. Sit down near the stream and relax.
Ask now that your animal ally come to you to help guide you in your life. At the edge of the clearing, you
feel a presence. You know that this is your animal guide. You know that it cannot enter the clearing,
which is your protective space, without your permission. (If you feel afraid or something just doesn't
seem right, know that you can return to waking state immediately if necessary, at any time) Allow the
animal to come into the clearing. Let it come to you. When it does, you may wish to speak with it, or even
play with it. Feel free to follow your heart in this matter.

When you are finished, thank the animal for coming to you and watch as it leaves the clearing. Also
thank Spirit for allowing you to meet your animal ally. Now go back to the trail to retrace your path.
Again, allow yourself to experience it fully. Soon you reach the point from which you started. Then you
find yourself back here. Feel the sphere of light still protecting you. Take a few breaths, and when you feel
ready, slowly open your eyes.

KEEPING YOUR POWER ANIMAL NEAR

An image of your power animal may belong on your altar (or somewhere in your house), either in picture
or statue form, and it's also a nice idea to have pictures on your wall. Animal calendars, for example, are
easy to find, and the photographs are often lovely and frame-able. Since one of the purposes of our power
animals is to remind us of who we really are, wearing or carrying images of them can be a particularly
effective form of reminder.

http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/1889/wanimals.html

In terms of finding out what your animal totem is, you can know by many different ways:

1. One way may be thinking about what animal you have always felt a special connection to. You may
feel like you act or think like a specific animal, which may be your animal totem.

2. You can meditate to see what animal may be trying to teach you something or trying to enter your life
and make you aware of it's presence.

3. You can do an animal reading with cards. The ones that I use are Medicine Cards by Bear & Company.

4 You can watch and observe your surroundings, listening to the intuitve messages that you are given to
find your animal.

5. There are many animal totem books out there to read and other references to research, like Animal
Speak by Ted Andrews or Animal Magick by D.J. Conway.

The position of Within symbolizes your "main" animal totem. Know that you can have one specific
animal with you all your life. This animal may or may not change, it depends on what lessons or
experiences you need to learn at certain points in your life. You may also have different animal enter
your life temporarily, while your "main" totem takes a backseat until it is ready to enter into your life
again. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to e-mail me!

Try writing your own animal visualization and see what types of journeys and lessons you can learn
from this personal experience!

A Meditation for a Familiar

The first thing to concentate on during meditaiton is relaxing the body.

Begin with the toes and feet. Mentally tell the muscles to relax. Slowly move up through the body
relaxing the muscles as you go. Don't strain at this. Take as long as necessary. Spend more time working
on the muscles of the shoulders, neck and jaw as these are the ones we tense almost constantly.

When you are relaxed, surround yourself with white light. Breathe it in; wrap it around you. Now
visualize a well before you; you can also use theimage of a pond or river, if you like. Mentally take all the
problems that are bothering you and drop them into the well. If the problems won't stay in the well,
visualize a lid with a stout lock to keep them inside. Doing this symbolized to your subconscious mind
that these things need to be taken care of. You don't want to go into meditation carrying negative feelings
with you.

Visualize scenery around you. This can be forests, jungles, deserts, whatever, but picture a place without
buildings or other humans. You may be surprised to find yourself in a place you didn't have in mind at
all. Accept whatever scenery is shown and begin a leisurely walk around. Be very observant for any
creatures that appear.

If a creature approaches you, try to communicate with it. Watch what it does and how it responds to you.
since this i the astral plane, it is possible to communicate with any creature you see. Communication is
commonly by tlelpathic conversations within the mind. You may be told that this creature will be one of
your astral familiars or that it has come to make you aware you have need of some of its traits. You may
find yourself communicating with several astral beings before you are ready to return to this plane of
exsistance.

When you have wandered through this landscape, and perhaps through others, and observed several
astral creatures who show an interest in you, thank them and begin to pull back to your physical body.
As you think of your body, slip gently back into it and slowly open your eyes. Move your arms and legs
slowly to get the circulation going before you try to stand up.

Trading Places Exercise

Objective:
To trade places (mentally) with a dog or cat, or other
animal.

Setting:
Home, Zoo, Wilderness, etc.

Instructions:
1. Relax your body as completely as you can. Calm your mind,
eliminating all thoughts which do not relate to your intent
and purpose. Sit so that you are comfortable, and as nearly
as possible on the same level with the animal you will be
working with. Lie down if you like. The important thing is
that you are able to comfortably make eye contact with your
animal partner in this exercise. It is also important to
satisfy yourself that the animal is likewise comfortable and
secure with you.

2. Take a deep breath. As you slowly exhale, look into the
animal's eyes, and imagine that a part of your awareness is
being transmitted through your breath into the animal's
mind. Watch the animal breathe, and imagine that a part of
its awareness is being transmitted into your mind.

3. Continue looking directly into the animal's eyes until
you feel your consciousness merge with the animal's
consciousness.

As the boundaries between you and the animal dissolve, you
may feel as if you've really traded places with a member of
another species, as though a part of you has become the
animal - this is the height of subjective merging.You may
begin to feel compassion for another species. You'll also
probably recognize some of the artificial differences
between the human and animal worlds. You may be able to feel
or sense the actual flow of the animals emotions and mental
imagery. Should you accomplish this then it should be
no trouble for you to contract with the animal to serve as
your magical partner. Asking another to become such a
partner also places upon you the responsibility of becoming
its partner. I would not recommend contracting an animal to
become your familiar and then treating the animal as a pet.
A pet is something you possess, own. A Familiar, to my way
of thinking, is an individual who has entered into a
mutually beneficial relationship (partnership) with you, and
therefore should be afforded the respect and consideration
due a partner.