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Meerkat

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Bear In Mind	Meerkat		Lead	[-]
Spirit Keeper Posts: 2851 Sep 13 06 12:42 AM Honored Senior Member	Tags : totem, medicine, shamanism, meerkat MwwekR I didn't see anything on them in our Totem Library, so I just wanted to "try my hand" at Meerkat before I do any research, to see how far from the mark I am "> First off, they're really very cute creatures to watch! :hug Oddly, though they're called "Meerkat," their offspring are called "pups" :con This reminds me that they are "community creatures" ~ a better term fails to come to mind "> What did comes to mind was that they are a matriarchal group who live in a family that works together. This could probably be compaired with a pride of lions, a pack of wolves, but my feeling is that it is more closely compared to Prairie Dog. Did I mention how cute they are? "> They go out and forage for food together, and bring nourishment back to their offspring. Although they leave their pups in burrows while they go hunt for food, they are left with babysitters ~ a family member or two takes turns staying behind to watch over the young during the day. Knowing this, I am left to assume that they are rarely left alone and prolly wouldn't do well surviving if abandoned. The territory in which they live is filled with burrows they dig to sleep in, move around their territory and I imagine, to escape predators, going in one end and coming out another. I'm not sure if that part is true ~ that they use their burrows in that way, but I just thought of that :dunno Anyhoo, their digging these burrows reminds me of some of the lessons Badger teaches. They have black rings around their eyes, which bring to mind the lessons of the "mask" Racoon bears. They mate for life, but I cannot quite recall the significance in that :dunno And finally, another factor that stands out for me about Meerkat is that they are more than one color, and that reminds me of the lesson of integration that multi-colored animals teach. Can anyone help straighten this out, or perhaps provide real information on Meerkat Medicine? What is above is straight from me ~ what I imagine about their Medicine from what little I know of them :dunno Edited 1 time by cedar Jun 25 07 11:30 PM.
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Xanthos Griffon	Re: Meerkat	#1	[url]	[-]
Honored Senior Member Posts: 435 Sep 13 06 12:54 AM Honored Senior Member	I'm totally mad about meerkats. I read a book by a nature photographer who studied them for a few years. They're amazing and yes.. too CUTE! You did a good job of listing everything that I thought of about them! All else I can think of is.. .. they have strict rules and laws. I watched this show where a "teenage" meerkat got pregnant - the group snubbed her and refused to let her join them. They like to stand together and watch the sun set and rise. That always seemed almost "spiritual". that's about it. Oh, they eat poisonous things like snakes and scorpions without much harm. I used to have links to meerkat as a totem, but that was ages back. I'm not sure I have any of them anymore. My computer has crashed and been upgraded three times since then. I seem to remember them being listed as a strong female role-model animal/totem.
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Xanthos Griffon	Re: Meerkat	#2	[url]	[-]
Honored Senior Member Posts: 435 Sep 13 06 12:57 AM Honored Senior Member	*Quote:* MEERKAT TOTEM Maternal nurturing Caretaking Watchfulness Ability to live communally Sacrifice for the good of the group That's all I had saved.
