Congratulations guys, I am very happy for you! (*hug*) How do your parents feel about it? ^ I just wanted to say, I think that shamanistic paganism is really interesting and I feel a strong pull towards it as well, even though I identify as Buddhist. But as far as the spirit animal thing goes? I completely believe you, beyond the shadow of a doubt. Because of some spiritual experiences I've had growing up, I've considered the hawk to be my totem animal since I was a kid, and I've had some really strange up-close-and-personal encounters with them in the intervening years (including one that flew eye-level at the driver's side window alongside my car). I see them everywhere, almost daily, and I always feel a moment of connection with them, usually accompanied by direct eye contact. They show up often in my dreams as well. I even have one tattooed between my shoulderblades because it's such a personal symbol for me. It's a weird connection, because other than the fact that there is usually a hawk hanging around somewhere that I am, I don't really have all that much special interest in them (wasn't a huge birdwatcher growing up or anything). I mean, I think they're powerful and beautiful and they're among my favorite animals, but I was never drawn to them. They've always been drawn to me, which is unexplainable and bizarre. Anyway, yeah. I just never met anyone else who felt they had a totem animal before. :icon_redf
Mine were very happy. I wound up telling them first. They didn't freak out at all which was kinda unexpected.. I am proud of them for being so good about it =^.^=
First of all, thanks everyone for the kind congrats! Once again, this proves just what an awesome and caring community EC is!! Well... I guess I'm proud of how far my parents have come with this, but it's definitely not far enough. They kinda wish we wouldn't do this and would just stay living together quietly under the radar. But there's some history here. My mom is a religious Catholic zealot. I'm really proud of her reaction when I came out in March, because she was supportive. But it became obvious that the issues of marriage and gay sex were across her line, and she told me so. Her church tells her that two guys can't get married, and that sex between two guys is a sin, so she's torn between me and her religion. It's obviously making her uncomfortable, so she'd rather that I didn't get married (i.e. "What's the rush?"). And my dad is all about status in the extended family, and he's clearly uncomfortable with acknowledging to them that his son is gay. He's actually been lying to my closest relatives about why me and Zume are living together. Once again, this forces his hand and puts the issue front and center. So yeah.. the parents thing is a bit of an issue on my side. But I really don't care - I'm not doing this for them, I'm doing this because Zume and I are in love and we both want this. For those who have followed me from the start, this is quite a dramatic change over the past year; I used to be scared to death of what my parents thought about me and my choices. Not any more, that's for sure! I'm actually surprised by how many people believe in this kind of spirituality, and specifically animal spirit guides. It's the genuine "religion" of most of the North American natives (Indians), which is what Zume and I have modeled our belief system around. It's always felt right to me, and the deeper I dig into this, the more it resonates with my core spiritual beliefs. I just wish there was much less stigma attached to this spirituality, because at it's heart it's not all that different from any of the world's major religions (including Christianity), just minus a whole lot of dogma. I can guarantee you that both Zume and I would be willing to talk more with you on the subject if you'd like!
Responding to, "But it became obvious that the issues of marriage and gay sex were across her line, and she told me so. Her church tells her that two guys can't get married, and that sex between two guys is a sin, so she's torn between me and her religion." Maybe "Prayers for Bobby" would help her some? I dunno, just a though I had when I read that part. Again, congratulations and I hope you two have a long happy life together!
Yeah, I agree with you. It really resonates with how I relate to the natural world, especially animals in general, who I've always had a really strong personal connection with. In fact, I think the indigenous peoples of the world really have it right when it comes to spiritual issues. Definitely!