Squirrel Medicine
*Ted Andrews/Animal-Speak:
Keynote: Activity and Preparedness
Cycle of Power: Year-round
Everyone is familiar with the squirrel. It is a member of the rodent family, and is often seen scurrying about, as if always busy or bursting with nervous energy. Squirrels can be quite sociable, but they don't like strange squirrels. They are often observed scrounging about for food and digging holes in the earth and storing nuts and other food sources for later times. Their keen sense of smell will enable them to find their stored caches even if they do forget where they buried their nuts.
There are two main types of squirrels, the gray and the red. There is also a black squirrel which is a more aggressive strain of the gray. The gray is found most often within the city, while the red is found more commonly in forests and woods.
There is also the flying squirrel, which does not really fly. Its skin stretches and enables it to glide from tree to ground or tree to tree. Unlike the gray and the red, it is nocturnal. It strongly dislikes being disturbed during the day. Owls are usually the flying squirrel's chief predators.
Red squirrels are the sentinels of the forest. They chatter and scold when strangers appear. It seems as if they are literally reporting the news to all who can hear. The red squirrel is more aggressive and is usually a much better fighter than the larger gray. The marten is the red squirrel's most dangerous enemy, and it should be studied as well. Red squirrels usually have two litters per year, with two to seven young. Within twelve weeks of birth they are usually capable of being on their own. This twelve-week cycle would be good to examine in regard to your own life, if red squirrel has come to you.
The gray squirrel is the most common and the most enthusiastic. Like all squirrels, it does not hibernate. It builds its nests in the hollows of trees or in tree-tops. The nests are usually ball-shaped, and the entrance is on the side. Even though it is bigger than the red, if confronted the gray will usually run and avoid any fight. Its predominant predators are foxes and raptors such as the owl and hawk. Gray squirrels, like the red, usually have two litters per year, and they are usually able to be on their own in about twelve weeks.
All squirrels can be quite sociable. They wrestle for play, and they are estremely observant and imitative. This imitation of other squirrels is how they learn. Individuals with squirrel totems learn best by doing rather than by studying.
Squirrels are also quite communicative. Their chatter can often be heard in the trees when disturbed or playing. Their bushy tail adds to their expressiveness, along with providing warmth, shade, and balance. The squirrel will often express emotion through flicks of its tail.
Every squirrel is uniqu, and its medicine will be activated differently for everyone. If squirrel has scampered into your life, examine your own activity and preparedness. Are you too active? Not active enough? Are you not planning at all for the future, distant or near? Are you becoming too erratic--running to and fro and not accomplishing anything? Do you need to learn how to save and ration on any level--including time, money, energy, etc.? Are you afraid you will never have enough? Are you getting too hung up on collecting and accumulating? Are you gathering and not giving?
Squirrels can teach us balance within the circle of gathering and giving out. If we are doing too much of one or the other, squirrel may appear to help us. Squirrels are the masters at preparing but they also are reminders that in our quest for our goals, we hould always make time to socialize and play. Work and play go hand-in-hand, or the work will create problems and become more difficult and less fruitful.
*Ted Andrews/Animal-Wise:
During the winter months, a squirrel makes a drey (nest) close to the tree trunk. In the spring, a new one is built farther out in the branches. This is where the young are born and raised.
If squirrels appear to you, in the winter you might want to keep your activities sheltered and solidly balanced (trunk of the tree)l In the spring, you might want to move your new activities away from areas of your usual ones to protect them from predators and other dangers until they are more mature (the second nest for young in the outer branches).
*Lady Stearn Robinson & Tom Gorbett/The Dreamer's Dictionary:
The omen in a dream featuring squirrels varies according to the action. If you fed them or observed them eating or carrying nuts away, it signifies comfort through prudence and diligence; to see them running or chasing each other aimlessly suggests you are heavily involved in a profitless love or business affair which you would be wise to forget about; to see squirrels running up--or sitting in--a tree is a warning of possible financial embarrassment; pull in your belt before you stretch your credit to the breaking point.