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SwanFeather	Re: Meerkat	#3	[url]	[-]
Spirit Keeper Posts: 1352 Sep 13 06 1:39 AM Honored Senior Member	Meerkat/Suricate's Wisdom Includes: Maternal nurturing Caretaking Watchfulness Ability to live communally Sacrifice for the good of the group Animal Spirits* I love Meerkats, too! Many years ago my daughter knew how I liked them and bought me a stuffed Meerkat for my birthday that sat at my pillow for a looong time. (Well, she twisted her father's arm to buy it for me and presented it to me with a Meerkat grin on her face.) She also bought me a Meerkat nightshirt when I went to hospital years later. So, I'd say Meerkat has walked, or skittered, with me for a long time. BIM...if you ever get a chance to rent the Discovery Channel's video/soap opera named Meerkat Manor, grab it! It's wonderful. They are amazing creatures. Very intelligent and are the only other mammals who are known to actively teach their offspring besides humans. They will also sacrifice their lives for their offspring. ***Whoops, I see Griff posted the above before I finished this! "A Fox is a Wolf who sends flowers." - Ruth Weston
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Cinnamon Moon 1	Re: Meerkat	#4	[url]	[-]
Posts: 13087 Sep 13 06 3:11 AM Admin/ Board Founder	My reference books showed nothing on the Meerkat unfortunately. However, from the Animal Spirits website I found: Meerkat/Suricate's Wisdom Includes: Maternal nurturing, Caretaking, Watchfulness, Ability to live communally, Sacrifice for the good of the group. From Animal Medicine Powers website I found: Meerkat - Meercat is a member of the Mongoose clan. This little animal lives in the Kalahari desert and is the only social animal on earth with absolutely no hierarchy. All of the clan live in total and pefect unity. In their harsh desert environment the Meercat tribe sticks together, for united they can stand against snakes and other predators much larger than themselves. We invoke Meercat to find our own devoted community of like-minded people and to inspire us to live in peace and perfect harmony with each other. From drstandley.com Meerkat's Medicine: Unity, Heirarchy, Like-Mindedness ~To Be A Feather In Spirit's Wing~
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Bear In Mind	Re: Meerkat	#5	[url]	[-]
Spirit Keeper Posts: 2851 Sep 13 06 5:10 AM Honored Senior Member	*Quote:* MwwekR Where'd THAT come from? Ahhh... *Quote:* .. they have strict rules and laws. I watched this show where a "teenage" meerkat got pregnant - the group snubbed her and refused to let her join them. "Meerkat Manor" I assume...? *Quote:* Oh, they eat poisonous things like snakes and scorpions without much harm. Interesting. *Quote:* I used to have links to meerkat as a totem, but that was ages back. I'm not sure I have any of them anymore. My computer has crashed and been upgraded three times since then. Guess what? When I read, "I used to have a link to meerkat as a totem" I thought you meant that you personally had a spiritual link to meerkat as one of your totems Then, when I read the rest I understood you meant a hyperlink *Quote:* Many years ago my daughter knew how I liked them and bought me a stuffed Meerkat for my birthday that sat at my pillow for a looong time. Awww, what a precious gift! *Quote:* BIM...if you ever get a chance to rent the Discovery Channel's video/soap opera named Meerkat Manor, grab it! It's wonderful. I know ~ I watch "Meerkat Manor" on Animal Planet whenever I run across it. That's one of my favorite Animal Planet regular shows, aside from Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom and "The Most Extreme" shows. Love those! Anyway, it was "Meerkat Manor" that got me noticing how dern CUTE they are, and that's how I observed the information I posted about. I was never graced to be in a meerkat environment though, to see them live ~ up-close and personal :( They would probably run from humans, right? I believe they use a radio collar to track the matriarch meerkat so they can conduct their extended observations for the show. *Quote:* **Whoops, I see Griff posted the above before I finished this! It's all good ~ look ~ Cinn did it too! Well, my Dad used to say, "Everyone can't tell the same* lie" *Quote:* This little animal lives in the Kalahari desert and is the only social animal on earth with absolutely no hierarchy. I remember they live in the Kalahari desert from the show No hierarchy? Okay, then the matriarch is simply the dominant one, I guess, but I recall from the show that her role is significant.... can't remember exactly what they said that was so important about the one who gives birth to the pups.... *Quote:* Meerkat - Meercat is a member of the Mongoose clan. Do you think it would be a good idea to find out more about Meerkat Medicine by looking at Mongoose Medicine?
