The name panther is often associated with a particular species of leopard or jaguar and sometimes the cougar. The black panther is smaller but more fierce than lions and tigers. They are agile climbers and excellent swimmers. Because they can sprint with great speed they hold the teachings of quick decisive action.

Panthers have over 400 voluntary muscles that can be used at will when the need arises. This symbolizes an ability to shape shift realities using all parts of the body to perform a task. They can move gracefully in and out of situations as well as freeze and not be noticed. Because the panther is not a good long distant runner those with this medicine should incorporate movement therapies into their life that enhance endurance. They need to learn how to pace themselves and not push to fast or hard on any one task.

The power of the panther is the power of silence. It is extremely quiet when hunting or stalking. It knows when to make its presence known and when to become invisible. The panther holds the secrets of unseen worlds and is associated with lunar energies. Within the darkness of night lies the truth of creation. Those with this totem hold knowledge of a galactic origin. They have a responsibility to care take this knowledge and caution must be applied when sharing it with others. When the student is ready the teacher appears. If the student isn't ready the information received could be detrimental.

Panthers have acute sensitivity. The hairs on its body especially on the face pick up subtle vibrations. This is symbolic for those with this totem. It indicates a need to pay attention to their feelings and honor the messages those feelings convey. Touch can be an important avenue to explore to awaken ones hidden gifts. The black panthers coat, sleek, smooth and sensual has been linked to sexuality. When panther appears in a persons life it might be asking you to resolve old sexual issues or to embrace your sexuality fully.

The black panther has great mysticism associated with it. It represents the life and power of the night. It can show us how to embrace the darkness and awaken the light within it. When you experience the presence of panther one of its most noticeable features is its unblinking stare. It appears to see right through the body. Those with this medicine use their eyes as a healing tool and have the potential to heal on a cellular level.

Author Ted Andrews states that in Egyptian rituals a panther tail was worn around the neck or waist to help protect and strengthen the individual. It has been a symbol of the "Argos of a Thousand Eyes," who guarded the heifer IO who was loved by Zeus. After his death, the eyes were transferred to the feathers of the peacock. A powerful totem to have the panther always brings a guardian energy to those to whom it comes.

Panther Animal Totem

The panther animal totem is a very powerful and protective presence. If you have this creature as your totem, you are blessed to have such a fierce and aggressive guardian with you.

The panther is a symbol of courage, valor and power. The panther has also sometimes associated with the sun, and solar vibrancy in some cultures (South American, & Central American).

Individuals with panther totem s are usually people who come into this world with a spiritual knowing - a deeper understanding of spiritual things. These people often are very intuitive, psychic, and many are artistically inclined.

Of all the panthers, the black panther has the greatest mysticism associated with it. It is a symbol of the mother, the dark moon and the power of the night. The black panther encourages us to understand the shadow powers available to us all, to acknowledge these powers and to eliminate our fears of the darkness.

When the black panther totem appears in your life, it is also a symbol of releasing your passions, and starting a new phase of your life. A phase in which you are discovering your desires, and living your dreams.

The panther animal totem asks us these questions:

* What is my Shadow Self trying to tell me?
* Are my passions helping or hindering me at this time?
* Am I still on the right spiritual path for myself?
* Am I supressing latent desires?
* Am I putting others' needs before my own to the point of self-neglect?
* Am I being mindful of my movements - both physical and emotional?
* Am I being defensive? Who or what am I protecting and why?

When the panther animal totem comes to us (whether it be in the form of images or real sightings) we must begin paying attention to the strength of our inner being - our internal fortitude, and the condition of our spiritual strength & valor. Panthers also beckon us to consider our darker side - analyze this side of ourselves and determine its motivation.

Panther ~ (from Ted Andrews' Animal Speak)

Keynote: reclaiming one's true power. Cycle of power: dark of the moon, new moon, winter. The panther is a very powerful and ancient totem. The name panther is more generally associated with a particular species of leopard or jaguar, although in Florida area, the cougar is also referred to as panther. As with most of the large cats, the panther is a symbol of ferocity and valor. Like the tiger and the lion, it embodies aggressiveness and power, but without the solar significance. In the case of the black panther, there is definitely a lunar significance. As with any totem, a study of the individual characteristics can provided much insight into the energies being awakened within those who align with this animal. Panthers of the leopard family are found in Africa, Asia Minor, China and India. Those we associate with the jaguar family are found in the southwest United States (rarely anymore), throughout Mexico, Central America, and parts of South America. Mediate upon this totem, when it reveals itself to you, will help you determine whether it is part of the leopard or jaguar family.