*Zolar/Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens, and Superstitions:
Generally held is the belief that shooting a squirrel will bring bad luck to the hunter.
Legend holds that the squirrel was the only animal to witness Adam's eating of the apple in the Garden of Eden. As the story goes, the squirrel at that time had the tail of a rat. So horror-struck was he by seeing this sight, that he drew his tail across his eyes to shut it out. As a reward, all squirrels were henceforth given the thick brush of a tail they now possess.
*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Squirrel refers to the act of hoarding. Depending on the dreamscape's associated details, this symbol may indicate a "need" to reserve something or it may reflect a warning against retaining too much.
*Denise Linn/The Secret Language of Signs:
This can be a sign of frugality and of comfort through patience. The squirrel gathers nuts and foodstuffs for the winter. This sign can be telling you to make preparations for the leaner times in life by stockpiling and storing. This can also pertain to stockpiling your energy or to creating a reserve of energy withn yourself. Be prepared.
*D.J. Conway/Animal Magick:
There are a wide variety of squirrels in both the United States and Europe. The word squirrel, a rodent of the family Sciuridae, is used to mean such creatures as chipmunks, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and woodchucks. However, the word usually refers to the tree-dwelling species. Squirrels are often quite intelligent when it comes to eluding hunters. They have been known to move slowly around a tree trunk, always keeping the hunter on the opposite side.
The tree squirrel has a long bushy tail and hoards nuts for Winter. It is known for its nervous movements, rapid flight, sudden appearances and disappearances. The exxpression "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" comes from the characteristics of this squirrel.
The squirrel was an emblem of the Irish queen Medb. There is an old Scandinavian legend that the squirrel is a messenger of the gods and carries news of what is going on in the world to animals in distant lands. The squirrel Ratatosk was said to dwell in the Scandinavian-Norse World Tree. Tatatosk was a mischief-maker, carrying gossip from one place to another.
Squirrels are quite cleve when it comes to handling hunting cats. Several squirrels live in Rod's yard and enjoy tormenting his cat Brigit. One or two of the squirrels will keep her busy while the others continue to pack off walntus. They seem to tak the whole affair as a game.
Superstitions: In some parts of Europe it is said you will lose your hunting skill if you kill a squirrel.
Magickal attributes:
Preparing for the future by storing up time, resources, and energy; resting during unproductive times. Moving to a higher level of consciousnes to avoid harassment. Sometimes its appearance means changes or the approach of adversaries. Warning, wisdom, change, trust, discovery, truth, balance, harmony. Use as a spiritual watch-dog to warn you of danger on any level.
*Jamie Sams & David Carson/Medicine Cards:
Gathering. Squirrel teaches you to plan ahead for the winter when the trees are bare and the nuts have long since disappeared. Squirrel medicine can come in many forms, as this furry creature is very diverse in nature. The erratic behavior of Squirrel has bested many a forlorn hunter, and it thus stands to reason that there are benefits to being able to circle a branch at lightning speed. This erratic behavior of Squirrel can also get nerve-wracking if you are dealing with persons who have Squirrel medicine. Trying to calm them down enough to accomplish something may drive you nuts!
The gathering power of Squirrel medicine is a great gift. It teaches you how to gather and store your energy for times of need. It teaches you to reserve something for future use, whether it be a judgment, an opinion, a savings account, candles, or extra food. To put it in a nutshell, Squirrel is the Boy Scout of the animal kingdom--always prepared.
In today's world of changing times and fortunes, it is the wise person who prepares for the future. Our prophesies have all spoken of the end of the millenium and the changes to come. Squirrel is a friendly medicine to have, in light of possible future rainy days. Its message is to be prepared, but not to go nuts with it. Love yourself enough to gather the goods that will meet your needs in times of scarcity, even if that time never comes.
