Porcupine- The Cover Is Not The Book

Decks used Spirit Animal Oracle with the guidebook- Colette Baron Reid and the Chrysalis Tarot by Toney Brooks

Research Credit: Porcupine and the video that inspired the title.

Hello friends. I’m back today with a new animal to share with you. Today we have the porcupine so let's get to it, shall we? (yeah we’re just going to jump right off the edge of the cliff with this one eh?) Also, I should mention that I lifted the title for this post from the recent Mary Poppins movie. Please enjoy.

Upon first look, the porcupine may seem intimidating as they can have up to 30,000 quills on their body. However, they’re the literal physical embodiment of the words chill and passive. While these creatures would rather keep their quills down, they will fluff their quills and any predator that tries to bite them is in for an unfortunately painful surprise. Porcupine quills can be difficult to remove because they are hollow and tend to have hooks on their stinging ends. This can make the animal buoyant and able to float quite easily, which may indicate a message of learning to rise above difficult circumstances. This animal is also known for mating for life and therefore can be attached with dedication and chemistry in relationships.

Interestingly enough, due to some myths about the porcupine (especially one from Africa), the porcupine is associated with the element of fire. In one of these myths, the porcupine is said to have been the bringer of fire to mankind. Other stories link the porcupine to the sun, which seems to come from the visual impact of the porcupine fluffing its quills. Another message here is that you are safe to look at what you believe makes you vulnerable and use these to find effective solutions to your issues. This can be a call to look a bit deeper than surface level, because a single person may not be all they seem. Perhaps if you’re resonating with the porcupine, this is your call to action to live in joy and simplicity, slow down, be protective, stay energetic, sweet-hearted, grounded, and work to actualize the dreams you have in your mind into reality. With all this in mind, let's get to some cards, shall we?

cards pulled from various decks

• Porcupine: time for a beginner mind

• 6 of scrolls: transition, movement, not making this journey alone

• Storyteller (the hermit): taking some time away from society to follow the light of your inner truth, be sure of your own personal truths that you can walk comfortably in the path of your own independence.

• The Companion (King of Spirals [wands]): fiery, passionate, and motiving to others to find their inspiration and passions

So in this reading, I’m seeing that there has been some movement away from old energies and that you are taking some time to walk the path of your own truth. The things you once knew as your truth are seemingly no longer relevant to you now and this is a chance for you to explore a new way of living, thinking, or experiencing the things around you. You have been called to embrace a beginner mindset because there are things along this path that you will need to discover and integrate into your emotional and spiritual space. What this is going to do for you and for others is that it will reveal the fiery, passionate soul in you and it will motivate others to look deeper within themselves to find their inspiration and passion.