Poweranimal

The Tiergeist

     Within the chapter on the shamanixc journey I already mentioned the poweranimal or tiergeist. In chapter two I offer some ways of dealing with this spirit and possible ways of endeepen the contact with it. The contact with spirits is similar to the classical pact of the middle ages magicians. The shaman fulfills the needs of the contacted spirits and therefore receives their services in return - „quid pro quo" as Hannibal Lecter said in „Silence of the lambs". However, the relationship between the tiergeist and the shaman is much more intimate.

The Tiergeist

     In neoshamanic literature this spirit has different names. To mention a view: totem, nagual, poweranimal, protection spirit/angel/animal, fylgia, clan spirit, animal soul, alter ego. These names describe this spirit in the non ordinary reality in different paradigmas.

    There is a difference between the personal and collective tiergeist. Your own tiergeist can only be achieved by your own efforts. Collective spirits can be achieved on many different ways, for example astrologic methods (see Sun Bear) or via family traditions or tribal inheritance. Collective animal spirits are representing whole groups of persons, be they shamans or not. In magic orders this „animal spirit" is the egregore.

    Properly speaking everyone does possess a tiergeist. Actually the shamanic practitioners are the only ones working with it and knowing it.

      There are no guidelines, how many tiergeists you may possess or how they may appear, whether they are everytime present or being absent for some days, making holidays (and drinking a cup of really hot coffee in a bar somewhere in the spirits world). Abilities, personality and demeanour are individual to each tiergeist, too. Disappeared tiergeists can be brought back in shamanic journeys. The tiergeist often listens to your true will and does realize this will. The better your contact, the more often and intense these realization will be.

     Akin to the tiergeist is the holy guardian angel of Aleister Crowley or Abramelin the Mage. Labeling such spirits as „helping spirit", as it was done by certain anthropologists and wannabe shamans, should be reflected. Helping spirits are a different class of spirits. They possess a kind of temporal agreement with the shaman and are specialists. The relationship is on a purely professional base. As mentioned above, the tiergeist is much more a friend and compagnion in the spirits world (by the way: In some tribes in siberia shamans had an official relationship to their teirgeists). Shamans often possess some helping spirits and bind them at material bases, as well. The tiergeist can be compared with the animal kings of some tellings. Tiergeists are not individual, once living, spirits from the animal but it represents the blueprint or archetype of any individual of the animal.

Appearance and abilities
of the tiergeist

     The term poweranimal or tiergeist implies a spirit of animal like appearance. My former theory is obselete, that there are NO rules about the appearance and kind of the animals, functioning as tiergeists. After meeting a lot of shamanic practitioners I could find out some regularities. In central europe the spirits of Delphin, Eagle, Bear, Lion, Wolf, Deer and Raven are commonly encountered. More rare are reptiles, fishes, insects, extinct animals, mythic creatures. Most of the time the tiergeist is representing the general type of animal, such as Eagle or Wolf and not special subspecies of it, such as spanish royal eagle, for example. The tiergeist can change its appearance and adapt to any environment. Eagles that can dive and swin in the ground or in the sea, or elephants flying around are not unheard of. During shamanic journey shamanic practitioners occasionally are merging with their tiergeist, the astral image then is looking like the tiergeist or a hybrid form (just think of egypt´s deities to get an idea of the appearance). Deep contact to the tiergeist can have amazing effects in normal life and reality. Animals can feel the presence of it and react according to their instincts. Conscious calling of the tiergeist and invocation can have subconscious effects on humans, too.

The Animal Dance

     In the legends and myths of all cultures you can find hints about humans, crossing the border to the kingdom of the animals. Legends of Eagle-people and werewolves or the famous berserkers are fine examples. In celtogermanic mythology the flying costume of Freya reminds us of the use of costumes during animal dances in former european times. To endeepen the contact to your tiergeist the animal dance is the first-choice method. The animal has the opportunity to act physically through the body of the shaman. This kind of obsession CAN be extremely powerful and intense. The animal "rides" the body of the shaman and takes over the active part, ousting the ego of the shaman from its conducting position to the role of a watcher. During the animal dance the animal heals the practitioner or heals clients or the shaman can do an extatic flight of the soul.

The Kwakiutl possessed many different dancing costumes. The Thunderbird plays an important part in many Native American tales and myths. On the left picture the thunderbird is danced on a boat during a marriage ceremony. On the right picture this dancing costume is shown.

     An exchange of energy between animal and shaman does take place during the dancing. Animal dances never are harmful (to the dancer). The tiergeist is the most intimate friend, which knows yourself better than anyone other. Conducting and practising of the animal dance requires time for preparation and relaxing and grounding afterwards. You must possess absolut clearance about the way of inducing animal possession. Of course there are many ways: Seidh, drugs, drums, breathing, certain sacrifices, imagination and imitation are the techniques I know. If you are sure about your method of trance, prepare the location, arrange possible musical accompaniment and prepare yourself. In groups it is much easier to call in your tiergeist. During the dance the animal is behaving just in its ways, doing typical movements and noises. In groups this is much fun. After a certain time the animal dance ends. Take a time to come back from this intense experience, lay down on the ground, feel the energies flowing and ground yourself. Banishing is not required. It has poofed useful to be a little bit hungry before the animal dance. Hunger is an instinctive experience which makes it easier to feel the animal inside.

Sexual interaction with the tiergeist

     Within most shamanic circles this topic is being avoided and hushed up. The reason lies within the frigid attitude to sexuality in our culture. Having (spiritual) interaction with the tiergeist is being avoided as theme in drumming circles. Shamans could never be grasped with common places of behavior. The most powerful shamans were tranvestites, homosexuals or had sexual interactions with their spirits, all of them not fitting in the common sense yet, unfortunately. These individual shamans are living symbols of crossing the borders. It is a very intimate present to the tiergeist, doing this kind of interaction. However, this kind of contact should arise by itself and not being forced. Your body and your tiergeist know exactly what´s healthy and what not. It is remarkable that in deep ecstatic trance sexual excitement is common.

Costumes and masks for the dance

     Shamans often use costumes and masks, representing their animal spirits and helping spirits. Costumes may serve different functions. An important one is protecting the shaman during the shamanic journey. At this place the embodyment of the tiergeist is of certain interest. Costumes and masks need a certain attention in making and using them. It is necessary to ask the spirits about details of making, using and caring for their mask or their costume. The consecration rites (if necessary) and special tasks should be checked up. Dancing costumes are extremely powerful tools of the art, which enables you to enter deep trance, perhaps within a view moments. The costume need not to be made of animal parts (getting them is difficult in our times), except the spirits offer these to you (as happened in my own situation). Consider the possession of parts of your tiergeist as a great honor. Materials like iron, leather, wood, felt and synthetic materials as glass fibre are excellent for manufacturing a costume. Never forget to make a durable and hard-wearing costume. After an intense animal dance it is not pleasant to pick up the remnants of a fragile costume. Use little bells on the costume to drive away unwanted spirits and endeepen the trance. As an example, how a dancing costume can look like, you can look at my article on the Dance of the Condor.