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PANTHER, LEOPARD, JAGUAR
By CinnamonMoon

Everglades (Florida) Panther

Black Panther, Leopard and Jaguar are very similar and share much of the same Medicine. I'll be
combining them in this article and you will see why as it unfolds.
*Ted Andrews/Animal-Speak:
Keynote: Reclaiming One's True Power
Cycle of Power: Dark of the Moon--New Moon--Winter

The panther is a very powerful and ancient totem. The name panther is more generally associated with a
particular species of leopard or jaguar, although in the Florida area, the cougar is also referred to as
panther. for the purposes of this work, we will explore it as part of the leopard and/or jaguar family and
not of the cougar.

As with most of the large cats, the panther is a symbol of ferocity and valor. Like the tiger and the lion, it
embodies aggressiveness and power but without the solar significance. In the case of the black panther,
there is definitely a lunar significance.

As with any totem, a study of the individual characteristics can provide much insight into the energies
being awakened within those who align with this animal. Panthers of the leopard family are found in
Africa, Asia Minor, China, and India. Those we associate with the jaguar family are found in the
southwest United States (rarely anymore), throughout Mexico, Central America, and parts of South
America. Meditation upon this totem, when it reveals itself to you, will help you determine whether it is
part of the leopard or the jaguar family. Regardless, there are still traits that both embody and reflect.
The panther, in general, is smaller but more fierce than lions or tigers. They have over 500 voluntary
muscles that they can use at will. This reflects a lot about an individual who has such animals as a totem.
It reflects an ability to do a variety of tasks as he or she wills. It is simply a matter of deciding and putting
to use those particular "muscles"--be they physical, mental, psychic, or spiritual.

As a whole panthers are loners (solitary) though they do associate with others, they are most comfortable
by themselves or within their own marked territories. They are drawn to those individuals who are
likewise often solitary.

The panther is an enchanting combination of beauty and utility. They have a wonderful gracefulness, with
an ability to move with ease or freeze entirely. They are quiet when they are stalking, hunting, or
pursuing. Those who have a panther as a totem will find their greatest power in silence as goals are
pursued. Revealing too much or speaking too much about pursuits can counteract some of the
effectiveness.

Panthers are excellent sprinters, but they are not great long distance runners. From a health perspective,
those with a panther totem must learn to pace their work, allowing time to rest and play. They must not
push too far or too hard on any one task. If they do, they are more susceptible to imbalances. In times of
trouble--in any environment--those with panther totems are often the first and fastest to respond, and
especially in the work environment they respond effectively to deadlines and to pressures.
After mating, the panthers only stay together for a short time. The female handles the rearing of the
young, disliking intrusions from the outside. This is often similar to women who have panthers as totem
guides. They do not like others--even their mates--interfering with how they feel the young should be
raised. The female panther almost always raises the cubs alone, and women with panther totems often
find themselves doing likewise--whether out of divorce or simply through asserting dominance in that
area of the couple's life.

All cats have binocular vision. Each eye can work singly, providing greater depth of vision, magnifying
images, and facilitating judgment of distances. Thus anyone who aligns with the panther will begin to
develop greater depth of vision--of their life, of events, or other people. This is more than just psychic
sight. It is an inner knowing.

Often people enter the metaphysical field, taking up exercises and meditation to have their inner lights
"clicked on." Individuals with panthers as totems are usually individuals who came into the world with
the lights already on. Thus they should not be discouraged when they do not experience what others
describe when their lights turned on. They should trust their thoughts and their inner visions (imaginings)
for there is probably a strong foundation in reality.

To those with whom the panther links comes the ability to develop clairaudience, to hear the
communications of other dimensions and other life forms. The panther has very strong hearing. It can
move its ears to locate the direction of sounds.

The panther also has extremely sensitive hairs on the body, especially the face. Those with a panther
totem will find their own sensitivity to touch increasing, from the time the panther enters your life. The
skin is our largest sensory organ, and we experience much more of the world through it than we realize.
Those with panther totems should pay attention to how they feel when someone touches them or when
they touch someone else.

The facial hairs of the panther are especially sensitive, and those with this totem can develop a special
form of psychometry. Rather than holding and "reading" an object's vibrations through the hands, placing
it against one's cheek or forehead will bring strong impressions.

This skin sensitivity--the touch faculty--will heighten responses in the overall body. Things--such as
foods--that are generally revolting will be more so to individuals with these totems. Touches that are
sensual and erogenous will intensify as well when the panther enters one's life. The arrival of the panther
initiates a time of awakened sensuality and passion, two powerful tools of the feminine powers.
It is in the hours of darkness that panthers find its greatest element of power. This is even more true of
those who have as a totem a black panther. The season in which their power is greatest is the winter. The
lunar cycle most powerful is the dark of the moon through the new moon.

It has been noted mythically that a panther of the leopard variety have a distinctive sweet breath by which
it lures animals to it for food. Leopard varieties kill by biting the back of the neck. They do not attack
from the front, they pounce from behind. Those with a panther totem who are angered will not confront
another individual head on--and are better off not doing so. They must stalk patiently, waiting until close
enough to strike strong and hard. They don't play when they hunt. These individuals will go for the throat,
so to speak.

The jaguar variety of the panther will also stalk, but they are more powerful. Because of their position and
power they will simply bite through the temporal bones of the skull. They have also been known to shear
the heads off of animals with a single swipe of their claws. Because of their sensitivity, individuals with
the jaguar panther as a totem will instinctively know how best to attack if placed in such a position--and
they can do so lethally whether in defense or in response to anger. Because of this natural ability,
individuals with this totem must learn to temper their responses, or they may unintentionally wound
others more deeply than they mean to.

Of all the panthers, probably the black panther has the greatest mysticism associated with it. It is the
symbol of the feminine, the dark mother, the dark of the moon. It is the symbol for the life and power of
the night. It is a symbol of the feminine energies manifest upon the earth. It is often a symbol of darkness,
death, and rebirth from out of it. There still exists in humanity a primitive fear of the dark and of death.
The black panther helps us to understand the dark and death and the inherent powers of them; and thus by
acknowledging them, eliminate or fears and learn to use the powers.

In China there were five mythic cats, sometimes painted like tigers or leopards. The black reigns in the
north with winter as its season of power, and water its most effective element. This is the element of the
feminine. This is the totem of greater assertion of the feminine in all her aspects: child, virgin, seductress,
mother, warrioress, seeress, old wise woman.

When the black panther enters your life as a totem, it awakens the inner passions. This can manifest in
unbridled expressions of baser powers and instincts. It can also reflect an awakening of the kundalini,
signaling a time of not just coming into one's own power. More so, the keynote of the black panther is
Reclaiming One's True Power.

In mythology and scripture, the panther has been found in all parts of the world as a dynamic totem. it has
been a symbol of the "Argos of a Thousand Eyes," who guarded the heifer IO who was love by Zeus.
After his death, the eyes were transferred to the feathers of the peacock. The panther always brings a
guardian energy to those to whom it comes.

The panther has also been attributed to Jesus. In the Abodazara (early Jewish commentaries on the
scriptures), it is listed as a surname for the family of Joseph. It tells how a man was healed "in the name
of Jesus ben Panther." Because of this the panther often signals a time of rebirth after a period of suffering
and death on some level. This implies that an old issue may finally begin to be resolved, or even that old
longstanding wounds will finally begin to heal, and with the healing will come a reclaiming of power that
was lost at the time of wounding.

The panther was also a symbol associated with Bacchus/Dionysus. One story tells how Bacchus was
nursed by panthers, and he is sometimes depicted riding a chariot drawn by them. The myths and stories
of Dionysus are very symbolic. He is, to many, a symbol of unleashing desires, and thus the awakening of
the kundalini forces. He--and thus the panther--symbolize a time of moving from mere poles of existence
to new life without poles or barriers. The panther in a Dionysic manner awakens the unconscious urges
and abilities that have been closed down. It signals a time of imminent awakening.

The panther is a symbol of awakening to the heroic quest. All of the Greek heroes were born from the
union of a god and a mortal mother--the linking of the great fire and the great femininity. The heroes thus
had the seeds of the divine force, that would eventually provide impetus to reach beyond the normal
bounds and restrictions--to negotiate new stages in progression and purification. The heroic tales tell s
that no matter the depth of degradation--whether self-inflicted or inflicted from outside forces--there is
always the promise of light and love to lead us back. When the panther enters your life, the path leading
back is about to begin.

Dionysus had to overcome many years of wandering, plundering, madness, destruction, and suffering
before he could take his place within the heavens. His is the lesson of overcoming negative tendencies
and sufferings inflicted upon ourselves by ourselves, or by others to attain our divinity. His story is that
"we are gods and goddesses in the making."

Usually in the lives of those with a panther totem, there either already exists or will soon arrive upon the
scene an individual who will serve as teacher and nurturer and guide upon the heroic path. For Dionysus
there was the centaur Silenus and the satyrs. They symbolize the alternate realities that do exist around us
and the increasing ability to view them at will as we become the initiates of the heroic path.

These alternate realities will open to those with panther totems. These alternate realities, the beings within
them and the energy of the panther all have ties to powerful sexual energies. It may reflect a time of
resolving old sexual issues, or it may simply reflect learning to embrace these energies as a true power
without being judgmental. We must recognize and learn the transforming nature of the sexual energies
and how to direct them consciously.

Dionysus was a god of life and rebirth, passion and resurrection. He was twice born. The panther reflects
a coming time of opportunities to become twice born ourselves. This often means we may have to face
offending malignancies of our life--a process similar to what has come to be known as "Meeting the
Dwellers on the threshold"--those aspects of ourself or our life that we have painted over, glossed over,
shoved to the back of the closet or pretended didn't exist. Sometimes this means we must suffer the loss of
what we think we love the most.

The panther holds the promise of rebirth and guardianship throughout. It is the extra protection we need in
those times. It is the symbol of power reclaimed from whatever darkness within our life has hidden it. The
panther is the promise that whatever is lost will be replaced by that which is greater, stronger, and more beneficial.

In the myth of Dionysus, the hero bears the magical thyrsus, a wand entwined with vines, upon which
rests a pine cone. It gives the individual the ability to create delusion and illusion. There awakens within
the individual upon this path and with this panther totem an ability to cause people to see and think as you
desire them to. This ability is earned and strengthened through self-discipline. Like the black panther, you
can blend into your surroundings with ease and to whatever degree you desire.