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Cinnamon Moon 1	Re: Meerkat	#6	[url]	[-]
Posts: 13087 Sep 13 06 8:20 AM Admin/ Board Founder	*Quote:* Do you think it would be a good idea to find out more about Meerkat Medicine by looking at Mongoose Medicine? Ummmmmmmm yep! ~To Be A Feather In Spirit's Wing~
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Bear In Mind	Re: Meerkat	#7	[url]	[-]
Spirit Keeper Posts: 2851 Sep 13 06 4:14 PM Honored Senior Member	There's nothing in our Totem Library about Mongoose either :( I'm not sure how I managed to relate Meerkat to Prairie Dog as far as being community-oriented, but when I reviewed Prairie Dog Medicine, no mention is there of that It seems that the main message of Praried Dog is "Retreat" however, and like them, Meerkat does retreat into open-ended tunnels Speaking of their tunnels, I was watching Animal Planet's "The Most Extreme" last evening, and wouldn't you know it... It was about The Most Extreme DIGGERS Coincidence? Both Badger and Meerkat were mentioned (as well as well as another creature to be researched for another thread). I was drifting off to sleep, but I recall them mentioning that the underground homes these animals dig are quite complex, having a nursery, kitchen and whatnot. If I recall correctly, within one territory there could be 40 entrances to the interconnected underground tunnels, shared among about 7 Meerkat families. It occurred to me that they have a strong connection to Mother Earth due to their ground-digging/dwelling. Oh yeah! What else fascinated me about the show was that a Badger digging to escape a predator could completely bury itself in less than a minute and can even dig through surfaces like concrete! And with respect to Meerkat, it could dig a hole ten-times it's size! Here is a similarity they share: *Quote:* The badger is a remarkable digger. Fast and quick, it can dig beneath surfaces easily. It can outdig a gopher or a mole, moving rapidly through the Earth. This ties them to all earth spirits and gnomes of lore. It also hints at the ability to see beneath the surface of all things and people. It lives in an underground complex of burrows that are called "earths". It has several living chambers, along with latrine and storage chambers. These earths hint at the stories beneath the outer, the inner places, and homes of the outer world. Because it is such a powerful digger, the badger has knowledge of things beneath the earth. This includes minerals, roots, and other plants and herbs. This makes the badger also a dynamic healer. ~Badger Medicine Meerkat can also eat 10-times it's bodyweight and not get fat. Sounds like me A big difference between them and badters is that badgers are not very social, even with their own kind, and meerkats are the complete opposite in that area. Also, While Badgers are related to the Weasel family, and Meerkat's to the Mongoose family. While Racoon's "mask" really looks like a mask, the black circles around the Meerkat's eyes stands out to me as a mask too. Well, here's a bit anyway, about Racoon's mask, and perhaps some of it can be applied also to Meerkat *Quote:* One of the most striking features of the raccoon is the mask that it wears. Although some associate this with thievery, it actually gives the raccoon a very powerful mystical symbolism. The use of masks to achieve altered states and for other healing and ritual purposes has been a part of every society. Mask making is an ancient art employed all over the world for ceremony, celebration, and in magical practices. Concealed behind a mask, people could become something or someone else. We can become whatever we want by wearing masks. Masks are invested with mystery. They are tools for transformation. The hidden aspect, the secrecy, helps promote the transformation. It helps us to change what we are to what we want to be, giving us magic. Just as there is with the raccoon, with masks there is ambiguity and equivocation. When we wear a mask we are no longer who we thought. We make ourselves one with some other force. We create a doorway in the mind and in the physical world a threshold that we can cross to new dimensions and new beingness. This is the magic of raccoon. it is an expert of disguise and secrecy. It knows how to wear masks for a variety of purposes. It can teach you how to mask and disguise and transform yourself. Each must develop their relationship with the raccoon in their own unique way, but raccoon medicine can teach you how to become dexterous in the masks you wear. It can show you how to wear a healing mask or show you the face you shall become. The raccoon holds the knowledge of how to change our faces. Raccoon holds the knowledge of transformation through masks and disguise. This knowledge can be applied to religious and ritual practices or within normal everyday life. Do you need to present a different face to people for greater success? Are you hiding your true self? Are others hiding their true self? Raccoon can help you find the answers. The mask he wears will teach you by utilizing the power of masks...of shapeshifting. By shapeshifting and becoming what you want to know more about, you can discover the secrets hidden behind others and their ways. This leads to exciting adventures and explorations of the dimensional realms and altered states of consciousness. ~Racoon Medicine They do their hunting int he day. Can someone explain the spiritual significance of being a day-hunter, as opposed to a night-hunter? Does anyone have anything on Mongoose that can perhaps be added to our Totem Library? Is there anything else that comes to mind about Meerkat that can be added here?
