the_animist | Wallaby - The Law-Keeper (Reply)

Wallaby – The Law-Keeper

Keywords:

Law-Keeper. Law Medicine. The Wisdom of Structure. Authoritarianism. Stang and Staff Wisdom. Plant Wisdom. Stability. Lessons in the Mundane. Drumming. Water Conservation. Introversion and Quietude. Indigenous Wisdom. Family and Hierarchy. Warrior Energy. Tight Focus. Assessing Obstacles Instinctively.

General Description:

The wallaby is a member of the macropod family, which includes kangaroos. There are about 30 species of wallaby, give or take. They are found throughout Australia and New Guinea, including many of the islands of Australia – where habitats free of foxes and cats have been created for some of the more endangered species. Wallabies are grazers and browsers, and almost exclusively herbivorous. They are significantly smaller than kangaroos, and the hare-wallaby and quokka are noted for being the smallest of wallabies. Many wallabies have distinct evolutionary features, like the nail-tailed wallaby, which is known for having a well developed spur or ‘nail’ at the end of its tail – though the purpose of this is currently unknown.

Most wallabies are extremely adaptable, able to take all or most of their water from plant matter. Many rock wallabies are extremely agile on rock surfaces and have been likened to the ‘goats’ of the southern hemisphere. Likewise, many bush wallabies are extremely adept at moving through low-lying scrub at high speeds. Like kangaroos they locomote by hopping on their hind legs, and use their tails as a rudder. Like other macropods and marsupials, they raise their offspring, or joeys, in pouches. Many wallabies are territorial, and most communal, but some are solitary, and some do not have any dominance hierarchy amongst males (like the bridled hare-wallaby). Most wallabies are nocturnal.

They are hunted for their fur, and for food by both native and non-native peoples. They are threatened by habitat erosion, loss of habitat, and feral animals such as cats, foxes and wild dogs. There are many programs throughout Australia to specifically breed and protect wallabies, as many are threatened species. Many islands off Western Australia have been ‘reserved’ as places free of feral animals, as specific habitats of some of the less common wallabies and hare-wallabies.

Brief mythological associations:

Wallaby has significant presence as a totem and creator spirit in Australian Aboriginal mythology, across Australia, and is often indicated in some myths as being present during the creation of the world as we know it, during the Dreamtime. Wallaby was one of the main spirit ancestors. Incidentally, the wallaby is the modern totem for the Western Australian rugby team ‘the Western Wallabies.’ It is also a fictional character in ‘Rocko’s Modern Life’ (as ‘Rocko’ the wallaby).

Lessons:

Please remember that if this animal is contacting you, it will often be the best resource for teaching you what its lessons are. What I write is only intended to be a guide, it is not absolute, nor is it infallible.

- The wallaby is the law-keeper, and represents an element of authoritarianism. It comes into our life to teach us about the medicine of law. It might be ‘real’ laws of a country, personal laws, ethical laws, laws of a small group or community. The presence of wallaby in our life suggests that we pay close attention to laws, even the ones that don’t make sense to us. We must also work out what our own personal law is, and how we judge others according to it. Are we too authoritarian? Or are we too lax? Do we let everyone break our personal rules and laws, yet hold ourselves personally accountable if we break them? There is a wisdom in structure, but we must understand what structures help us, and what hurt us, first.

Wallaby also teaches us the harsh laws of the Australian land (and the other places that it inhabits), communion with wallaby will show us how to serve, and how not to serve the land and the landscape around us. Wallaby is one of the animals that has an innate knowledge of the land and its mythos, it teaches indigenous wisdom, and communion or journeying with wallaby if you hold in your heart respect and humbleness, can yield much.

- Wallaby comes into our life to teach us stang and staff wisdom. If you are neglecting your stang or staff, stop it! Use it in ritual more, pay attention to its symbolism, and maybe even consider making a new one. Remember to respect the trees around you, and the land, if you are looking for a new branch for a stang or staff. If you’re not pagan, consider finding a fallen piece of wood – like a branch or a twig – and decorating it or painting it, and keeping it in your back garden as an ornament. See how you feel as you work with the wood and paint it.

- Wallaby, as a guide, teaches us plant wisdom, particularly when it comes to plants and nourishment. If we are dehydrated, or low on minerals, wallaby reminds us that we get plenty of water from plants and leaves. Wallaby also reminds us to be grateful for the nourishment and wisdom of plants, and to not neglect shrubs or bushes just because they are less ‘beautiful’ than flowers and trees.

- We tend to think that animals teach us extraordinary lessons, and they certainly do, but wallaby also places a strong emphasis on lessons in the mundane. Our everyday life should not be neglected just because it might not be as interesting or as exciting as our spiritual or less mundane habits. Wallaby reminds us that we need stability in all aspects of our life. Don’t neglect your daily routine, basic things like keeping your home clean, your clothes clean, eating good food, and making everyday conversation. These small habits make up a significant part of our greater whole, and if we neglect them, we neglect ourselves.

