From the dawn of human time people have looked at animals as guides, guardian spirits, and inner forces in their own lives. From the Druids and Scots of Britain to the Fang of West Africa; from the Ute, Blackfoot, and Crow Indians of America to the Samoans of the Pacific, people have sought answers to their lives in the spirits of animals.

Here is a vision quest game to play that is unusual - it focuses on finding the symbolic animals within, and what they have to say to us!

Take your time with this exercise. You may decide to spend time with each animal separately before bringing them together. Discover what feels the best. The key to playing is to relax. Don’t judge.

1. Focus on your heart. This is the area of love, intimacy, friendship.
2. Place your hand over your chest.
3. Let your hand feel the warmth of your chest. Let your chest feel the warmth of your hand.
4. Ask for the first animal to come to you through the heart.
5. This is the animal for your heart.
6. Place your hand over your throat. This is the area of communication.
7. Close your eyes and let thoughts and images come into your mind’s eye.
8. What animal comes through your throat?
9. Put your hand over your forehead. This is the area of creativity and intuition.
10. Close your eyes and let whatever picture comes.
11. What animal comes through your forehead?
12. Put your hand over the indentation right below the ribs in the center of the chest. This is the solar plexus or power center.
13. What picture comes to you? What animal?
14. Close your eyes and picture all four animals.
15. How would they stand with respect to each other in real life?
16. How do they stand with respect to each other inside of you?
17. What conflicts exist among the animals? Which ones get along with which? Which ones do not?