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Xanthos Griffon	Re: Meerkat	#8	[url]	[-]
Honored Senior Member Posts: 435 Sep 13 06 4:21 PM Honored Senior Member	*Quote:* When I read, "I used to have a link to meerkat as a totem" I thought you meant that you personally had a spiritual link to meerkat as one of your totems That would have been nice actually. Which reminds me that I'm none the wiser at what my life totems are since elephant turned out to be my guide in disguise! Mind you, he did specifically tell me he was NOT a totem from the beginning. Another job to add to the "must do" list - try again to figure out my totems.
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Cinnamon Moon 1	Re: Meerkat	#9	[url]	[-]
Posts: 13087 Sep 13 06 6:03 PM Admin/ Board Founder	Mongoose ~ Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams Mongoose represents a quick wit and sharp awareness in respect to perceiving deception. D.J. Conway/Animal Magic The Mongoose, a carnivore related to the civet cat, is of the genus Herpestes. This gray-brown animal lives in India, Africa, and southern Spain. It has a sharp nose, narrow body, and short legs. Its three-foot lenght is about half tail. This creature is easily tamed. Very agile and intelligent, the mongoose is valuable for its destruction of lizards, insects, and snakes, especially cobras, The Mongoose, a palm-rat, is found throughout the Middle East, including Egypt and India. In some legends listing the weasel, the actual creature meant is the mongoose. The Mesopotamian goddess Ningilin was connected with this animal; this goddess was invoked in spells repelling snakes,. Superstitions: The Mongoose will aways kill a cobra and is immune to the venom. This is not true; sometimes the mongoose loses the fight and dies. Magical Attributes: Defense, protection, destroying evil. For the capture and conviction of criminals of any kind. Chant: Swiftly leaping, danger keeping In a corner, impotent. Mongoose-power, come to our Defense. Destroy all ill intent. Corner, cage, with righteous rage, All those who threaten, harm, or kill. Imprision, bind, those of dark mind, Beneath the mongoose-power and will. ~To Be A Feather In Spirit's Wing~
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Bear In Mind	Re: Meerkat	#10	[url]	[-]
Spirit Keeper Posts: 2851 Sep 13 06 6:44 PM Honored Senior Member	That's wonderferrrr! I need to get Ted Andrews' Animal-Wise and Animal-Speak Does he have anything to say about Mongoose? Something about Meerkat that also stood out for me is that they live on desert grounds, which is not quite like regular soil, neither are the weather conditions of a desert. It made me wonder about their need for water and also the relation to living beneath sands as opposed to earth.... I looked in Jamie Sams' Medicine Cards and there was nothing on them, and I went to Sayahda's and could find nothing on them nor Meerkat. Thanks for sharing that, Cinn!
