Listen to the Animals: Black Rhino

For this Tarot Notes feature, I pull one card from an animal-themed deck to represent an important message from that animal.

If you are interested in finding out who your Animal Guides are, you can get an Animal Guides Reading through my _Etsy shop_ or my _Web Site_.

Today I am using Ancient Animal Wisdom by Stacy James and Jada Fire (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

My card is BLACK RHINO.

Rhinos are one of the oldest groups of mammals, virtually living fossils. The black rhino once roamed most of sub-Saharan Africa, but today is listed as Critically Endangered because of rising demand for rhino horn (thought, in some cultures, to possess magical and medicinal qualities), which has driven poaching to record levels. Both black and white rhinoceroses are actually gray. They are different not in color but in lip shape.

The Ancient Animal Wisdom guidebook assigns the key phrase “Survival of Self” to this card. The black rhino’s solitary nature can be a signal to me that I need to worry less about what others think or say about me, that I need to focus on the path that is best for me, what helps me survive. Additionally, the black rhino’s thick skin reminds me that I sometimes need to be “thick skinned” when it comes to criticism or questioning of my path.

The guidebook has a small section on numerology. The Black Rhino card is number Two, which the guidebook says represents “Intuition, Feminine Divine, Sensitivity.” This reminds me that “sensitivity” can be either helpful or harmful, depending on various factors. My challenge is to use my own sensitivity wisely, to avoid being hypersensitive while still being thoughtful and perceptive when appropriate.

You can read more about the black rhino at these web sites:
http://www.worldwildlife.org/species/black-rhino
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-rhinoceros/
http://www.bagheera.com/inthewild/van_anim_rhino.htm
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/6557/0

And here are some photos I took of what I believe are white rhinos. (The word “white” does not refer to color, but is rather a misinterpretation of a Dutch word meaning “wide.”)