Spirit Horse Totem

As with the dolphin, the horse is another animal that I wished was my animal totem. However, it is not but I still love them and I hold a great respect for them.

There use to be a time when every piece of artwork I did I attached a small amount of horses hair. I had friends who would save me the hair from their horses after grooming them. I use to always put the horses hair on the medicine bags I made, the dream catchers, and the painted gourds I did as rattles. To me it was just a small way of giving that item a little extra energy.

But why horses hair? At one Pow-Wow I attended, this vendor came up to me and asked if I carried coyote medicine. I explained to her according to a "Cherokee Good Medicine" class I took, I learned that coyote was the animal medicine I was born with. Not knowing this lady at all-she placed a piece of coyote bone in my hand. Now, this is was really strange for me but somehow I understood. Some of my customers would come into my shop "Earth Crafts" and bring me turtle shells, or small pieces of turtle bones that they found in the woods. (Yes, everything was cleaned before they gave it to me). I suppose that is because I believe that having something, a feather, a piece of fur, bone or shell of an animal that has "crossed-over" is showing respect and honor to that animal. In turn, it gives you a part of their spiritual medicine. The customers that did this also knew how I felt about seeing animals who had died so they always carried blue cornmeal with them when they walked in the woods. I always explained to them that by placing cornmeal or sage around the animal is showing the animal respect and offering blessings for a safe journey. So when the groomers give me the horse's hair; that was a way for me to place that energy on different things I made

In Ted Andrews book "Animal Speaks" he speaks of "Horse Medicine" as being: Symbols of freedom. We are fascinated by them, riding one raises us above mundane, and renews our sense of power. More than one legend speaks of the clairvoyance of horses and their ability to recognize those involved in magic. The symbolism of the horse is complex. It can represent movement and travel and has been a symbol of desires. Horse brings with it new journeys. It will teach you how to ride into a new direction to awaken and discover your own freedom and power.

I know that "Horse Medicine" also gives us courage and freedom to be our authentic self. Spiritual freedom is a state of mind that links from your heart and soul. It is almost like horses are the gatekeepers to our higher selves. Many times "Spirit Horses" are rode into different realms when you are doing "Shamanism" work.

Horses can sense the energy fields around others and it will respond to what it feels. This sensitivity is associated with psychic powers, being clairvoyant.

When a Horse shows up as a totem for you, you are being given a sign that it is safe to move forward and have a clear passage. Sometimes, we are faced with indecisions about major moves in our lives, often we hate to leave familiar grounds and travel into new territory. "Horse Medicine" will guide you when the time is right and safe.