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Cinnamon Moon 1	Re: Meerkat	#11	[url]	[-]
Posts: 13087 Sep 13 06 8:12 PM Admin/ Board Founder	No I checked Ted's references and there's nothing in either book on Mongoose. Most of my totemic resources are Native American however and Mongoose is not a creature of the USA so I would think that one would need to look into the totemic creatures of other cultures. Perhaps African shamanism would be a place to start? Their habitat being both above and below ground indicates they inhabit two worlds. IMHO Sand is Earth in it's own form. We don't see sandy beaches as anything other than Earth. S They can survive in an arid climate, etc. these things relate to survival skills and ability to adapt and protect. Also the arid aspect means they need little other than themselves to depend on...they gather in a group and use that so perhaps some like-mindedness when you associate with others. Discernments? The lack of water might indicate the lack of emotional attachment to things too...hence there being no heirarchy among them, and the willingness to follow their matriarch all feeling equal so fewere squabbles. The good of the whole stands out as well...as does the feminine naturally. You might try looking at their prey too...that's an indication of what 'feeds' them and therefore what this creature would indicate you might need to feed yourself. To see what preys upon them would indicated what you need to guard against in others. IF it's your Totem, and definitely in part of understanding their Medicine in general. Their gestation period indicates what length of time it will take for their Medicine (once set in motion) to complete itself to the stage of results. Hope that helps a little. ~To Be A Feather In Spirit's Wing~
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Xanthos Griffon	Re: Meerkat	#12	[url]	[-]
Honored Senior Member Posts: 435 Sep 14 06 11:44 AM Honored Senior Member	Major weird moment this morning. I was hunting through my files for a griffin painting I had used as email paper back in 2001. I found an email I'd saved with the paper and on it I was writing about... MEERKATS! So weird! Here's what I'd totally forgotten. I wrote this to a friend in January 2001. *Quote:* I tried getting an idea of my totem and came up with the strongest feelings towards Meerkats, little relatives of the mongoose. I have a very strong bond with them. At the zoo here I stood and cried when I saw them caged. No other animal being caged made me feel as bad. I kept thinking; "They've put these people in a hole in the ground." I seem to see them as people? LOL enough said! Anyway, their other name is Suricate, which means rock cats. I'd completely forgotten that. *Quote:* Perhaps African shamanism would be a place to start? As far as I can find Meerkats don't seem to feature as a significant animal in African mythology. Here's one link that might be useful if you want to look at African legends.. www.sacred-texts link Animals from an African perspective can be very different from Western ideas. For example - The lion is seen as evil to many tribes in Southern Africa. It is the Leopard who is King. Lions are despised.
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Bear In Mind	Re: Meerkat	#13	[url]	[-]
Spirit Keeper Posts: 2851 Sep 15 06 2:22 PM Honored Senior Member	*Quote:* Major weird moment this morning. I was hunting through my files for a griffin painting I had used as email paper back in 2001. I found an email I'd saved with the paper and on it I was writing about... MEERKATS! So weird! Naaahhh ~ not wierd... Know what it is? I "tink" the Little People like Meerkat too *Quote:* I kept thinking; "They've put these people in a hole in the ground." I seem to see them as people? LOL enough said! Was that you that said that, or the person you were emailing? I Tink that's very interesting! giggle Ever since the day before yesterday, I've been tinking about one of my all-time favorite childhood stories about a mongoose named "Rikki Tikki Tavi" and his adventures with a cobra. I cannot find the actual story online (actually I'm rushing though) ~ all I could find was info on the Children's book it's in. If I have time I'll try to find something about it later when I get home this evening from Karate practice
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Xanthos Griffon	Re: Meerkat	#14	[url]	[-]
Honored Senior Member Posts: 435 Sep 15 06 5:43 PM Honored Senior Member	*Quote:* Naaahhh ~ not wierd... Know what it is? I "tink" the Little People like Meerkat too Good point! Little people got to love little furry people. *Quote:* I kept thinking; "They've put these people in a hole in the ground." I seem to see them as people? LOL enough said! Was that you that said that, or the person you were emailing? Me. I said that. I'd forgotten that day. It was a long time ago I went to that zoo. About 1990. I really remember thinking they were "little people", not animals. It HURT to see them stuck in there. Some zoos are ok. You have to have safe breeding places for endangered species, but zoos just to show off animals like living ornaments in boxes.. I HATE those! Gosh, I haven't thought of Rikki tikki tavi in a lifetime either. That was a great story. I wanted a mongoose as a pet after reading that. We used to have a wild one that came into our garden when I was about 6. I kept hoping if I fed him enough bread he'd become tame, but he obviously had never read the same book I had. He wasn't impressed with humans.
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