To the Indians of North and South America, the jaguar especiallin the form of the black panther--was
endowed with great magic and power. The jaguar panther climbs, runs, and swims--even better than the
tiger. Because it could function so well in so many areas, it became a symbol of immeasurable power to
the Latin American natives. It was a symbol of mastery over all dimensions.

To the Tucano Indians of the amazon, the roar of the jaguar was the roar of thunder. Thus the black
panther was the god of darkness and could cause eclipses by swallowing the sun. This reflects the
tremendous power inherent within the feminine forces. To those with the panther as a totem, this power
will increasingly be experienced.

The Arawak Indians say that everything has jaguar. Nothing exists without it. It is the tie to all life and all
manifestations of life (thus ties to the eternal feminine within all life). To them, becoming the man-jaguar
was the ultimate shapeshifting ritual. The Olmecs created monuments to the jaguar, and the Aztecs and
Mayans spoke and taught about the power of becoming half-human and half-jaguar. One who can become
a jaguar is shorn of all cultural restrictions. the alter ego is free to act out desires, fears, aspirations.

The Indian shamans would perform rituals to borrow jaguar power. One who could do such could do
great good or great ill. Stories abound of revenge, abductions, and great cures of disease through use of
jaguar power among the Latin-American Indians.

Even in Egyptian rituals, a panther tail was worn about the waist or knotted about the neck to help protect
and strengthen. It was used in a process called "passage through the skin"--their own version of
shapeshifting to engender themselves with the panther's power.

Nietzche once said that "that which does not kill us makes us stronger." It is this same idea that is
awakened in the lives of those who open to the power of the panther totem. Those things of childhood and
beyond that created suffering and which caused a loss of innate power and creativity are about to be
reawakened, confronted and transmuted.

The panther marks a new turn in the heroic path of those to whom it comes. It truly reflects more than just
coming into one's own power. Rather it reflects a reclaiming of that which was lost and an intimate
connection with the great archetypal force behind it. It gives an ability to go beyond what has been
imagined, with opportunity to do so with discipline and control. It is the spirit of imminent rebirth.

*Timothy Roderick/The Once Unknown Familiar:
Jaguar:
Key Words: Mysterious, self-preserving
Magical Influences: Revelation of secrets and mysteries, self-protection
Personality: The jaguar must feel as though it is the king or queen of its domain, whether at home, work,
or play. Jaguars feel as though most people woe them something at some level and are always ready to
collect. They can defend and protect an enemy from public humiliation simply to have the first chance at
taking a swipe at him. They need to feel loved by all and cannot stand the idea that someone may find
them intolerable.

Leopard:
Key Words: Shy, wary, active
Magical Influences: Power to claim karmic rewards from the universe, ability to hide
Personality: Leopards do not like to be in the spotlight. In work they tend to take on behind-the-scenes
tasks. Even though they remain in the background, they can be powerfully influential forces in the lives of
others. They are extremely self-directed and set realistic, obtainable goals. They would prefer to achieve
their goals without the aid of others, but they know the value of a cooperative effort.

*Brad Steiger/Totems:
Leopard--It was the Hebrew prophet Jeremiah wo first warned us that a leopard cannot change his spots,
and most of the world has been distrusting the big cat ever since. In Christian lore, the leopard symbolized
lust and cruelty. When Medieval painters were creating those grim scenes of Judgment Day, the leopard
came to symbolize Satan, hungrily devouring the souls of the damned.

It was in ancient Egypt that the big cat felt appreciated, for there the leopard was regarded as an aspect of
divinity and associated with Osiris. The Chinese respect the leopard as a great warrior and use its image
as a symbol of ferocity. For many African tribes, the leopard is a totem animal who is believed to guide
the spirits of the dead to their rest.

If you only recently received the leopard in a dream or vision as your totem animal, you may have been a
somewhat shy person who has been reluctant to be an active participant in the competitive flow of life.
Leopard may well have come to you to assist you in becoming more active and aggressive.
Don't be concerned, however, that this spirit helper will push you too quickly into the limelight. Leopard
is reserved and dignified and not at all interested in the flashy or the superficial. This totem guide will
help you set obtainable goals--and then achieve them.

*D.J. Conway/Animal Magick:
Jaguar: The jaguar is the largest member of the cat family in the Western Hemisphere; only the lion and
tiger are larger. It is called el tiger by the people of Mexico and Central America. It can still be found
from Patagonia through South and Central America; sometimes it is seen as far north as Texas, New
Mexico, and Arizona.

The jaguar looks much like a leopard, but has a larger head and heavier, broader body. The rosettes on its
fur are wider than those of a leopard. Although jaguars are usually a rich yellow or tawny color, black
jaguars (sometimes called panthers) are not unusual, especially in the Amazon river valleys.
These cats are extremely ferocious and will hunt humans as well as other animals. They are one of the
few members of the cat family that like to swim, and they do this with great strength and agility. Their
favorite perches are in trees which, as strong climbers, they have no trouble ascending. They prefer jungle
forests where they can leap from branch to branch as they track a victim.

Mayas and Aztecs considered the jaguar a very magickal animal, capable of shifting its shape in order to
cause fear and kill people. They had a Jaguar God to whom they ade sacrifices. Mayan priests wore
jaguar-skin tunics and headdresses representing the animal during certain rites. This creatures holds a
prominent place in the myths of these cultures.

In Aztec society, the warrior class was symbolized by depictions of jaguars and eagles eating human
hearts. The special god of the warriors, Tezcatlipoca, was often pictured as a jaguar. The Toltecs
associated the jaguar with rain and thunder (which was called his "voice"). His yellow skin represented
the Sun; during eclipses they said that the jaguar swallowed the Sun. However, the Toltecs believed that
the Sun God became a jaguar when he went underground at night. On rare occasions, a pure black jaguar
will be seen. These black cats are sometimes called panthers by the natives. Jaguars are fiercely
independent, cunning, and distrustful of humans. Like leopards, the jaguar will hunt single humans or
dogs, which it especially hates.

Magickal attributes: Developing the ability to walk without fear in Otherworld realms. Releasing fear.

Leopard or Panther:
For pure malice and savagery, the leopard outdoes even the lion and tiger. it is extremely fierce,
treacherous, and, although it is wary, has littel fear of human civilization. The leopard has been known to
repeatedly come into compounds to kill and eat dogs, goats, cattle, and sometimes children. The leopard
is very intelligent and quick to learn anything that is to its advantage. It climbs trees and can leap ten feet
or more into the air. It is most active in darkness. It is generally a golden brown color with black rosettes.
The leopard can be found over a large area, from the Black Sea in Europe east to Burma and the Malay
Peninsula, including all of India and Sri Lanka. It even ranges north as far as Siberia. In Africa it can be
found everywhere except the Sahara Desert. The black leopard, called a panther, is fairly common in
Ethiopia and the East Indies. The Siberian leopard, which has a better disposition than most, is different in
coloring; this cat has bluish-gray eyes and long-haired spotted fur that is almost pearl-gray in color. The
so-called snow leopard of the Himalayas is not really a leopard at all, although it does have the rosettes or
broken black rings. its coat of deep, soft fur is pale gray or creamy buff.

In Egypt, Osiris and his priests were sometimes pictured wearing leopard skins. In Africa, it was a sacred
animal to the Ibo and at times was considered to be inhabited by the souls of the dead. The Chinese said it
represented bravery and intense ferocity. The Arabs called it Nimir, which means courage, boldness, and
grace.

The leopard was the traditional mount of the god Dionysus in Greece; sometimes it walked beside him or
pulled his chariot. His priests often wore panther skins. In the Greek language, the panther's name meant
"all-beast." the word panther and all-beast also connected it with the god Pan. The Greeks equated this
animal with Argus of the Thousand Eyes.

Superstitions: Though by the ancients to be the offspring of a lioness and a male pard (possibly a
leopard), or a lion and female pard. The pard was often described as the panther (another name for
leopard). Leopards have babies only once, because the young tear their way out of the womb.
Magickal Attributes: Swiftness, cunning, strength, perseverance, boldness, beauty. Gaining confidence for
astral travel and Otherworld journeys.

*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Jaguar represents changeability; an altering personality.
Leopard connotes perseverance; inner strength; a second skin.

Glamatolos:
Melanistic (Black Jaguar) Medicine. I would like to share another Totem or Medicine with you. I have a
guide that has been with me for quite some time now and I would like to share some experiences and
lessons I have learned from my guide.

I met this guide while on a vision quest. What I mean by that is I went into the local desert and made a
medicine wheel from rocks and I kept myself inside the medicine wheel with no food, drink or sleep while
I meditated and asked Great Mystery for help with my purpose in this life. That was the general theme for
my meditation, though it did slip into many thankful thoughts for my life, for the gifts I was being given
and the lessons and assistance I’d already been given by my brothers and sisters in this dream we call life.

For preparation for my vision quest, I had already done a lot of studying into the various methods
different people before me have used to glimpse the crack. I ruled out any kind of hallucinogenic
substance as that did not feel like the correct path for me. To make a long story short, I came to the
conclusion that I could possibly receive my message if I kept my intentions focused and grateful. To make
the journey sacred I gave up sleep, food and drink. I also had someone I trust with my life (literally) keep
an eye on me.

I highly recommend that anyone attempting something like this have someone they trust keep an eye on them.

So I stayed in the medicine wheel for a time. I watched the sun rise and warm me and then set to greet the
chill of the night. Four times the sun rose and during the fourth time that night began (dusk or twilight) I
received my vision.

