As fellow creatures who are uniquely attuned to the earth's energies, animals provide us with hidden messages every day--we just need to learn how to read them. This personal and engaging book shows you how each animal carries a particular omen--a personal and significant message helping to guide you on your life path. Twenty-nine true animal encounter stories are followed by insightful explanations of each animal's corresponding omen, and how their messages can help you make important life decisions. Not sure whether it's the right time to switch jobs or relocate? An unexpected visit from a lingering butterfly can signal a period of imminent change and transformation in your life. Organized alphabetically by animal and compact enough to carry, this inspirational reference guide can be taken along on introspective nature walks. Foster a closer connection with nature and learn about yourself--with a little bit of animal wisdom.

An animal-by-animal guide that reveals the meaning behind each encounter we have with animals • Provides sophisticated psychological insight into encounters with more than 150 animals, birds, reptiles, insects, and aquatic life • Explores how animals reflect our inner world, drawing our attention to inner turmoil, relationship issues, spiritual growth, and the deepest needs of the soul • Explains how the meaning of each encounter depends on whether the animal was hunting, fleeing, hiding, or acting indifferent when sighted We each feel connections to animals in our own way. Some of us have pets. Others admire animals in the wild. Because the outer world often reflects our internal states and animals are highly sensitive to our energies, each encounter with an animal signals something about our inner world and innermost concerns. The spontaneous, surprising contacts are the telling ones: a sparrow landing next to you, a fox darting across the road, or a bee alighting on your hand. However, even regular encounters with our pets can draw attention to our inner world and what needs to be thought over and grappled with, from psychic turmoil and relationship issues to spiritual growth and the deepest needs of the soul. Providing sophisticated psychological insight into encounters with more than 150 animals, birds, reptiles, insects, and aquatic life, Regula Meyer explores the messages each animal provides for us on a personal level when we encounter them. She explains how the meaning of each encounter depends on whether the animal was hunting, fleeing, hiding, or acting indifferent when sighted. For example, a fleeing animal is prompting you to pursue a subject consciously, while a hiding animal tells you to patiently observe something and draw insights from it. The author shows how animal encounters in the wild cause us to contemplate the present moment and inspire the flow of our perceptions, leading us to meditate on important concerns we may be ignoring or unaware of. Pets and other animals we see every day act as intensifiers of the energy for which they stand. With this animal-by-animal guide, you can discover the deep meaning behind your encounters with animals and the messages they bring as oracles of our souls.

The world of mythical creatures born from human imagination. Many imaginary animals believed to be auspicious symbols of good fortune originated in ancient China. The most famous ones are the "Big Four" the Winged Dragon, the Chinese Phoenix, Qilin (a hooved chimeric creature) and the Spirit Turtle. There are many more, not only from China, but also from Japan and other regions around the world. This book showcases illustrated artworks, along with sculptures and applied arts, featuring these good omens. The collection, totaling around 240 pieces, is accompanied by rich, enjoyable and approachable text by Jun'ichi Uchiyama, a professor at Miyagi Gakuin Women's University.

Open your heart and mind to the wisdom of the animal world. Animal Speak provides techniques for recognizing and interpreting the signs and omens of nature. Meet and work with animals as totems and spirit guides by learning the language of their behaviors within the physical world. Animal Speak shows you how to: Identify, meet, and attune to your spirit animals Discover the power and spiritual significance of more than 100 different animals, birds, insects, and reptiles Call upon the protective powers of your animal totem Create and use five magical animal rites, including shapeshifting and sacred dance This beloved, bestselling guide has become a classic reference for anyone wishing to forge a spiritual connection with the majesty and mystery of the animal world.

Physiognomy and ekphrasis are two of the most important modes of description in antiquity and represent the necessary precursors of scientific description. The primary way of divining the characteristics and fate of an individual, whether inborn or acquired, was to observe the patient’s external characteristics and behaviour. This volume focuses initially on two types of descriptive literature in Mesopotamia: physiognomic omens and what we might call ekphrastic description. These modalities are traced through ancient India, Ugaritic and the Hebrew Bible, before arriving at the physiognomic features of famous historical figures such as Themistocles, Socrates or Augustus in the Graeco-Roman world, where physiognomic discussions become intertwined with typological analyses of human characters. The Arabic compendial culture absorbed and remade these different physiognomic and ekphrastic traditions, incorporating both Mesopotamian links between physiognomy and medicine and the interest in characterological ‘types’ that had emerged in the Hellenistic period. This volume offer the first wide-ranging picture of these modalities of description in antiquity.