Totem Tuesday: Jaguar Medicine

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Totem Tuesday:  Jaguar Medicine

by Felina Lune Kavi 

“On the hunt for our fears of freedom,

Jaguar peers into the darkness,

Pounces upon the prey of promise,

And feeds the Spirit.”

-excerpt from ‘Visionary’ by Felina Lune Kavi

Keywords:  Integrity, Self-knowledge, ESP, Walking Between Worlds, Shapeshifting, Integration, Shadow Work, Facing Fears, Reclaiming Authentic Power, Strength, Confidence, Focus, Peace, Clearing Heavy Energies (Hucha), Setting Boundaries, Sudden Transformations, Deep Emotional Healing, Speed, Agility, Solitary Path, Psychic Vision, Recognizing Patterns, Leadership, Diplomacy, Patience, Proper Use of Silence, Communication Skills, Instincts, Protection of Home and Family

Over six years ago, I came to know Jaguar suddenly (though there are remembrances from my younger years) when my 17-year-old cousin, Katie, was days away from dying.  Through psychic sight and sacred breath, Father Jaguar journeyed to Katie before I could physically be there…and witnessed a dolphin nearing the end of her life.  He stood guard until I could make the journey myself.  

Jaguar is stealthy, and even sneaks up on those who are meant for this medicine…before pouncing into action, usually in a protective manner.  In my case, Jaguar was protecting my family during the transition between life and death of one of our younger generations.  There were some heavy energies looming that needed to be swiftly devoured and transformed…and there was no time for formal introductions at the beginning of this new stage of my journey.  Mother Jaguar came later to answer my questions, though most of the answers were in the form of visionary action rather than discussion.  Jaguar is a patient feline, but prefers to cut to the chase.  

After this abrupt initiation to Jaguar medicine in non-ordinary reality, I cultivated a more gradual friendship with Manny the Jaguar (at the Omaha Zoo) who was born the same year as my daughter.  The more I have worked with Jaguar over the years, the more this medicine has worked through my own life in significant ways.  

Jaguars are the largest of the big cats of the Americas.  As apex predators, their diet consists of upwards of 85 different species and they are unrivaled by other predators.  They once roamed from Patagonia in South America to the Grand Canyon in North America, though their population and range has decreased and they are no longer allowed to live freely in the United States.  Today, the largest populations of Jaguars are in the Amazon Basin.  

The name Jaguar comes from the Tupian word ‘yaguara/yaguarete’ meaning ‘true beast’.  To some indigenous tribes the word ‘yaguar’, means “he who kills with one leap”.  Other names for Jaguar from different tribes in Central and South America are Otorongo, Balam, and Ix.  

Ix, used by the Mayans, has multiple, interchangeable meanings:  Jaguar, Heart, and Goddess or Lady.  The Jaguar Goddess, Ix Chel, translates to Goddess of the Rainbow, or Rainbow Jaguar.  I thought she deserved mentioning, since she has been sending me synchronistic pieces of wisdom since the Full Moon…and has introduced herself to me years ago as a Rainbow Jaguar.

Those with Jaguar Medicine have the capacity to be fierce fighters... though their speed, agility, and hunting skill often translates to going after goals or dispelling negative energy in and around them.  Shamans often use Jaguar Medicine for protection, shapeshifting between worlds, clearing hucha (heavy energy), and aiding others in reclaiming their power by letting go of fear. 

Unlike many cats, Jaguars do not avoid water.  The most aquatic of all cats, they are excellent swimmers.  Those with Jaguar medicine are not afraid to go into the depths to stalk heavy energies and are often adept at deep emotional healing.  They are also used to sudden transformations in their life and are quite adaptable.  Jaguars are said to possess the transient ability of moving between worlds because they are comfortable in both the trees and the water, their ability to hunt as well in the nighttime as in the daytime, and their habit of sleeping in caves (places often associated with deceased ancestors and used as shamanic journey portals to other realms).

Most Jaguars are tawny colored with distinctive black spots that are called ‘rosettes’ because they are shaped like roses.  However, some Jaguars are so dark that they appear to be spotless, though their markings can be seen on closer inspection.  Black Jaguars (often referred to as Black Panthers) have the same medicine, but have additional medicine as Gatekeepers to the Unknowable and Keepers of the Circular Time Continuum.  Regardless of color, their coats hold the symbolism of understanding the patterns within chaos.  Their particular camouflage, as well as their grace and silence in movement, helps them to go undetected by their prey.   

Jaguars live and hunt alone (aside from mother-cub groupings)…and those with this medicine tend to walk a solitary spiritual path.  That is not to say they won’t help others or that they will remain loners for the rest of their lives.  

Jaguar is protective of the natural order…keeping all things in check.  It is a keystone species, playing an important role in stabilizing ecosystems and regulating the populations of its prey.  Jaguar people understand that their medicine is not only useful to themselves and their family, but that it is necessary to protect the larger earthling family from destructive energies as well.  They often feel called to the Priest/ess or Shaman/ess path out of a sense of duty to Mother Earth and all living creatures.  But, ultimately, they are very self-reliant and understand the right time to act and the right time to hang back and observe…so people with this medicine go through periods of solitude and community with the ease of their ability to shapeshift between worlds.

Females have litters of one to four cubs, which are blind and helpless at birth.  Mothers stay with their babies and defend them fiercely from any animal that may approach—even their own father.  Young jaguars learn to hunt by living with their mothers for about two years.  

Those with Jaguar medicine are very protective of their children, especially women.  And while female Jaguar territories tend to overlap (though they generally avoid each other), male Jaguar territories (containing two or more females) are twice as large and do not overlap.  Men with Jaguar Medicine are often even more protective of their larger community, designating clear boundaries against the threat of aggression from other men.  When Father Jaguar contacts you, it is often to alert you to a threat not within the immediate family, but the larger family.  It is Mother Jaguar who often defends close to home.

Jaguar is also connected to extrasensory perception because of their ability to instinctively sense the right time for action.  They kill their prey swiftly, with one bite right between the ears…piercing through the skull and into the brain with their sharp teeth and powerful jaws.  Jaguar people have a similar inner knowing of what needs to be done and when.  In an argument, they tend to get right inside the other person’s brain and pierce through their preconceived perceptions of what is real.  Similarly, as healers, they get right to the root of an illness rather than treating the symptoms.  

Jaguar has many different vocalizations, but is not really a roaring cat.  Jaguar people, similarly, don’t feel the need to express their power in dominating ways.  They much prefer to communicate in subtle ways, and often learn to use their inherent gifts of clairaudience, clairvoyance, or telepathy.  The Jaguar totem often communicates in similar instinctual knowings as well.

Lessons of integrity are an important part of Jaguar Medicine.  Jaguar people have the underlying intention to be honest and true to themselves and others.  They want to be trusted to do what they say they will do.  The lesson is in making sure your actions are aligned with your feelings.  Integrity comes from a deep connection with Self.  ‘Know Thyself’ is a life code for Jaguar people.  They express this by their willingness to speak their truth, to address their shadow issues honestly, and to bring issues to resolution and completion with themselves and others.

If Jaguar is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Jaguar will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a jaguar, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  Jaguar may be contacting you to teach you how to step beyond fear or how to walk on this earth with a sense of patience, expert timing, and clarity of purpose.  However Jaguar chooses to share its medicine, be prepared to go deep and face your fears.