The first lesson I learned from my guide was one regarding seeing through or beyond differences. I did
not realize this at first. I saw a pair of eyes glowing in the dark and approaching me and I felt fear.
Something told me not to be a rabbit, but to stand my ground and I did. So I waited and pushed fear aside
and watched. The eyes came closer and closer and I saw a body sort of outlined. It was very hard to see
because my guide has black fur with black spots in it and it came to me out of the black of night. I looked
my guard in the eye and thanked him for coming to me. It asked me if I was afraid of it and I told it that I
was at first, but I’d decided not to let my fear control me. It then told me that was its first lesson for me.
Not to look at the differences when meeting another, but to look for what we have in common. We are all
connected and by looking at the ways we are connected, we can move past the fear of the differences
between us. My guide told me that fear caused misunderstanding and separation. I thought about
something then. My guide was a large black cat…a black jaguar actually. I began to think of the symbol
of a black cat to many people… bad luck. My guide then told me that that is just a part of the same lesson
he was sharing. To many people the color black is associated with evil or a bad omen. What black means
to me now is the unknown. I learned that because people fear the unknown, they allow that fear to make
them think that black is evil or bad. It was at this time my guide gave me his name and the meaning of his
name to the people that inhabited the same area his kind inhabited. I felt sad for my guide as the people
there did not understand him. He told me not to be sad for him, because being misunderstood is one of the
things I have in common with him. He knew I was not sad for myself and he explained that in a way he
was an outside reflection of me, therefore, if I felt sad for him, I was really feeling sad for myself.
My guide is with me very regularly. I respect him and am thankful for his medicine and teachings. I would
like to share some of them now.

Life can seem pretty jumbled and it can be hard to make sense of it all at times. The trick to making sense
of it is to look for common threads in seemingly uncommon things. This has allowed me see a pattern in
things that appear chaotic.

Time. Time is a useful illusion. Things happen in seemingly endless cycles. The cycles can be seen as
circular or a spiral. To try and explain the difference: Let’s say to come upon a life lesson. If you learn
what you need to learn from it, the next time you come back to the seemingly same question, you will
learn something completely different about it. This is a spiral. Perhaps it is easier to understand with this
explanation: Let’s say you read a book and you learn a couple of things about it today. Two months from
now you read the exact same book and learn something completely different from it. This is what I call a
spiral.

For a circle, that would be reading the book, thinking you’ve learned whatever it is, then later reading
the book and simply reinforcing what you were supposed to have learned. Circles repeat until you
actually learn whatever it is you are supposed to.

Next, is about something I call soul retrieval. Since my guide has begun assisting me, I have been able to
do something in dreamscape that helps others. I think the easiest way to describe what I do is to say I am
sort of a combat medic for the soul. When people go through a traumatic experience, in my opinion, a
small piece of their soul gets torn away and kind of sticks in the space-time of that traumatic event. What
I do is go into that space-time for them, experience what they experienced and try to find that piece of
them that they left behind. If and when I find it, I take it back to them and give it back. It is a sort of
healing.

I’ve also learned many things about healing self-esteem issues. This reality we call life can be pretty hard
on people and they can think poorly of themselves. The problem is that if they think they are not good at
something, or unworthy of happiness, for example, well, they are. I know, because I used to do this. I’ve
found that you have to love yourself and know yourself before you can love or know anyone else. I have
learned that I am worthy and I am good enough and capable. I’ve also learned how to share this with
other people and help them through rough spots.

I’ve learned somethings about groking or shape shifting to assume the characteristics of my guide in
order to understand him better. To me, I do not become him, nor am I a black Jaguar, though I can
assume some of his qualities when I need them by assuming a form very similar to his. This has helped me
immensely when working in dreamscape. For example, by shifting into a form similar to his I am able to
combat things in dreamscape that are symbolically issues for me. An example was a little problem with
being very shy around women. That problem I made symbolically become a huge snake. I shifted into the
black jaguar form and defeated the snake. Oddly enough I’ve not been shy around the fairer sex after
that. That helped me immensely when I was lucky enough to find my wife.

Anyway, I hope this may help to define Melanistic (Black) Jaguar medicine for you. There is a good
website with a summary of its medicine, but I am not sure if I can give a url to it here.

Mouse:
http://wolfs_moon.tripod.com/blackpantotem.html is not always available due to bandwidth issues, has
lots of pop-ups and is no longer a maintained website... which is why I post it here.

Shadows dripping in silver light cast from an elusive moon,
stir, then magically still,
leaving doubts adrift in the mind of the observer . . .
was there movement of shadow within shadow,
or only the illusion of such,
like breath caught on a summer breeze?
Sister of Artemis, and Guardian of the Gateway
between the Known and the Unknown,
you prowl the Night, bearing witness to the blackness
that exists before the dawning of morning Light.
Blazing eyes pierce the veil of darkness of Forgotten Realms,
to bring Consciousness to the Unconscious.
To follow your sleek and silent form as it glides
as a spectral mist through the night,
is to face the deepest fears that prowl the jungles of
the Human Mind.
When we learn to move as you move,
through those overgrown and tangled vines,
we come to understand that even in the darkest of journeys,
the Illuminating Rays of faith and acknowledgment
will provide us with the Light to guide us safely
to the Other Side.

The Black Panther is not a separate species of big cat, it is rather a distinctive variation in coat coloring
amongst Leopard, Jaguar and Puma (or Cougar/Florida Panther/ Mountain Lion). Therefore, there are
several commonalties amongst all Black Panthers, and these will be delineated in keywords below,
though it is also important to keep in mind that each of these species will also have characteristics
separate and unique to them. We will begin with the commonalties, and in weeks to come, delve into the
differences between the three separate Black Panther types.

Prophet
Mysticism surrounds the Black Panther, and for centuries two-leggeds have observed these graceful
predators as they prowl the jungles of their domain and slip, black as midnight vapor, between tree limbs
and vines.

Black Panther, with his penetrating yellow-green gaze, evokes the sense that he is capable of looking into
the ~future,~ hence this beautiful cat is closely linked to Seers and Prophets.
***For the two-legged who journeys beside Black Panther, this may either take the form of one who can
literally see into the ~future,~ or this gift of insight is manifested as a keen insight into the reasoning,
action and motive of Others.

Because these souls possess the gift to see to the motives of another, the "future" consequences of that
individual`s motives and actions are clearly visible to the Panther individual, and they can appear almost
prophetic when warning another of the ramifications that may befall should their current motives remain
ulterior, selfish or evasive.

For those Black Panther souls who literally do "see the future," this can be quite a challenging aspect of
their Earthwalk, for with this special ~gift~ also comes the responsibility of discerning when and how
much of this knowledge is meant to be shared. Equally, as the ~future~ is continuously being shaped by
our present thoughts, decisions, and actions, the future is ever-changing and hence, any future seen or
perceived is only one of many alternate ~future realities.~ Yet more often than not, the visions of the
future received are meant purely as guide posts and/or warnings, hence it is still down to the individual to
create his/her own future.***

Reclaiming Power
One look at the Black Panther and it is obvious that these Big Cats are a study in controlled strength and will.

With thickly corded muscles, long, sharp teeth and claws capable of shredding and ripping prey that may
weigh up to 1200 pounds, these magnificent creatures embody the essence of Power. All of this is
contained within a frame that averages 7 to 8 feet in length (from tip of nose to tip of tail), and weighs in
anywhere between 75 and 160 pounds (depending upon the species of Black Panther and whether it is
male or female).

***As Black Panther often pads beside one with great inner strength, there is often evidence of personal
Power within the human counterpart. The interesting thing with this particular keyword, and how it
manifests for the two-legged who is blessed with this Totem, is in watching the unfolding of that Power,
for it is a characteristic that is developed over many years. This is partially attributed to the fact that such
inherent personal power possesses equal potential for either great good, or great destruction.
In those who walk with Black Panther, personal charisma will be quite high and there will be the ability to
influence the thoughts and actions of ~Others.~ For this reason, this Totem carries a heavy responsibility,
and may take several lifetimes to perfect. Many dictators throughout history have had Black Panther as
one of their Personal Totems, and misused the tremendous potential of these Spirit Animals. Equally,
many reformationists have also had this Totem walking beside them and reclaimed the True Power of
Black Panther (Mahatma Ghandi is one such example).

This is not to suggest that these individuals should be meek and mild (for they have been gifted this great
power and strength for a reason), yet it can be channeled and directed in such a manner to bring honesty
and insight to others. Yet if you do not wish to know the ~truth~ of what a Black Panther soul feels or
believes, do not ask, for they will always "tell it like it is."

When the higher vibration of this personal magnetism has been attained and expressed through diligence,
conscious decision not to misuse its brilliant gift and shared to benefit Others, then the Black Panther
Soul truly shines as he/she inherits and reclaims their Power.***

Energy Awareness
Everything about Black Panther has been geared toward a heightened awareness of his/her surroundings,
and Nature has equipped this big cat well in the art and skill of survival.

With ears capable of capturing the smallest of movement, eyes that can penetrate through the dark blanket
of night, and a powerful sense of smell, Black Panther is able to locate and track prey with a skill matched
by few predators in the wild.

Yet there also seems to be an intuitive understanding of when the best time is to strike, as often these
beautiful creatures will await just the perfect moment and seize the opportunity with a lethal pounce.
***The two-legged with Black Panther as a companion spirit will have a heightened sense of awareness.
Sometimes this will manifest purely as a physical acuity and these individuals may possess an
extraordinary sense of hearing, sight or smell. If one of these senses are damaged, then another physical
sense will compensate, and thus for one who may have sustained a hearing loss, their eyesight or sense of
smell rapidly acclimates and counterbalances for just such a sensory "deficit."
Yet this heightened awareness may also manifest in the form of sensitivity to non-physical stimuli, or
pure energy.

In Earth Medicine, we recognize that there is a Universal energy that flows through all things that dwell
above, upon or within the Earth, a powerful Medicine that is the basic building block of all life, hence the
term Earth Medicine. Yet this energy source, though it flows through physical life, is spiritual energy and
emits a powerful vibration that is felt keenly by some, including a large portion of Black Panther souls.
Again, this is an ability that, although present at the moment of entry onto the physical plane, takes years
for the individual to nurture, hone and perfect. Yet as the ability to tune into energy develops, the twolegged
who has Black Panther as their companion spirit, will be able to sense the feelings, energies and
intent of other individuals. This heightened awareness is not only limited to those persons whom the
Black Panther soul is in immediate physical proximity, they are also excellent at long distance energy
sensing and can immediately "tune in" on the condition of one with whom they are communicating,
regardless of any physical distance.

Because of this ability to read another`s ~energy~ so precisely, it is imperative that the soul beside whom
Black Panther walks, governs this ability closely. When operating from Personality Center, this ability
can be used toward selfish ends or as a means of intimidating Others. Yet it is when the Black Panther
soul utilizes the ability to tune into and send energy from the center of Compassion and assistance to
his/her fellow human, that this ability unfolds as it was intended, as gifted by the Divine.***

Shapeshifting/Transformation
There are some animals/birds/insects & finned ones that possess the Medicine of ~Shapeshifting,~ that is
to say they have been granted the ability to shift their physical form from their original form, to that of a
two-legged, to another creature and then back to their original form again. These creature beings are
granted this inheritance from the Great Mystery from actions performed back when all tribes were ONE
(tribes here meaning different species, e.g. humans, snakes, wolves, etc.), and is a Gift that must be given
due respect and adherence else this Medicine will be taken from that creature being. Hence all
shapeshifters have a great responsibility attached to this particular Medicine.

