Po

I really like the concept of the Po being associated with the moon-mother-animals. It seems to me that these archetypes make perfect sense in a spiritual practice like shamansim. The Earth as mother, and connection with animal archetypes is central to shamanic practice. And those of us closely attuned to the cycles of the moon have found shamanic work to be an integral piece of our spiritual work. Often this work involves exploration of our shadow selves, and the Po seem to be connected very directly with the otherworld, particularly that of the dead (Gui). Ancestor work, soul retrieval, power animals; all of these are the building blocks of shamanic study and practice.

Sometimes the shadow work involves healing around past traumas, and unresolved grief. Sometimes this work is the current work of grieving and letting go; obtaining closure before a loved one that one may have had a challenging relationship with passes on. Work with a power animal can lend support and clarity/understanding to these situations, and can show us a way through to the other side.

Additionally, I have found that sometimes the animal that one comes to meet as a power animal is a surprise - a very timid person may discover that their power animal is a tiger, for instance, or that a very gregarious person finds that their animal is a mouse....in each case, there are attributes that belong to that animal that a person may not realize they possess or perhaps that they need to come to possess. I have also found that as life goes on, and as people change, that often the animals that come to them change as well. Eventually there is a whole pantheon of creatures that are related to that person and their path in life.