Have you ever felt so frustrated and unsure of what to do next and you wish there would just be a sign to point you in the right direction? I remember feeling that way, MANY times, where it seemed everything I was doing was coming up short. I couldn’t figure out how to get the answers I was seeking, and everything just felt wrong. I so desperately wanted a sign to show me the right way forward. What I didn’t know then that I know now is how to access my inner guidance and how to be quiet and observe the world around me – there are actually signs EVERYWHERE and the Universe gives you guidance all the time.
As I began to hear and listen to that inner guidance and I started studying life coaching, I was introduced to many gifted coaches and teachers. One of the most delightful has been Sarah Seidelmann. Sarah is brilliantly intelligent, unabashedly freaky, joy-inspiring and joy-filled. I loved hearing her story of how she went from working as a pathologist to pursuing her passion of being a life coach, and when I first heard her speak about animal totems, “Beasties,” as she calls them, I was both intrigued and skeptical.
After following her work, reading her book, What the Walrus Knows, as well as doing some additional research on my own, I’ve come to enjoy spotting beasties that show up in my life and learning about what messages they bring. And now there’s an app! Sarah has created a fun and informative iPhone or iPad app for What the Walrus Knows. The app gives you the ability to look up the symbolism of a beastie when you’re on the go, as well as providing a fun divination tool and helpful guidance on finding your spirit animal.
Sarah has generously given me two books and two promotional codes for the app to give away. I’ll draw four lucky winners from my commenters. To enter, simply share your favorite animal and explain why it’s your favorite. Specify in your comment if you’d like the book or the app (or either). I’ll randomly select the winners on Friday, Oct 5th.
Beautifully stated “Have you ever felt so frustrated and unsure of what to do next and you wish there would just be a sign to point you in the right direction? I remember feeling that way, MANY times, where it seemed everything I was doing was coming up short.” that is really where I began with my own exploration of the world of totems and messages from Nature…….I was going through BIG change and the Beasties really helped me along the way….and continue to help me every day! Thanks Emily!!
Another great post, Emily. I honestly haven’t heard or seen Sarah’s book. I must be living under a rock, since I can see she’s everywhere! I love this revelation of Beasties. Personally, pandas keep coming to my attention this week. Which is funny, because I always associate them with warmth, comfort, and joy, and I haven’t been feeling that this week. Reading Sarah’s excerpt of What the Walrus Knows encouraged me to look up the typical behavior and mythical association of Pandas and it wasn’t quite what I expected. Turns out that Pandas are quite territorial (completely unlike me, lol) and “though the panda is often assumed to be docile, it has been known to attack humans, presumably out of irritation rather than predation” (wikipedia). What a revelation. I feel this reoccurance of the Panda this week means that I must need a reminder to be self aware and not lash out to those around me. Thank you, Beastie! I’ll add Sarah to my list of must reads. (I love books, but I love apps too.)
Yaaaaaay!! OK, my favorite spiritual animal would probably be a tree frog! Leaping and hopping everywhere and every day! I like em’ cause they are really positive!! –Anna <3
Weird as this may sound, I like elephants. They are big, strong and loyal. They seem very peaceful too. And now I will go and look them up to see what they really mean! I think an app would be nice but I do love books.
Dragonfly…….when I was redefining my spirituality I would hike in the backcountry and ask my angels if they were with me. Each time I asked, one or more orange dragonflies would fly up near my head. When I continued to ask for proof of my angles being with me….more dragonflies would appear or one would fly right up in front of my face. It’s happened enough that I don’t believe it’s coincidence.
So now I looked elephant up and they are Wisdom. How great is that?!?! Glad I chose them. And I changed my preference to book only. Love you !
And how lucky am I! Four commenters, so each of you gets something! I’ll email you individually. 🙂