The Black Panther is one such Shapeshifter, and the responsibility unique to these animal spirits, is that of
piercing the veil of darkness that dwells in the heart and mind of an unintegrated Soul. These creatures
teach us that there is nothing in that darkness to be feared, for the Light of acknowledgment will disperse
the blackness and illuminate the Way through the jungle of unresolved issues, pain and old "programming"

***The early life experiences of one with whom Black Panther walks will never be "easy," as these souls
will seem to attract and/or elicit strong reactions both within themselves and from "Others." Early on this
may tend to give the Panther soul a sense of isolation from their fellow two-leggeds as they struggle to
find their own identity, for the way in which they view and approach life often attracts attention and
leaves them feeling as a stranger in a strange land.

There is no doubt that these individuals will tend to engender either powerful, deep loyalties and great
affection from those who know them, or there will be an equally strong aversion from Others that may
result in verbal and/or physical attacks against the Black Panther Soul. Perhaps part of the reason behind
such ardent and dichotomous reactions, lies within the inherent Power and Awareness of these individuals.

As long as the one beside whom Black Panther journeys, operates from integration and Higher Intent, and
the individuals with whom Panther interacts are also functioning from self-acknowledgment and
conscious awareness, Black Panther’s penetrating gaze and direct approach will not be felt as a threat or
seen as intimidation. Yet for one who is operating from selfishness, evasion or deceit, the force of Panther
soul`s insight may be seen as a direct threat and, if motivated thus by fear of what Black Panther soul has
borne ~witness~ to, those individuals will often either completely disappear from sight, or they will
attempt an all-out attack on the Panther individual.

Yet the reverse may also be true, and it may be the Black Panther soul that is abusing his/her Power and
Awareness to manipulate, control or intimidate Others. When this is the case (such as it often is when the
Soul who has Black Panther for his/her Power Totem is still in the ~infant~ or ~young soul~ stage and
has not had many journeys yet around the Sacred Hoop), these individuals can be very power motivated
and may consciously use their tremendous insight to manipulate or intimidate Others. Of course the
karmic retribution for such actions is quite high, and thus this is a tendency that is eventually outgrown
with subsequent reincarnations and journeys along the Red Road of Physical Life.

At some stage, it is imperative that Black Panther individual acknowledge their own Power (part of the
process of reclaiming this gift), learn to discern when they may be tempted to "misuse" it for selfish or
harmful ends, and conquer such baser tendencies that the full beauty of their gifts may be expressed. This
is the highest expression of Transformation, for as Black Panther soul fully embraces his/her lineage of
Power, Awareness and Prophecy and utilizes these Divine inheritances for the ~Good of All,~ he/she
shapeshifts into the culmination of all that the ~Great Mystery~ had intended for that special, individual
and Eternal Spark.***

Earthwalker:
Thank you all for your posts on the Black Jaguars. They are very special to me. I might add that there is
also a softness and gentleness in them that is unmatched in the other totems. The short poem about them
above is so accurate in feeling. They are wonderful teachers and guardians and have very definitive
personalities.

Glamatlos:
Wow, I am not exactly sure where to start. Thanks for your posts I appreciate them. I guess I should say a
little something about my younger years. Yes, they were what most would consider to be hard. At times,
it was almost unbearable, but what don't kill ya makes ya stronger. Once I got a grasp on that, I had to
figure out what to do with the anger I had toward people that had 'done me wrong'... At this point in my
life, I've done that. I was finally able to see that those people had actually taught me some very valuable
things and I can use them to help others. I am actually thankful on one level for their cruelty. There is a
saying I believe in: Healer Heal thyself. If you walk a hard road and overcome it... find healing, then you
are capable of helping others who are walking similar paths.

Other than that, the only other thing I want to say about my childhood is that my first seven years felt so
much like a dream or a movie it was creepy.

Ok, I believe you folks mentioned coming across a near death experience... been there in a big way.
Wound up with something called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Nice label eh? What is it? Well, I had a
very bad experience that was a wee bit on the Traumatic side for me. What did it do? Well, I would
remain awake for days on end with something called insomnia. Insomnia is basically where you think
about Problem A and that thought leads to Problem B and that thought leads to Problem C which then
leads back to Problem A. Round and round you go and no sleep. (The trick is to break the cycle).

There were some other effects from PTSD which I will not go into. I will simply state that when I left the
military, I was not supposed to be able to hold down a productive job or life again.

You know, that leads me back to something my father told me about the first thing he ever heard me say
in this life. I was standing with my back to him and I was facing my mother and shaking my finger at her
saying "I ain't gonna and you can't make me." Heh... some things never change.

So I'm told I can't have a productive life and whatnot. Well, I decided they were wrong. The only person
that can tell me what I can and cannot do is me. I broke the cycle of the insomnia and some other little
nasties from PTSD and this is now something I help people with.

So what made me go on that vision quest in which I met my animal guide? Well, right after the incident
that caused the PTSD, my wife at the time and I parted ways. I had to leave behind my daughter and my
son. This has been the single most cause of pain in my entire life. When my daughter was born, my wife
and I started to not get along anymore. We had very different ideas about how to raise our children. This
continued to get worse and when a year later my son came to this earth, those different ideas coupled with
PTSD things and I had to go. It felt pretty much like chewing off a leg to get out of a trap. I know that
sounds bad. But what I mean by it is that I knew somehow that if I stayed, it would not be for the better. I
also knew that in our case, the children should stay with their mother. Was this an easy choice? Nope. It
has not been an easy choice each and every day from the day I had to go through and including today. I
love my children immensely and for this and a few other reasons, I do not have contact with them. I do
support them financially and I send them blessings, but the truth to me was that no matter the urge in me
to be with them, I cannot. I feel it makes our relationship that much more sacred as it is a sacrifice. It was
one of my lessons that what my ego wants cannot always be fulfilled. I have to keep in mind what is best
for everyone involved. Sometimes that can be painful, but knowing that the other people involved are
better off this way does help a little.

Anyway, my goal yesterday was to gain internal healing from an outside source. The outside source was
you guys. I now have a better understanding of why I know what I know with regard to my unpopular
decision regarding my children. I have said from the time I had to go that their mother needed to raise
them without interference from me. Until I read your post yesterday, I didn't know why I felt that way. I
do now and I thank you.

Anyway, to answer the question of why go on the vision quest, I have to tell you it was at this point in my
life I hit rock bottom. I'd lost my children, my wife, my home, my job and even some other members of
my family who did not agree with my choice. Hmm... sounds like an old country song :P At the time I
had one duffle bag of clothes to my name. That is it. No money, no job, no nothin’. It still didn't break
me. I do have to say I had a few issues with anger and was tossed from more than one bar. Then
something clicked in me one day and I started reading into the Native American way of seeing things.
Why did I start reading? It was some sort of pull. One thing led to another and I got a job and a place to
stay and learned a lot about Native American beliefs. Things were still hard and I was wondering why the
heck they were, so that is what I had originally thought I was going to focus on when I went on my vision
quest. Fortunately, by the time I'd made all of my preparations for it, my reason for going was completely
different. I no longer wanted to know why things were hard really. I wanted to know what it was I came
here to do and how could I make things better for others.

I got those answers. I am still getting answers too. The vision quest didn't end when I walked out of that
medicine wheel... to the contrary, it had just started. My life is so far from where I was before the quest
that I am a different person. I have learned of something known as a Shamanic Death. I see it as basically
a way in which everything about you changes and your old self or ego changes into a new one. You sort
of die without dying. Which makes you also understand that death is not something to be feared, it is
simply a change.

What does this have to do with the topic? Nothing and everything.

So, I'd like to finish this post by saying that I just happened to stumble upon this forum yesterday. I got
the urge to talk about my vision quest which until yesterday was known by only to a very very few souls.
It was another of those pulls that some people call coincidence. I am very glad I came here and got to
cross paths with you.

I truly hope I did not convey the message that I pity myself for things that have happened. Far from it.
Everything that has happened has helped to make me who I am today.

I am posting this post to share something about Regaining Personal Power. That is a part of this
Medicine. Many people who follow the path of Shamanism undergo Journeys of many types. One type
that I know can be used to regain Personal Power. I use the term "Soul Retrieval" to describe it. When we
get into situations that are traumatic to us, the theory is that a small piece of our soul, our essence, our
power, gets caught in the time and space of that traumatic event. In order to get that piece back we can go
on a journey to do just that. In my experience, in order to be successful in this journey you have to step
back from who you are at an ego level. You will journey back to the very same thing that happened, the
way it happened and you may experience it all over again. The trick is to stay focused on your mission.
You are looking for that little piece that is stuck somewhere there. It can be symbolically represented in
many ways. To me it is generally a gold blob like thing that is hanging there somewhere. Once you find
it, symbolically place it back into yourself.

It is by this method I have regained a few pieces of lost power. I have taken this another step personally
by going on soul retrievals for other people. I do not do this without their permission. I do this to heal
them in a way. Anyway, I wanted to share this with you as a possible idea for healing. I place it in this
thread as it deals with regaining your personal power which is one of the lessons this Medicine teaches. I
hope this helps.

CinnamonMoon:
“Once I got a grasp on that, I had to figure out what to do with the anger I had toward people that had
'done me wrong'... At this point in my life, I've done that. I was finally able to see that those people had
actually taught me some very valuable things and I can use them to help others.”
This is a prime example of *shadow lessons and teachers* ... those lessons and people that teach us what
we don't want to do, who we don't want to be, and why. Then we transform the shadow to light and teach
the opposite to others and share the shadow in our experience so they can understand why. Well done!
“I am actually thankful on one level for their cruelty. There is a saying I believe in: Healer Heal thyself. If
you walk a hard road and overcome it... find healing, then you are capable of helping others who are
walking similar paths”.

Absolutely...but healing thyself is some very deep work and it's a long journey. You have to really want
that to do it successfully. Bravo!