The panther, in general, is smaller but more fierce than lions or tigers. They have over 500 voluntary muscles that they can use at will. This reflects a lot about an individual who has such animals as a totem. It reflects an ability to do a variety of tasks as he or she wills. It is simply a matter of deciding and putting to use those particular "muscles"-be they physical, mental, psychic or spiritual. As a whole panthers are loners although they do associated with others, they are most comfortable by themselves or within their own marked territories. They are drawn to those individuals who are likewise often solitary. The panther is an enchanting combination of beauty and utility. They have a wonderful gracefulness, with an ability to move with ease or freeze entirely. They are quiet when they are stalking, hunting or pursuing. Those who have a panther as a totem will find their greatest power in silence as goals are pursued. Revealing too much or speaking too much about pursuits can counteract some of the effectiveness.

Panthers are excellent sprinters, but they are not great long distance runners. From a health perspective, those with panther totem must learn to pace their work, allowing time for rest and to play. They must not push too far or too hard on any one task. If they do, they are more susceptible to imbalances. In times of trouble-in any environment-those with panther totems are often the first and the fastest to respond and especially in the work environment they respond effectively to deadlines and to pressures. After mating, the panthers only stay together for a short time. The female handles the rearing of the young, disliking intrusions from the outside. This is often similar to women who have panthers as totem guides. They do not like others-even mates-interfering with how they feel the young should be raised. The female panther almost always raises the cubs alone and women with panther totems often find themselves doing likewise-whether out of divorce or simply through asserting dominance in that area of the couple's life. All cats have binocular vision. Each eye can work singly, providing greater depth of vision, magnifying images, and facilitating judgment of distances. Thus anyone who aligns with the panther will begin to develop greater depth of vision-of their life, of events or other people. This is more than just psychic sight. It is inner knowing.

Often people enter the metaphysical field taking up exercises and mediation to have their inner lights "clicked on". Individuals with panthers as totems are usually individuals who came into the world with the lights already on. Thus they should not be discouraged when they do not experience what others describe when their lights turned on. They should trust their thoughts and their inner visions (imaginings) for there is probably a strong foundation in reality. To those with whom the panther links comes the ability to develop clairaudience, to hear the communications of other dimensions and other life forms. The panther has very strong hearing. It can move its ears to locate the direction of sounds.

Jaguar's Medicine Includes:

http://www.shamanicjourney.com/jaguar-power-animal-symbol-of-solita...

Jaguar's Wisdom Includes:

* Seeing the roads within chaos
* Understanding the patterns of chaos
* Moving without fear in the darkness
* Facilitating soul work
* Empowering oneself
* Moving in unknown places
* Shapeshifter
* Psychic sight

Black Jaguar's Wisdom Includes:

* Keeper of the circular time continuum
* Gatekeeper to the Unknowable
* All wisdom listed above for Jaguar

According to Mayan beliefs, the journey of the sun across the sky and the darkness of night stood for the eternal journey of human consciousness and its transformations. The sun at midday was compared to the Eagle, flying high in the sky. Then it plunges below the horizon, just as we plunge into the dark where we face our spiritual challenges and are transformed. The hidden sun was said to be Jaguar, whose spotted skin symbolized the stars glittering in the night sky. Thus, it was called the "Jaguar Sun." Jaguar is the earth father. As earth father, he presides over the sacred power in the earth and the animals who live upon it. The force that lives within the mountains, which gives them their volcanic and transformative power, is the same underworld source of power and energy as the Jaguar Sun. The Mayan word for Jaguar is IX (pronounced eesh).

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cheryl Brim on December 29, 2015 at 9:20am

Thank you for posting all of these great links! I feel that one of my spirit animals is a black panther, although probably a black leopard or ocelot.

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