If Squirrel has scurried into your cards today, it may be that you are being told to honor your future by readying yourself for change. The message could be to lighten your load if you have gathered too many "things" that do not serve you. These "things" can include thoughts, worries, pressures, stresses, or gadgets taht have been broken for years. In understanding the balance involved in gathering, you need to look at the idea of circulating the stock of what you have gathered. Call the nearest thrift store and give the gadgets to someone who can benefit from them. If something no longer "grows corn" for you, then it is time to let it go.
Squirrel has another lesson which can aid you if you observe what is obvious, and which can prepare you for anything. It has to do with the safe place in which to put your gatherings. This safe place is an untroubled heart and mind, and that which is gathered to put in this place of wisdom and caring. The energies gathered will set your mind and heart free, so that you will know that all will be taken care of in its own time. Apply this to your fears about the future and they will vanish.
Contrary: The contrary medicine of Squurrel is the hoarder: a fearful person who expects the worst and is stuck in waiting. Waiting for something to happen is the trap. No action equals stagnation, but a little of Squirrel's erratic energy might get things moving. If Squirrel is hanging upside down on your branch, you may have begun seeing the world through opposities, hoarding your thoughts of abundance so that efear of scarcity takes hold. You may ask yourself:
1) Have I denied my ability to produce enough space for abundance to enter my life?
2) Hae I denide my connection to the Earth Mother, from whom all things flow?
3) In moving too fast, have I taken on the erratic nature of Squirrel without having any focus?
4) Am I leaking my energy on worry instead of gathering power through being prepared?
Remember, one of the Squirrel family gathered the energy of Eagle and connected to the Great Spirit...now this Squirrel can fly.
*Timothy Roderick/The Once Unknown Familiar:
If a squirrel runs across the road in front of you, it meand good luck and wealth are going to be yours soon.
Key Words: Precise, exacting, clever
Magical Influences: Wisdom, perfect timing, creates beneficial coincidences
Personality: Squirrels love to be free. They are watchful of their home and personal belongings. Squirrels have the capacity to figure out how things work. Once a squirrel absorbes information it needs, it then can take action--but not until it knows the ground rules does it feel comfortable.
* Open for discussion.
*Ted Andrews/Animal-Speak:
Keynote: Activity and Preparedness
Cycle of Power: Year-round
Everyone is familiar with the squirrel. It is a member of the rodent family, and is often seen scurrying about, as if always busy or bursting with nervous energy. Squirrels can be quite sociable, but they don't like strange squirrels. They are often observed scrounging about for food and digging holes in the earth and storing nuts and other food sources for later times. Their keen sense of smell will enable them to find their stored caches even if they do forget where they buried their nuts.
There are two main types of squirrels, the gray and the red. There is also a black squirrel which is a more aggressive strain of the gray. The gray is found most often within the city, while the red is found more commonly in forests and woods.
There is also the flying squirrel, which does not really fly. Its skin stretches and enables it to glide from tree to ground or tree to tree. Unlike the gray and the red, it is nocturnal. It strongly dislikes being disturbed during the day. Owls are usually the flying squirrel's chief predators.
Red squirrels are the sentinels of the forest. They chatter and scold when strangers appear. It seems as if they are literally reporting the news to all who can hear. The red squirrel is more aggressive and is usually a much better fighter than the larger gray. The marten is the red squirrel's most dangerous enemy, and it should be studied as well. Red squirrels usually have two litters per year, with two to seven young. Within twelve weeks of birth they are usually capable of being on their own. This twelve-week cycle would be good to examine in regard to your own life, if red squirrel has come to you.
The gray squirrel is the most common and the most enthusiastic. Like all squirrels, it does not hibernate. It builds its nests in the hollows of trees or in tree-tops. The nests are usually ball-shaped, and the entrance is on the side. Even though it is bigger than the red, if confronted the gray will usually run and avoid any fight. Its predominant predators are foxes and raptors such as the owl and hawk. Gray squirrels, like the red, usually have two litters per year, and they are usually able to be on their own in about twelve weeks.
All squirrels can be quite sociable. They wrestle for play, and they are estremely observant and imitative. This imitation of other squirrels is how they learn. Individuals with squirrel totems learn best by doing rather than by studying.