“Ok, I believe you folks mentioned coming across a near death experience... been there in a big way.”
Yes, experiences leading to PTSD are often part of the NDE's too. Those experiences can come in many
forms, but they happen to those who are being called to serve Spirit in some fashion. They (once you
overcome the shock) teach you a new appreciation for life and give you passion to serve with the
understanding that comes through the experience itself. It's enlightening and Spirit passes you a message
while undergoing the NDE where you return from the experience to deliver that message to the world.
That's where it *starts* from there things keep happening and puzzle pieces fit themselves as you go. Your
path becomes clearer and in time broader. As the lights come on you walk between the darkness and light
an you understand how to find your way. It takes a lifetime though.

“Anyway, my goal yesterday was to gain internal healing from an outside source. The outside source was
you guys. I now have a better understanding of why I know what I know with regard to my unpopular
decision regarding my children. I have said from the time I had to go that their mother needed to raise
them without interference from me. Until I read your post yesterday, I didn't know why I felt that way. I
do now and I thank you.”

It's an honor to Spirit Lodge that you say this. It's one of the reasons were here...the main reason...to help
shine the light into the darkness. I'm sorry for your pain, but if it is any consolation, the shaman is said to
be the Wounded Healer...one must know pain to understand it, find the compassion for others, and help
them to heal and recover. Scars? Yes there are always scars, but they are precious reminders of our
growth too. We earn them one way or another and come to see their beauty too. A time will come for you
to reunite with your children, and you will be ready then.

“Then something clicked in me one day and I started reading into the Native American way of seeing
things. Why did I start reading? It was some sort of pull.”
Yep, that's your Inner Spirit breaking through!

“Fortunately, by the time I'd made all of my preparations for it, my reason for going was completely
different. I no longer wanted to know why things were hard really. I wanted to know what it was I came
here to do and how could I make things better for others….I got those answers. I am still getting answers
too. The vision quest didn't end when I walked out of that medicine wheel... to the contrary, it had just
started. My life is so far from where I was before the quest that I am a different person. I have learned of
something known as a Shamanic Death. I see it as basically a way in which everything about you changes
and your old self or ego changes into a new one. You sort of die without dying. Which makes you also
understand that death is not something to be feared, it is simply a change.”…”So, I'd like to finish this
post by saying that I just happened to stumble upon this forum yesterday. I got the urge to talk about my
vision quest which until yesterday was known by only to a very very few souls. It was another of those
pulls that some people call coincidence. I am very glad I came here and got to cross paths with you.”
Spirit brought you here, gave you a place for your voice, and we'll have a great time sharing with you
Glamatlos! It's always an exchange and you've voiced well in this post! No, it didn't sound like a pityparty
either, it was honesty.

Mouse:
Role: ~Shaman/Shamaness~
Lesson: Integration
Element: Earth/Water
Wind: West ~Quest Within~
Medicine: Prophecy & Shapeshifting

~Keywords~
Power of Mystery & Silence Magical Abilities Integrity
Balancing Elements Vengeance & Revenge Sensuality
Clarity from chaos Self-actualization Shamanism
Bridge between the arcane & the mundane Secrecy
Psychic Vision Integration Solitary
Shapeshifting

-------
In ancient temples
your graceful form once walked
. . . silently.
Drifting in and out of shadows
like a vaporous mist of focused intensity,
your emerald eyes penetrating the darkness
. . . unflinchingly.
Vines now weave and constrict
the crumbling stones of sacred pyramids,
metaphors for the tangled jungle
of the human mind,
whose life has been misspent
in the shattering darkness
of ill intent.
In what echoing halls
of the Dreamtime do you still walk,
vigilant observer for
~He who came from the stars?~
Do you still prowl the dusty corridors of our fears,
offering those willing to face themselves,
in wrenching pain and flowing tears,
your guidance and protection across
the threshold into light?
Guide us,
graceful spirit, to a new day
when war is no longer
a part of our "human" way.
Remind us that the greatest victory
comes from rising above
the chains of our hate and greed,
to stand free in love.
And in that moment,
your graceful form by our side,
we may know the joy of the reunion
the changing of the tide . . .
When the Ancestors return from the stars . . .

Shamanism
The Jaguar carries with him/her a long history in the lore and mythology of several indigenous cultures.
In particular, the Mayans held the Jaguar in high esteem, viewing this spotted panther as the Totem Spirit
of the Sky God.

Many who have heard of the Mayan Jaguar Priests (Shamans), may have images of gruesome human
sacrifices as their only frame of reference for what was a highly complex and intricate belief system.
Although it is true that the teaching of the Sky God became perverted and twisted by subsequent
generations, to see the Mayan spirituality of centuries past as nothing more than savagery or barbarism is
(at best) an ill-informed view.

It is said that a Great Being came to the Mayan people from the stars, and taught them that the greatest of
all virtues was integrity. He instructed the people in the beauty of unconditional love, forgiveness, peace
and to be honorable and trustworthy. The teachings were of the sacrificial heart, the willingness to give
freely of one’s self and one’s material belongings in order to benefit both the individual and the collective
~All.~ Generations later, it is believed that the sacrificial heart became literal (to those who would twist
the Sky God’s teachings) as a bloody sacrifice wherein the heart of the victim would be taken from the
body and given to the Jaguar Spirit in the hopes of appeasing the Sky God.

The sacrifices had the opposite of their desired effect and, instead of pleasing the Sky God, angered him.
To instruct the people that such ways were not a part of his teaching, the Sky God then sent the Jaguar
Spirit to prowl the dreams of the two-leggeds. Where the Jaguar found hearts blackened with hatred,
greed or dishonesty, he would haunt those unfortunate souls, relentlessly stalking them until they
embraced the wisdom of integrity and transformed their lives. Those who resisted, were met with the
vengeance of the Jaguar, and the Animal Totem’s relentless pursuit during the Dreamtime would often
cause the human to transition from fright.

***For the two-legged beside whom Jaguar walks, the Earthwalk will be a process of reconnecting to the
~Shaman Within.~

Although born with a heightened sense of awareness and a powerful gift of extrasensory perception
(ESP), the Jaguar Soul will generally only come to embrace his/her “gifts” after many years of struggling
with the benefits and responsibilities associated with these gifts. This is because there is still much stigma
attached to the arena of ESP and associated abilities.

When first emerging on the Red Road of Physical Life, the Jaguar individual will be a wide-open vessel
through which Great Mystery may flow. These souls will hear, see or feel things that are non-physical in
nature. Not knowing that they may be looked upon with great suspicion for the things that they are able to
perceive which others may not be able to, the one beside whom Jaguar pads will convey their experiences
freely at first. Yet due to lack of awareness and out-dated belief systems that might be present on the
behalf of parents, care givers or teachers, the child with these special abilities soon learns to keep such
arcane knowledge and insight to him/herself. This guardedness (and eventual rejection of their psychic
talents), is usually precipitated when the adults that are a part of the young Jaguar’s life, react in fear,
disbelief or anger. The youngster learns that sharing their insight often leads to being scolded for
“imagining things,” reprimanded for “lying,” or perhaps worst of all, being treated with fear as the adult
either believes the child to be “evil” or even mentally ill for seeing or hearing things that “aren’t really
there.”

Yet because the Role of the one beside whom Jaguar journeys is that of Shaman, the destiny of their
~calling~ cannot be denied indefinitely. Eventually, events in the life of the Jaguar soul will force him/her
to confront, embrace and integrate the gifts they have been given by the Original Source.

Shamans serve as a bridge between the Blue Road of Spirit and the Red Road of Physical Life, and as
such, hear, see and/or communicate with the “Spirit World.” A Shaman fulfills the Role of
priest/priestess, healer, spiritual advisor, teacher of arcane wisdom, outspoken sage and silent observer.
As healer, the Shaman assists the healing process (be this spiritual, emotional, mental or physical in
nature), via the application of Medicine. This Medicine is gathered from the Plant People (herbs), the
Standing People (trees), the Animal Totems, the Stone People (crystals and other “rocks” such as
turquoise, etc.), as well as from their own personal Medicine.

Often just as difficult (and of equal importance) for the Jaguar to embrace, is the ability to communicate
freely with the Totems, the spirits of the Ancestors, or those who walk the Blue Road. Whether this
ability takes the form of seeing into the future, reading the aura of others, or channeling knowledge from
the “other side,” these souls must eventually embrace the ability to see/feel/hear beyond what most others
are able. Only by owning and expressing the abilities that have been gifted them, may the one beside
whom Jaguar strides fulfill their assignment which they have agreed to prior to taking up the Robe of
Physical Life.***

Integration
It is in looking at the Jaguar’s beautiful coat of tan speckled with black rosettes that we witness an
example of the Medicine of Integration in ~visible~ form. When studying the Creature Beings in either
their physical or spiritual form, it is important to notice the color(s) of that Creature’s skin/feathers/hide,
for much will be revealed in so doing. Where/when we observe a Totem whose skin, feathers or hide has
dual or multiple coloration, this bespeaks of the Medicine of Integration. Another example (aside from
that of Jaguar) of this principle would be Orca, whose skin is black and white. In the instance of Leopard,
Clouded Leopard and Jaguar, the base color of the fur is tan with an overlaying of black spots or rosettes,
hence all three of these spotted cats will have Integration as one of the Keywords to their Medicine.

***The human blessed with Jaguar as a primary Animal Spirit, will be presented with a series of lessons
structured to teach him/her the process of integration. In order that the two-legged may more fully
embrace this aspect of Jaguar Medicine, he/she will experience a variety of scenarios created to facilitate
the absorption of this complex principle. Integration is the key element in learning any lesson, and then
applying that lesson to our life, yet it is also the Medicine of embracing perceived opposites.

Chaotic events will be much in evidence in the life of the Jaguar Soul, events that will necessitate that the
human counterpart go within in order to sift through the chaos and painful lessons, so that clarity and
higher vision may be attained. The challenge here is frequently found under the guise of a sense of
isolation, as the Jaguar individual quickly learns that he/she can only rely on the Self. This is a component
that assists these souls in the process of self-actualization, for the Jaguar must first accomplish a requisite
level of this Medicine him/herself.

Earth Medicine recognizes life as a continuous circle, or a Sacred Hoop. The acknowledgment is made
that our journey in the physical realm is equal parts darkness and light, experiences of both joy and pain,
bitter and sweet. While we might perceive these elements as opposites, the are in reality merely two
halves that constitute the Whole, each representative of the experiences necessary for our soul’s evolution.

