hi,
yes i have looked up & understand the animal symbolism ,from a shamanic perspective as this seems to be the only set of symbols that make sense,
i see them all as a metaphor for the self as there are 4 in all,the stalking beast symbol i take to be some shadow content of mine,something that needs to be given attention,
a friend of mine said to me,you know you only see a shadow when the sun shines,this was a very profound statement as i understood it mean that to be fully awake we have to become aware of the darkside,by this i mean,i have never thought what we call the spiritual to be all dancing lights,ommms & beaming smiles,i have become aware of the dangers ,we live in a world of opposites at least that is our experience so every light has its shadow quality,i am not enlightened enough to see beyond this yet nor do i expect to be,my experience can only be discribed as shamanic in quality,this has been hard for me to accept ,i have put up a lot of resistance,but now my dreams have changed ,being more archetypal in content,i was informed by an expert that you do not choose to be a shaman,something comes for you,you can walk hand in hand with it ,or be dragged,i think because i have given in,and am now willing to go along with it, the inner landscape is changing i feel,the veils are lifting,hence the dream images becoming more archetypal,
i can honestly say it is nothing like i expected,
best wishes for your journey.
rgds mikey