Squirrels are also quite communicative. Their chatter can often be heard in the trees when disturbed or playing. Their bushy tail adds to their expressiveness, along with providing warmth, shade, and balance. The squirrel will often express emotion through flicks of its tail.
Every squirrel is uniqu, and its medicine will be activated differently for everyone. If squirrel has scampered into your life, examine your own activity and preparedness. Are you too active? Not active enough? Are you not planning at all for the future, distant or near? Are you becoming too erratic--running to and fro and not accomplishing anything? Do you need to learn how to save and ration on any level--including time, money, energy, etc.? Are you afraid you will never have enough? Are you getting too hung up on collecting and accumulating? Are you gathering and not giving?
Squirrels can teach us balance within the circle of gathering and giving out. If we are doing too much of one or the other, squirrel may appear to help us. Squirrels are the masters at preparing but they also are reminders that in our quest for our goals, we hould always make time to socialize and play. Work and play go hand-in-hand, or the work will create problems and become more difficult and less fruitful.
*Ted Andrews/Animal-Wise:
During the winter months, a squirrel makes a drey (nest) close to the tree trunk. In the spring, a new one is built farther out in the branches. This is where the young are born and raised.
If squirrels appear to you, in the winter you might want to keep your activities sheltered and solidly balanced (trunk of the tree)l In the spring, you might want to move your new activities away from areas of your usual ones to protect them from predators and other dangers until they are more mature (the second nest for young in the outer branches).
*Lady Stearn Robinson & Tom Gorbett/The Dreamer's Dictionary:
The omen in a dream featuring squirrels varies according to the action. If you fed them or observed them eating or carrying nuts away, it signifies comfort through prudence and diligence; to see them running or chasing each other aimlessly suggests you are heavily involved in a profitless love or business affair which you would be wise to forget about; to see squirrels running up--or sitting in--a tree is a warning of possible financial embarrassment; pull in your belt before you stretch your credit to the breaking point.
*Zolar/Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens, and Superstitions:
Generally held is the belief that shooting a squirrel will bring bad luck to the hunter.
Legend holds that the squirrel was the only animal to witness Adam's eating of the apple in the Garden of Eden. As the story goes, the squirrel at that time had the tail of a rat. So horror-struck was he by seeing this sight, that he drew his tail across his eyes to shut it out. As a reward, all squirrels were henceforth given the thick brush of a tail they now possess.
*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Squirrel refers to the act of hoarding. Depending on the dreamscape's associated details, this symbol may indicate a "need" to reserve something or it may reflect a warning against retaining too much.
*Denise Linn/The Secret Language of Signs:
This can be a sign of frugality and of comfort through patience. The squirrel gathers nuts and foodstuffs for the winter. This sign can be telling you to make preparations for the leaner times in life by stockpiling and storing. This can also pertain to stockpiling your energy or to creating a reserve of energy withn yourself. Be prepared.
*D.J. Conway/Animal Magick:
There are a wide variety of squirrels in both the United States and Europe. The word squirrel, a rodent of the family Sciuridae, is used to mean such creatures as chipmunks, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, and woodchucks. However, the word usually refers to the tree-dwelling species. Squirrels are often quite intelligent when it comes to eluding hunters. They have been known to move slowly around a tree trunk, always keeping the hunter on the opposite side.
The tree squirrel has a long bushy tail and hoards nuts for Winter. It is known for its nervous movements, rapid flight, sudden appearances and disappearances. The exxpression "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed" comes from the characteristics of this squirrel.
The squirrel was an emblem of the Irish queen Medb. There is an old Scandinavian legend that the squirrel is a messenger of the gods and carries news of what is going on in the world to animals in distant lands. The squirrel Ratatosk was said to dwell in the Scandinavian-Norse World Tree. Tatatosk was a mischief-maker, carrying gossip from one place to another.