When examining any totem with the Medicine of Integration, we witness individuals that are journeying
around the Wheel of Life to first learn, then teach, that separation is but an illusion. Often, the one beside
whom Jaguar prowls will feel separate from the rest of humanity. A loner as a child, who may initially
relate more easily with the creature beings than their fellow two-leggeds, these souls will mature into
extreme individualists as adults. These will be the members of society that will feel as though they are on
the outside looking in . . . on family, friends, society and even life itself.

The aforementioned sense of “not belonging” or fitting in, is a reflection of the Jaguar’s attunement to
other realms of existence, for there is always an aspect of the two-legged with whom Jaguar walks that
hears, sees or feels the presence of non-physical energy (spirits, totems, etc.) Such heightened awareness
of other planes and dimensions (while living in a very material/physical world), can often create a
dilemma for these individuals, as he/she struggles to integrate the realms of pure energy with that of the
physical, the seen with the unseen.

Once the Jaguar soul comes to understand and embrace the awareness that one existence does not negate
the validity of the other and the illusion of separatism is dissolved, these souls come to recognize that they
are here to serve as a conduit between realms . . . then the Jaguar Mission has been embraced and the
Medicine of Integration is beautifully learned, to be shared and passed along to those taking their first
steps on the Beautiful Journey.***

Shapeshifting
From the earliest of recorded histories, numerous cultures and societies have passed along the belief in
shapeshifting. Shamans of all spiritual beliefs have practiced shapeshifting (also known as transmorphing)
for millennia. Holy men and women from cultures as diverse as the Druids of ancient Ireland and Britain,
to nearly every tribe of North and South American Indian, have ceremonies and rituals designed to elicit
the shapeshifting experience.

Shapeshifting will generally be sought in one of two different forms, that of spiritual shifting, or that of
shifting the actual physical shape, yet it is physical shapeshifting that most Shamans will spend a lifetime
learning and striving to attain.

Spiritual transmorphing is the process of seeking to merge with a particular Animal Totem on the soul
level, so that a complete union of souls might be experienced. The purpose behind this form of ~shifting~
is multifarious, as the participant seeks to both honor the Creature Being with whom the shifting is
sought, as well as to align with the Medicine of that particular Animal Spirit. Equally, guidance may be
received from the Totem whilst the spiritual transmorphing takes place, that may assist the two-legged
through their journey around the Sacred Hoop of Life.

For the Shaman who has been taught (and has the innate ability) to physically shapeshift, the experience
is not only one of a spiritual nature, but culminates in the two-legged physically transforming his/her
body into that of a chosen Creature Being. Lifetimes are often devoted to this practice, and often without
reaping the sought for result. Yet when one has truly attained the Gift of Shifting Shape, thanks and honor
are always offered to the Creature Being whose shape the Shaman assumes. Physical shapeshifting brings
the participant into complete alignment with the Medicine of the Totem. The shapeshifter is then able to
see all dimensions and realms experientially through the eyes of a particular Totem, or is able to hear with
the ears of the Jaguar, the sounds of the Ancestors voices as ~They~ guide and instruct humanity.
***The human counterpart of the Jaguar Spirit, will carry with him/her the Medicine of shapeshifting.
This may mean the inherent ability to shapeshift in the manner listed above, or this ability may manifest
as the drive and ability to continually reshape the conditions, experiences, psychology and reality of their
existence.

From early childhood, the Jaguar individual will exhibit the desire for near constant change. An innate
desire to understand the mysteries of life will be much in evidence with the young Jaguar cub and they
may be some of the youngest students of earth medicine, astrology, witchcraft or other arcane studies.
Whilst their peers are busy with sports and socializing, the Jaguar cub will be immersed in understanding
mysteries that others may perceive as “dark” or dangerous.

For some young Jaguars, the exploration of the metaphysical can sometimes include dabbling with “black
magic.” When operating from lower personality center as an adult, the interest in the destructive side of
magickal knowledge and practice will continue and intensify, with these individuals becoming amongst
the most powerful of sorcerers and sorceresses. In this instance, the inheritance of Jaguar Magic is
distorted and misused as a tool to manipulate, harm or intimidate others, to achieve worldly success at the
expense of their own soul’s development, or to control matter for willful or selfish purposes. A Jaguar
soul operating from such contrary Medicine may initially meet with their desired goals, yet at some stage
in their spiritual development, they will be required to shapeshift into channeling their unique talents as
they were intended when gifted . . . for the benefit of the All and from unconditional love, else their
abilities will be stripped from them. When operating from “positive” Medicine, the Jaguar soul will
utilize their magical talents for the benefit of others and will be amongst the most accurate psychics,
seers, shamans and healers.

Throughout their journey around the Sacred Hoop of Life, the Jaguar soul will encounter numerous
scenarios set up by the psyche as a means to facilitate transformation. Yet shapeshifting in the early stages
of Jaguar development is never easy. These are the individuals that will drive themselves to the point of
physical, mental or emotional exhaustion until the breaking point is reached. Then, once they have burned
themselves to the ground, they will arise much like the Phoenix of legend, in a new form with new eyes
and a new cycle awaiting them.

Until the lesson of conscious change is thoroughly embraced, the human with Jaguar as a Primary Totem
will experience chaotic events and emotional traumas that have been brought about by their own
unconscious effort to force the change their soul recognizes is necessary. Yet once the Jaguar soul comes
to awareness of this tendency and learns to create the necessary change consciously, and without the high
drama that was indulged in earlier in life, the power of the transformation is splendid to behold. Then, the
shapeshifter may emerge in the light of conscious awareness, an teacher by example to others of the
beauty of a soul unfolding.***

Integrity
When the Sky God came to the Mayan People, he brought with him the Universal Principle of Integrity,
and instructed the people to operate always from a center of unconditional love, honesty and compassion.
He taught the people that they must live by a code of conduct that would be impeccable, and that they
should seek to benefit and care for one another, to live in harmony with the planet and all other life forms.
Just prior to his departure from Earth (when he felt that the people had been thoroughly instructed in the
principles of integrity), the Sky God told the people he would return from the stars one day to see if they
were living by those principles in order that they may become a part of the Universal Tribe. He further
informed the people that he would leave behind his Animal Spirit, the Jaguar, that it would watch over
them and keep him informed as to their conduct and behavior toward one another and all other living things.

As mentioned previously, the generations following the Sky God’s departure witnessed a distortion of his
teachings so that the sacrificial heart came to be literal, with the Mayan Jaguar Priests making human
sacrifices in which the human heart was offered up to the Jaguar Spirit. So displeased with the actions of
cruelty and the warping of the pure and honorable principles that had been given them, the Jaguar began
to prowl the dreams of the people in search of those who had twisted the teachings of the Sky God, those
whose hearts were blackened with lust for power, irreverence for life, or who were otherwise
dishonorable. Upon finding one who was thus depraved, the Jaguar would relentlessly stalk them in the
Dreamtime until the perpetrator would either re-align him/herself with the principles of integrity, or until
the soul of that two-legged departed the Earth plane for retribution in the spirit world.

***There will be a large emphasis on Integrity in the life of the two-legged beside whom Jaguar strides.
The Jaguar Soul’s life will be lead from a standpoint of a moral belief system that is structured to remind
the human counterpart of the necessity of operating from truth, valor, honor and respect for the All.
A palpable purity of essence to these individuals will be felt by others who come to know the Jaguar
Spirit. The Jaguar individual him/herself will not think about their character or moral fiber, but will
merely follow the instruction of an inner voice that is constantly guiding them to operate from a place of
fidelity and ~decency.~

In order that the one beside whom Jaguar journeys may successfully integrate mind, body and soul, their
life will be structured in such a way as to develop an inner core of honor, valor, probity and reliability.
The lessons in integrity will frequently arrive in the form of relationships with others who may be
operating from double-standards. In these instances, the Jaguar’s partner will expect complete faithfulness
and commitment from the Jaguar individual, yet will then demand that no such similar “restrictions” be
placed on themselves. Or the lesson may surface as experiences with friends, co-workers or siblings who
may either take the credit for the Jaguar soul’s work, ~good deed,~ ideas, or selfless acts, or whom may
shuffle off responsibility for their own “misdeeds” or wrong doings onto the Jaguar individual.

Trusting by nature, such illustrations of dishonesty and lack of moral character as mentioned above, will
deeply sadden the human counterpart to Jaguar Spirit, and teach him/her the importance of standing by
their personal beliefs and taking responsibility for their own actions, choices and decisions. In this way,
the lesson is learned that one must be comfortable with facing one’s self in the mirror.

Yet the greatest lesson for the Jaguar soul, may often come in the guise of conflicting desires within their
own Self. As a highly sensual individual, these are souls who are enthralled with the beauty and diversity
of life, from the brilliant colors, patterns and hues of a sunset, to the aroma of a rose in bloom, to the
physical attractiveness of a potential mate. This high degree of sensuality can create deeply felt stimuli
that can at times be in contradiction to the best interest of the soul’s growth and can serve as temptation to
divert the Jaguar from his/her soul’s path. An example of this principle would be the Jaguar individual
who is already in a partnership, being attracted to one outside of his/her present relationship and
following the attraction to consummation. Another example may be the one beside whom Jaguar journeys
following the instructions of a supervisor to “swindle” a customer in order to receive a financial gain. In
both instances, the Jaguar is operating contrary to his/her belief system of integrity. In so doing, the guilt,
sense of self-betrayal, and the call of the soul to realign with the character of the Higher Self, will be such
as to create an indelible imprint on the psyche to remain within the parameters of their personal integrity.
When the Jaguar soul remains true to his/her moral convictions, and is able to do so from a point of nonjudgment
and with no hint of self-righteousness, then the wholeness of the integrative process may be
experienced. In those moments, the splendor of the mind, body, soul integrity is witnessed and serves as
an inspiring example to others.***

Contrary Jaguar Medicine
Each Animal Totem may also fill the Role of Shadow Totem, its presence to teach us our most significant
life lessons via the vehicle of pain. The Shadow Totem is the guide to our subconscious, the repository of
all our unresolved issues, pain, hopes and desires. When we are operating opposite of the higher purpose
of a particular totem, we are said to be operating from Contrary Medicine, or from our ~Shadow~ side. To
learn more about the Shadow Totem, please click here.

