Panther's energy is very strong. If panther (black leopard or black jaguar) is one of your totems, you will definitely feel it! I first became aware of panther spirit's energy around me during a series of intense dreams. I dreamt I was walking through a dense forest when a panther lept out at me, putting it's paws on my shoulders and staring me directly in the face. I was scared at first, like I was being attacked, but then I realized that this huge cat wasn't threatening me, she was simply staring into my eyes - she was challenging me! And so my fear subsided.
This dream is exactly like what panther teaches. She guides you through the dark forest, which is frightening and unknown, she does not do the walking for you - you must do that on your own, but the more you confront the darkness, the more you learn, and eventually, the more you can negotiate the forest.
The forest here can be linked to the subconscious mind, an analogy for our journey through the difficult times in life, the world at large, our unresolved issues, our pain and old programming and/or especially, our fears.
Panther spirit does challenge. For without the darkness there cannot be light, and it is through acknowledging the darkness that we learn to see this light and come to know it again - you have to have bad times in order to know good times.
One of the key lessons that panther teaches is that of reclaiming our own power. When we have become weakened due to fear, or feel powerless because of our own patterns and habits, panther teaches us that by truly looking these dark places in the face and confronting them, by learning to 'see in the dark' as she does, we can reclaim power over ourselves and our lives, and so have no more need to fear.
Like I said, panther energy is very intense! If panther has recently come into your life, it often means that a rebirth on some level is about to happen. This was certainly the case when I first began dreaming of her, I can attest to that! It can signal a time when old wounds are to be healed so that you are able to move on with your life. But be warned - panther's healing is not all 'sweetness and light'. She will take you on a sometimes rough journey, and in order to complete the process, you will need to do some major confronting, letting go and reassessing, often of things you don't want to look at or admit to.
But believe me, the trip is worth it. For links to more websites discussing animal spirits, please click here to go to the My Favourite Sites page
Click here to read more about Totems
Click here to read about Butterfly
Click here to read about Spider