Squirrels are quite cleve when it comes to handling hunting cats. Several squirrels live in Rod's yard and enjoy tormenting his cat Brigit. One or two of the squirrels will keep her busy while the others continue to pack off walntus. They seem to tak the whole affair as a game.
Superstitions: In some parts of Europe it is said you will lose your hunting skill if you kill a squirrel.
Magickal attributes:
Preparing for the future by storing up time, resources, and energy; resting during unproductive times. Moving to a higher level of consciousnes to avoid harassment. Sometimes its appearance means changes or the approach of adversaries. Warning, wisdom, change, trust, discovery, truth, balance, harmony. Use as a spiritual watch-dog to warn you of danger on any level.
*Jamie Sams & David Carson/Medicine Cards:
Gathering. Squirrel teaches you to plan ahead for the winter when the trees are bare and the nuts have long since disappeared. Squirrel medicine can come in many forms, as this furry creature is very diverse in nature. The erratic behavior of Squirrel has bested many a forlorn hunter, and it thus stands to reason that there are benefits to being able to circle a branch at lightning speed. This erratic behavior of Squirrel can also get nerve-wracking if you are dealing with persons who have Squirrel medicine. Trying to calm them down enough to accomplish something may drive you nuts!
The gathering power of Squirrel medicine is a great gift. It teaches you how to gather and store your energy for times of need. It teaches you to reserve something for future use, whether it be a judgment, an opinion, a savings account, candles, or extra food. To put it in a nutshell, Squirrel is the Boy Scout of the animal kingdom--always prepared.
In today's world of changing times and fortunes, it is the wise person who prepares for the future. Our prophesies have all spoken of the end of the millenium and the changes to come. Squirrel is a friendly medicine to have, in light of possible future rainy days. Its message is to be prepared, but not to go nuts with it. Love yourself enough to gather the goods that will meet your needs in times of scarcity, even if that time never comes.
If Squirrel has scurried into your cards today, it may be that you are being told to honor your future by readying yourself for change. The message could be to lighten your load if you have gathered too many "things" that do not serve you. These "things" can include thoughts, worries, pressures, stresses, or gadgets taht have been broken for years. In understanding the balance involved in gathering, you need to look at the idea of circulating the stock of what you have gathered. Call the nearest thrift store and give the gadgets to someone who can benefit from them. If something no longer "grows corn" for you, then it is time to let it go.
Squirrel has another lesson which can aid you if you observe what is obvious, and which can prepare you for anything. It has to do with the safe place in which to put your gatherings. This safe place is an untroubled heart and mind, and that which is gathered to put in this place of wisdom and caring. The energies gathered will set your mind and heart free, so that you will know that all will be taken care of in its own time. Apply this to your fears about the future and they will vanish.
Contrary: The contrary medicine of Squurrel is the hoarder: a fearful person who expects the worst and is stuck in waiting. Waiting for something to happen is the trap. No action equals stagnation, but a little of Squirrel's erratic energy might get things moving. If Squirrel is hanging upside down on your branch, you may have begun seeing the world through opposities, hoarding your thoughts of abundance so that efear of scarcity takes hold. You may ask yourself:
1) Have I denied my ability to produce enough space for abundance to enter my life?
2) Hae I denide my connection to the Earth Mother, from whom all things flow?
3) In moving too fast, have I taken on the erratic nature of Squirrel without having any focus?
4) Am I leaking my energy on worry instead of gathering power through being prepared?
Remember, one of the Squirrel family gathered the energy of Eagle and connected to the Great Spirit...now this Squirrel can fly.
*Timothy Roderick/The Once Unknown Familiar:
If a squirrel runs across the road in front of you, it meand good luck and wealth are going to be yours soon.
Key Words: Precise, exacting, clever
Magical Influences: Wisdom, perfect timing, creates beneficial coincidences
Personality: Squirrels love to be free. They are watchful of their home and personal belongings. Squirrels have the capacity to figure out how things work. Once a squirrel absorbes information it needs, it then can take action--but not until it knows the ground rules does it feel comfortable.
* Open for discussion.