As a Shadow Totem, or for one whose Power, Theme, Mission or Astral Totem is Jaguar yet is operating
from Contrary Medicine, the ~Shadow Side~ to this beautiful cat can be quite complex.

One who is operating from Contrary Jaguar Medicine, or who has Jaguar as a Shadow Totem, will be
highly unpredictable, unreliable and untrustworthy. The impeccable principles by which a Jaguar soul
will conduct his/her life when operating from the higher vibration of Jaguar Medicine, will be nearly nonexistent
in the behavior of the Shadow Jaguar. It isn’t that the inner voice of “proper conduct” and
integrity isn’t present in the soul of Shadow or Contrary Jaguar, but merely that the human counterpart is
choosing to block out the guiding voice in favor of material, emotional or physical gains.

Such resistance to the proper use of Jaguar Medicine, will create great havoc and chaos in the life of one
beside whom Jaguar walks. Plans that have been carefully plotted and strategized, will fall through at the
last moment. Emotional partnerships that were initially achieved through seduction, deceit or
manipulation will be severed abruptly when the partner of Shadow Jaguar comes to realize the one they
have fallen in love with is not who/what they have presented themselves to be.

Only once the Jaguar soul steps into alignment with his/her personal integrity and the higher vibration of
Jaguar Medicine, will the pattern of chaos and pain transform. In understanding the temptation to control
or dominate others for what it is, lack of faith in the Self, can the life lessons represented by the Shadow
manifestation of this Totem Spirit right itself. Yet if these lessons are learned, absorbed and integrated,
the Shadow energy transforms itself as the two-legged shapeshifts into a new form . . . one that is filled
with compassion and integrity.

From: wolfs_moon.tripod.com/JaguarTotem.html (mind the pop-ups!!)

NorthernStar:

Black Panther
Awwwwww - I felt it yesterday that Black Panther was stepping in... I am walking with Black Panther -
and sometimes he is very intense... It is good that there is some time before posting under this thread - his
lessons are sometimes so very "to the point" that this time will allow to so then what is to be shared. It
took me about 40 years to be able to walk with him - he is so very powerful. When I was a little child -
about two years old - and his power was felt from the beginning - it was not easy to go along in the family
with him. I suffered a lot going along with Black Panther - as you posted it under the thread - but it came
out as a so very much needed lesson - to walk in the dark areas, too - to be able to do the work there that
has to be done.

And it also requires a lot of time on my own to do this work. Going in and coming out the energies are
very special that sometimes I need some time to go along with the "normal" daily energy again. I may run
over others then - if I do not balance it well. My other helpers as Deer, Manatee, Hummingbird and
others help to balance Black Panther. But you can imagine that it took some time to get all of them
together - *giggle* - balanced...

Mouse, therefore it was helpful - Black Panther would have run over things - and this strength needed to
be balanced.

So this is a "Thank you!" to you!

Love to you, Mouse!
Mouse, thank you so much for your post you sent me. I felt to answer here so that it is more clear for
others what the reasons were that this happened also. It might hold a lesson of Black Panther in itself - it
is exactly how Black Panther works so often... And it is shown that giving some time may help a lot to so
then the energies... :o)) So again thank you, Mouse. Love to you! Hummingbird sends a soft loving and
caring wind energy from the small wings...

About Black Panther...
“Quote: "Although born with a heightened sense of awareness and a powerful gift of extrasensory
perception (ESP), the Jaguar Soul will generally only come to embrace his/her “gifts” after many years
of struggling with the benefits and responsibilities associated with these gifts. This is because there is still
much stigma attached to the arena of ESP and associated abilities."

Having been with this topic for several days now I will take this quote to post some things under this
topic. May be it helps others to go along with what Black Panther brings as gifts... I will only share bits
and pieces - I am not allowed to share more. It seems that each one has to find his/her own way to walk
with Black Panther - and to talk too much about Black Panther and the lessons may lead to "expect" what
might happen - and this is not really helpful. On the other hand many lessons are so very personal that
they are not meant for sharing. And they hold so much time to come through that it is not appropriate to
share them here "in some minutes". Though this may sound a bit "rude" - not to share too much, there is
a deep and sincere reason for it. Those, who have contact with Black Panther, might feel/know what is
meant. For others it is not necessary - it might not help them.

I will take some points now:
“Not knowing that they (those who are born with Black Panther medicine) may be looked upon with great
suspicion for the things that they are able to perceive which others may not be able to, the one beside
whom Jaguar pads will convey their experiences freely at first. Yet due to lack of awareness and outdated
belief systems that might be present on the behalf of parents, care givers or teachers, the child with
these special abilities soon learns to keep such arcane knowledge and insight to him/herself. This
guardedness (and eventual rejection of their psychic talents), is usually precipitated when the adults that
are a part of the young Jaguar’s life, react in fear, disbelief or anger. The youngster learns that sharing
their insight often leads to being scolded for “imagining things,” reprimanded for “lying,” or perhaps
worst of all, being treated with fear as the adult either believes the child to be “evil” or even mentally ill
for seeing or hearing things that “aren’t really there.”

My experiences were - that when I was about six years old - I still was trained to hide anything from the
outside. I hard started to live "two" lives - one "in the public" (family, school...) - one "hidden" (being
alone with myself, being in nature...). Because of some reactions of the "public" I felt bad, not worthy,
"different" - and I tried to make myself small and smaller - losing each trust in myself. I became ill, I did
not have many friends, my favorite place was nature... Since I was a child I "saw" what was behind the
words people spoke - I also saw and felt presences - I also was with the dark, I felt that something to work
with was waiting there for me (and I was running away from it, too... But this is another story..). This
feeling of being "alone" on this Earth, no one around accepting this or understanding my desperate needs
of being accepted the way I am, also with the connection to the darker sides of life, also to work there -
this lead to a depression in my childhood. I literally went into the dark inside - what I felt around, was
created inside... Though I deep in my heart felt that, diving deep enough, one would find that everything is
light. I never was to commit suicide - but I felt why people could do this.

I was taken to a psychologist when I was about nine years old. After some hours of working with me she
said: "This child has to help herself." And she sent me home. Working with her I knew what I had to say, I
saw through her questions and her psychological games we played (she wanted to "read" me while
watching me playing) - and I tried to hide myself again from her. Everything during the hours with her in
her work was so transparent for me - and I wondered how ever could this work "function" with others - it
was so clear what they wanted. I only had to say what they wanted to hear. Later I found that other
people did not feel this and that they could be worked with. Other children were there, too - and I felt
what was going on with them.

What I learned was "to hide", "to smile", "to be a good girl", "to please". What I did not live was my
power, my own path, to learn how to go along with the dark that was seen/felt - to work with what was
waiting there for me. And the result was fear, fear, fear - the feeling of being bad, not worth, a bad
person, a liar (because of not showing my "real face")... What I wished so much: To talk to someone "who
could hold and accept me the way I am." One person that would be able to listen to me - and not run
away because of the dark that I saw behind things, the hidden things, the other face of people they
"really" wore behind their public faces... Up to today from outside I am taken as a friendly person - but
there are so few people who really know me - my real face, my work in the dark, too... Often I challenged
people to test them somehow whether they can hold me and what really "is" me... I found that often
people I had a deep conflict with and who were open to walk through the problem with me - that these
people became "friends". They saw my "real face" - we saw the real face of each other. I did not need to
hide. I also have to admit that up to now there are few, few, few people I showed my real face... This is
not necessary in daily life - I wear my real face more and more now, but most do not see it - they see what
they want to see - also their shadows reflected in me (also something Black Panther brings forward). It
took about 40 years to bring this through - to walk with an open face and not to hide any more - but to walk...

Why do I write this? If you are walking with Black Panther or if you are with people who walk with Black
Panther - if you want to help yourself and the people - you might want to allow them to be how they are.
Accept them. This sounds so very normal. But for people walking with Black Panther this may hold a very
special meaning. Do not try to fix them on what you want to see in them. To be able to do this you should
be sure to be able to hold what you might see. What is "daily life" for Black Panther might be a kind of
"hard or also frightening trip" for you - so you might want to agree on how to share with Black Panther
people, how to stop them too, if it becomes to much for you. Remember: Many things for them are normal.
They do not "know" when it gets too much then - once they started - in their happiness they might
overwhelm you. Working in strong areas, in dark areas, too, seeing in the dark and being at home there
somehow because of the work - for you, who is not walking with Black Panther, it might frighten you. So
you might say "Stop now, it is enough for now. You know I am not used to this. Give me some time." We
need to hear this - because otherwise we easily might run over you - for us it is daily life, for others it is
heavy stuff somehow. We need to know what you feel and whether and when we overwhelm you. It is not
that we want to share everything - we are used to walk alone very well - but if you are our friend or
partner, then you might want to see us a bit and know us a bit "how we are".

Relationships are not easy for Black Panther. We long so much to be seen with our real face - and at the
same time we feel that we need to hide many things because it might overwhelm others. And to be honest:
We also like and need to walk alone - it is part of our path, too. (But may be not always...) I will give you
an example: Since my childhood, since I am two years old or even younger, nearly each day I am with
death and dying, with the dead - and also with the dark. Work is to be done there. It is "normal" for me.

When I started to talk about what I did as a child - to go where the adults did not go, to work there, also
physically - then other people shrinked back. So I stopped talking about this. But it is part of my life -
nearly every day. I am not longing to talk things through - but being with a person that does not know
anything about this - this starts to feel like playing a role again. Once they encourage me to start to open
up a bit I have to admit that I do not feel "when it is enough" very often - others should tell me. I am not
talking for hours, most things are secret - but what I share then, nevertheless it might be too much. My
helpers and my Guides help me, too. I need this, for me it is daily life, I need to know how this world here
"functions". I will not be angry when people tell me "enough" or "no, not now". It shows me that they
basically accept me - but that at the moment it is too much for their system. This helps me a lot - I love
people for this. It also encourages me to do my work and to go on. People accept me with this - I get the
feeling that I am not "wrong" - but they may not need to know all I do. But basically if they accept it - this
is "at home" for me on this earth, then. I do not have to hide then from them, but I also do not have to
share everything. To be honest: Most things are not shared - it is silent work, only for helpers, guides,
animals, ancestors...