- Wallaby comes into our life and reminds us to be water wise, or to do what we can to conserve water. Whether it be having shorter showers or baths, buying native plants that aren’t dependent on a regular watering regime, or purchasing water-wise washing machines and dishwashers.

- There is an emphasis on drumming with wallaby. Consider making a makeshift drum, or attending a course on how to make one, or buy a drum or drumming or percussive CD. Listen to the music, think about how it makes you feel, both in your body and in your heart. Almost all drumming is sacred, and often touches something very deep inside of us.

- Wallaby teaches us that introversion and quietude are not bad qualities to have, and will benefit us greatly. If we are normally loud or a chatterbox, wallaby tells us to keep quiet, to try speaking when spoken to, to think before we talk. If we are normally quiet and introverted, wallaby asks us to investigated what manifestations of this could be considered healthy, and which ones might be a form of hiding.

- All kangaroos and wallabies teach us about family and hierarchy. It is important to recognise that our role in family is important, and where we sit on the hierarchy is crucial. If we are battling too strongly against it, or resist ‘fitting in’, kangaroo comes along to give you a sharp smack on the head and tells you that you are a part of your family – whether they are blood or not – and that you must accept your place in the hierarchy, no matter what it is.

- All kangaroos and wallabies come into our life and tell us how to assess obstacles instinctively. Instead of staring at our problems and never dealing with them, kangaroo gives us the power to notice them and then immediately clear them with a big bounding leap of thought, realisation, or literal movement.

- All kangaroos and wallabies bring into our lives a tight focus, and a need to make sure our energy is grounded and centred at all times. It is time to concentrate. Meditation, and exercises that require focus are recommended at this time.

- Kangaroo and wallaby teaches us warrior energy. This warrior energy is sometimes considered exclusively masculine, but everyone needs strength, leadership and decisiveness in their lives and red kangaroo demonstrates this. He comes into your life to tell you that even though situations look grim, or support may be sparse, you possess all the qualities to be a warrior and fight for what is necessary in order to nourish you.

If you have Wallaby as your Totem:

People with this animal as a totem will often manifest traits similar to the animal itself. I work on the philosophy that we only have one totem, and it teaches us lessons as well as representing the core aspects of our personality. Therefore –

- Wallaby people tend to be quite authoritarian, though they may struggle with aspects of personal or societal law throughout their entire lives, they still have a strong sense of internal and external structure. They make very good custodians of societal, cultural or personal laws, and therefore also tend to give good advice. They can sometimes be overly judgemental on others and themselves, and may struggle with this throughout their entire lives. Wallaby people teach us the medicine of law, and can set us on the ‘right path’ by teaching us how to obey our own inner ethics, or how to even find out what they are.

- Wallaby people tend to be quiet and territorial, even if they are spiritual, they tend to have a strong emphasis on the mundane and routine in their lives – constantly seeking a balance between the two. They tend to be quite good at teaching us how to find balance, but they themselves are often up and down, sometimes very spiritual, and sometimes only concerned with mundane routine! Their wisdom tends to be quiet, these people prefer to speak when spoken to, and might need to be prompted in order to share what they know – but when they do share, listen, because they have wisdom to share with others.

There will be other ways your totem manifests, and you will recognise them with awareness and communion.

As shadow guide/totem:

The shadow totem is the animal we often fear irrationally, that teaches us things about ourselves that are profound and difficult to confront. Often the traits we fear most within the shadow totem, are the traits that we dislike in ourselves. We must scrutinise why this is, and learn how to work with them.

- People who resent, hate or dislike wallaby tend to be anarchists, or those who see no point in having a clear structure. They may resent internal law and ethics, or external law, and rail against it often to the harm of themselves and others. They may have no particular interest in paying attention to native law and land. Wallaby will gently, and persistently confront this dislike of law, by often drawing this person into repeated encounters with law, law enforcement, law officials, etc.

Contacting Wallaby:

Like all animal helpers, this animal will only appear when right and appropriate, and cannot be forced to visit you, commune with you, or share messages with you. Wallaby can be contact in ‘real life’ if you live in Australia or New Guinea, many being kept as attractions in both zoological gardens and wildlife parks, they are also found in bushland, forests, arid areas etc. If wallaby comes to you in the wild, pay attention!

Wallaby can also be contacted in visualisation and meditation, and during drumming or while working with staffs or stangs. It tends to have a quiet, and reserved energy, so do not be disturbed or upset if it doesn’t come to you, or if it doesn’t appear to ‘do’ anything. Its presence alone is more than enough.

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