COUGAR ~ (Mountain Lion)

[Terri Benning]

Spirit of the Cougar: Leadership, Courage, Strength
Growth, Power, Opportunities, Balance

LINKS:

http://morningstar.netfirms.com/cougar.html

http://www.mysticalpedia.com/animal-spirit-guides/coyote.php

http://www.poweranimalsunleashed.com/power_animal_020cougar.htm

http://web.archive.org/web/20110713073125/http://wolfs_moon.tripod....
http://morningstar.netfirms.com/cougar.html

http://www.wildspeak.com/totems/cougar.html
http://newagemystic.com/cougartotem.aspx
http://www.funkman.org/animal/mammal/puma.html
http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/cougar.htm
http://www.cougarfund.org/naturalhistory/names/

http://spiritlodge.yuku.com/topic/887#.UP3sXidZWzk

Cougar/Mountain Lion/Puma's Wisdom Includes:

* Using leadership power wisely and without ego
* Balancing power, intention, strength
* Gaining self-confidence
* Freedom from guilt
* Cunning

For the Zunis of Turtle Island (Southwest United States), Cougar was the Master Hunter, known for its high intelligence, its knowledge of other animal and life forms, its physical prowess, its strength of will, and its intuitive ability. Cougar sees the maintenance of its territory as essential for its survival. Poshaiankia, the father of the Medicine Societies, designated Cougar the duty of carrying messages from humans to the higher spirits, because of this animal’s personal power, superior knowledge, strength of will, and steadfastness. Therefore, Cougar represents the link between ourselves and the most powerful spirits in Zuni Mythology: Mother Earth, Father Sky, and the Originator of All.

The Cougar

The cougar also known as the mountain lion and the puma is very illusive and hard to find in the wild. Because of its illusive quality it is often noted as an animal that is independent, shy and withdrawn. The same characteristics are often found in people with this medicine.

The adult males weigh around one hundred seventy five pounds and are one of the fastest known animals, although it does tire quickly. This is partly due to the cougars sporadic energy. When it pounces on its prey it moves with short strong bursts of energy.

Cougar is associated with leadership and teaches decisiveness in the use of personal power. They are powerful and agile and can leap over forty feet. They kill their prey with their bite of their claws. When it attacks it does not hesitate. When threatened it goes for the most vulnerable place.

Those with cougar medicine should pay attention to how their speech and their actions affect others. Make sure you are not speaking too sharply or holding on to something too tightly. Cougar is a difficult totem to have because it continually places you in a position to be a target for the problems of others. Its power, strength and assertiveness are often misunderstood. You would be wise to listen to cougar and let it teach you how to balance intention, power and strength in everything you do.

Cougars are very territorial. The mother will stay with her cubs for a year and teach them to hunt, first by bringing them a kill and then bringing her prey back alive so that they can kill it. Cougars brings the power of balanced leadership. In the way cougar teachers her young, in the balance that she has with her environment and in her quiet power, she shows this gift. Cougar medicine people make excellent teachers, leaders and facilitators.

The other side of cougar is its illusive quality. It can appear without being noticed and quietly take control of a situation. Sometimes this can lead to conflict with others over territory.

Those with cougar medicine have past life connections relating to power and leadership. When the cougar selects you as its student be prepared for the ride of your life. It can shred you into little pieces (dissolve karma and identity) then put you back together again with a pure heart and purpose. True leadership through gentle assertiveness is what cougar teaches those with this totem.

They are solitary cats who, unlike other cat species, are active during the day. They are also the most widely distributed cats in the Americas. These elusive hunters will pounce on their prey with a strong short burst of energy after studying its movements, never hesitating, showing none of its movement is wasted.

Cougar spirit will teach us to assert ourselves, and take control of our life so we can become leaders. Cougar's graceful swiftness shows us how to understand the natural flow of our environment and move into a position of leadership.