“When studying the Creature Beings in either their physical or spiritual form, it is important to notice the
color(s) of that Creature’s skin/feathers/hide, for much will be revealed in so doing. Where/when we
observe a Totem whose skin, feathers or hide has dual or multiple coloration, this bespeaks of the
Medicine of Integration." "The human blessed with Jaguar as a primary Animal Spirit, will be presented
with a series of lessons structured to teach him/her the process of integration. In order that the twolegged
may more fully embrace this aspect of Jaguar Medicine, he/she will experience a variety of
scenarios created to facilitate the absorption of this complex principle. Integration is the key element in
learning any lesson, and then applying that lesson to our life, yet it is also the Medicine of embracing
perceived opposites."

It took me about 40 years to balance Black Panther with other animals to be able to let him come
forward. There are other animals who are white I am working with. I am born as a Libra - all this means
work to balance and integration work. Before the balance I was hurting others, running over them, my
energy was overwhelming - and often I did not notice. The energy was "normal" for me. It was an
essential point to have Black Panther balanced - before he could come through with clarity. When the
"need" is there and when Black Panther is in his full strength - this really can be a challenge for people
around. Not as crying around and all this - Black Panther is a silent hunter - but when he strikes then he
strikes with his full power and with knowing. This enables him to walk in the dark - to be sheltered, too.

It also is very, very necessary to balance Black Panther, to learn his lessons well, because of the dark
sides he comes into contact with. His power and gifts should be used in the Beauty way. One will have to
learn this. And these lessons may be "hard". (Never forget that these lessons come with a purpose - they
are needed to go along with the gifts of Black Panther... They come to help to do the work that has to be
done, then... Remembering this things may get easier...) And one has to walk alone - mostly. (Who will
walk these paths with us? One might feel "alone" often - but also here never forget: This is part of the
training, too... Others went this path before - each one in the own shoes - and we never are alone..) When
we go through this - and if we come out, safe and in serving Great Spirit - then this is a silent day to
celebrate. It is nothing great - but the challenges were there - and often they were not fun.

"The human blessed with Jaguar as a primary Animal Spirit, will be presented with a series of lessons
structured to teach him/her the process of integration. In order that the two-legged may more fully
embrace this aspect of Jaguar Medicine, he/she will experience a variety of scenarios created to facilitate
the absorption of this complex principle. Integration is the key element in learning any lesson, and then
applying that lesson to our life, yet it is also the Medicine of embracing perceived opposites. Chaotic
events will be much in evidence in the life of the Jaguar Soul, events that will necessitate that the human
counterpart go within in order to sift through the chaos and painful lessons, so that clarity and higher
vision may be attained. The challenge here is frequently found under the guise of a sense of isolation, as
the Jaguar individual quickly learns that he/she can only rely on the Self. This is a component that assists
these souls in the process of self-actualization, for the Jaguar must first accomplish a requisite level of
this Medicine him/herself."

I will stop now. More will be not appropriate for now... The result of this journey of walking with "Black Panther"?

"There will be a large emphasis on Integrity in the life of the two-legged beside whom Jaguar strides. The
Jaguar Soul’s life will be lead from a standpoint of a moral belief system that is structured to remind the
human counterpart of the necessity of operating from truth, valor, honor and respect for the All. A
palpable purity of essence to these individuals will be felt by others who come to know the Jaguar Spirit.

The Jaguar individual him/herself will not think about their character or moral fiber, but will merely
follow the instruction of an inner voice that is constantly guiding them to operate from a place of fidelity
and ~decency.~ In order that the one beside whom Jaguar journeys may successfully integrate mind, body
and soul, their life will be structured in such a way as to develop an inner core of honor, valor, probity
and reliability.”

About the challenges you might read more under what Mouse posted here - it is helpful...Love to you...

SisterCyber:
Here is something I ran across about Black Panther today. It seems to be redundant to what's already
been said, but I thought I'd share it anyway:

“Panther [black leopard] is secretive, silent and graceful in her every move. She is solitary by choice, she
tells little but listens much. She is careful not to share too much information, only enough to ease curious
minds. Panther people have a broader vision. Panther medicine gives them a deeper insight, both
spiritually and physically. Their enhanced perspective lets them see things in close detail or from a
distance. Panthers enter the world enlightened whereas others have to work to achieve that. Black
Panther is very mystical. She finds the most power in darkness. Black Panther understands death and
teaches people not to fear it, for out of death comes rebirth. When Panther enters your life, it is time for a
new beginning; a new door has opened for you. Panther introduces you to an expanded awareness,
alternate realities, the elimination of fears, and most of all, total rebirth. Panther gives us the opportunity
to become a whole new person and she promises to be our protector and guardian throughout this rebirth
process.”

I am grateful that Black Panther has revealed itself as one of my Nine Totem Animals. In such a short
time, many, many things are clicking and falling into place on a mental and spiritual level, and I look
forward to working with this totem, learning from it, and seeing how it helps me to develop as I grow
towards the direction where I need to be going in.

Mouse:
Nah - not redundant at all. Sometimes it's just the change in words, the order of information presented or
another writer all together that makes new things click. I can never read enough about Black Panther...
there's always something I learn from every new snippet that I read.

“Panther introduces you to an expanded awareness, alternate realities, the elimination of fears, and most
of all, total rebirth. Panther gives us the opportunity to become a whole new person and she promises to
be our protector and guardian throughout this rebirth process.”

See - in that last paragraph, it is not stated as such, but *birth* is my new path. It is my deep wish to help
new souls enter this earthwalk with as little trauma and as much intactness of their openness as possible.
So Panther is a protector and guardian throughout this (re)birth process, and in that I see validation of
my desire to work in this field. It is also no coincidence that I actively started taking courses, trainings
and workshops in this field just about the same time as Panther stepped forward:

“When Panther enters your life, it is time for a new beginning; a new door has opened for you.”
Quite literally, when Panther appeared, *everything* changed for me, there are new beginnings in more
than one way. They are on the physical level (work, housing), on the emotional level, mental level and
spiritual level. It is literally as though embracing Panther made me not only see the new door that
opened, but actually stepping into an entirely new part of the house, giving the house so much more
dimension, and understanding the blueprint of the house so much better. So keep sharing those bits of
information that you find. You know how one can connect with one author, and just not get into the
writing style of another author in the same genre? It works that way with this information too. Oh, and if
you hug Panther hard enough, just wait until you feel Panther purring!!

SisterCyber:
I saved the Time magazine from the week of August 23, 2004 because it had a feature on Big Cats, which
I love. The spread is called "Saving the Big Cats" and the article educates about how the world's wild
felines are threatened wherever they roam. What will it take to rescue them? It didn't have any info on
Black Panther, but here is what it says about Leopard, since it is part of this topic:

(Panthera pardus)
Length: 39 in. to 59 in.
Maximum Weight: 132 lbs.
Est. Pop.: More than 300,000
Status: Abundant in eastern and southern Africa and parts of Asia; critically endangered in North Africa,
parts of West Africa, the Middle East and some Asian countries
Threats: Poisoned and shot by farmers
Habitat: Almost anywhere except true desert and mountains above 16,400 ft.
Man Eater?: Yes
Females can mate up to 100 times a day. Hehehe...
Stealthy and secretive. Three leopards were found living in a train station in the city of Kampala in 1990.
Each leopard can be identified by its unique pattern of spots

The article notes the source of this information is from IUCN, Cat Specialist Group.
There is also information on Snow Leopard, but that's not for this thread.

Finally (at least for now) here is what they provide on Jaguar, my species of (Black) Panther:
(Panthera onca)
Length: 47 in to 67 in. (including tail)
Maximum Weight: 200 lbs.
Est. Pop.: Less than 50,000 (uncertain)
Status: Near threatened
Threats: Loss of habitat and being shot by cattle ranchers
Habitat: Tropical and subtropical forests, swampy grasslands, scrub, woodlands
Man Eater?: No
Preys on fish and can swim well ~ even across the Panama Canal

Believed extinct in the U.S. until one was photographed in New Mexico in 1996
Associated with thunder and rain in totemic religions across Latin America.
The article notes the source of this information is from Eric Sanderson, Wildlife Conservation Society.

Mouse:
The Panther
The name panther is often associated with a particular species of leopard or jaguar and sometimes the
cougar. The black panther is smaller but more fierce than lions and tigers. They are agile climbers and
excellent swimmers. Because they can sprint with great speed they hold the teachings of quick decisive action.

Panthers have over 400 voluntary muscles that can be used at will when the need arises. This symbolizes
an ability to shape shift realities using all parts of the body to perform a task. They can move gracefully
in and out of situations as well as freeze and not be noticed. Because the panther is not a good long
distant runner those with this medicine should incorporate movement therapies into their life that
enhance endurance. They need to learn how to pace themselves and not push to fast or hard on any one task.

The power of the panther is the power of silence. It is extremely quiet when hunting or stalking. It knows
when to make its presence known and when to become invisible. The panther holds the secrets of unseen
worlds and is associated with lunar energies. Within the darkness of night lies the truth of creation. Those
with this totem hold knowledge of a galactic origin. They have a responsibility to care take this
knowledge and caution must be applied when sharing it with others. When the student is ready the
teacher appears. If the student isn't ready the information received could be detrimental.

Panthers have acute sensitivity. The hairs on its body especially on the face pick up subtle vibrations.
This is symbolic for those with this totem. It indicates a need to pay attention to their feelings and honor
the messages those feelings convey. Touch can be an important avenue to explore to awaken ones hidden
gifts. The black panthers coat, sleek, smooth and sensual has been linked to sexuality. When panther
appears in a person’s life it might be asking you to resolve old sexual issues or to embrace your sexuality fully.

The black panther has great mysticism associated with it. It represents the life and power of the night. It
can show us how to embrace the darkness and awaken the light within it. When you experience the
presence of panther one of its most noticeable features is its unblinking stare. It appears to see right
through the body. Those with this medicine use their eyes as a healing tool and have the potential to heal
on a cellular level.

Author Ted Andrews states that in Egyptian rituals a panther tail was worn around the neck or waist to
help protect and strengthen the individual. It has been a symbol of the "Argos of a Thousand Eyes," who
guarded the heifer IO who was loved by Zeus. After his death, the eyes were transferred to the feathers of
the peacock. A powerful totem to have the panther always brings a guardian energy to those to whom it
comes.
~ www.Sayahda.com

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