Elk, Power Animal, Symbol of Stamina, Strength, Agility

By Ina Woolcott

Elks medicine includes stamina, strength, sensual passion, respecting those of your gender, ability to pace oneself in tasks, agility, nobility.

Elk's medicine will teach us how to make the best use of our energy, helping us to take on no more than we need to accomplish, and to persist on our chosen route until we have fulfilled our goals. Don't try to rush - pace yourself. You may not necessarily be the first to arrive, but you will arrive without being burnt out.

Possessing tremendous stamina, elks are able to run for a very long time. They are powerful with strong reflexes, responding speedily to anything that appears on their path. Elks are very alert and can sense danger the moment it arrives and can show us how to become more observant of subtle energies. Elks are temperamental and unpredictable, subdued one moment and aggressive the next.

If Elk is your power animal, you will probably feel the need for companionship or group support. You do not have to do everything by yourself; help is just around the corner waiting for you if you just ask for it. You may also have a need for high energy levels and this can be accomplished through your diet. Eating mostly vegetarian ORGANIC foods will give you strength without stress. Avoid sugar (and artificial sweeteners) totally if you can. Eat vitamin rich foods. Raw food diets are a good one to follow. Drink LOTS of water and herbal teas. If you find yourself becoming fatigued and sluggish, adjust your diet and in a few days, you will recover your stamina. Also - don't forget to recharge yourself with some personal quiet time.

Elk live in big herds and are rarely seen alone. They enjoy the company of their own kind, but they do need their own space. Elk don't graze during night time. If a herd is attacked they will scatter to the four winds to confuse a predator. The art of survival is part of the elks teachings. If cornered they can turn pretty dangerous. Adult bulls with a full set of antlers are a match for any animal that tries to cross them, including a bear. People with this power animal need a sacred space to go to now and again in order to keep their energy balanced.

Like deer's, elk's have competitions to see who will mate with the does. However, unlike the deer, elk will fight very aggressively and often draw blood or worse. If you have Elk medicine, and possess aggressive tendencies, you must learn to keep these under control and look for fairness in all you do. Your aggressive tendencies may not be visible to your conscious mind, but when you are provoked or feel threatened/cornered these tendencies surface unexpectedly.

The majestic elk deserves, no, demands respect. Beholding a full-grown elk, with its winter coat, standing tall and looking fierce is a true wonder. Elk shares its regal demeanour with us; if this is your power animal you most probably often find yourselves on centre stage both in your personal and professional life. Generally people with this power animal have past life associations connected to royalty. If Elk medicine is fully developed within a person a strong self-image is expressed.

Elk may also be telling you to work on the way you conduct yourself, and to carry yourself with pride and power. This doesn't mean you should be egotistical, for elk knows that its true power comes from the universe/all that is. It uses the gifts it has been given, using them to its advantage.

Another aspect of elks power is strength and empowerment. If you need to be impressive in a situation, you can draw on elks power. If you are shy or unsure, elk can aid you to become more confident.