The Ferret
The ferret is a member of the weasel family. They are happy playful animals with the curiosity of the raccoon and the gentleness of a kitten. Archaeological and historical sources suggest that ferrets have been domesticated for at least 2,500 years. Historical documents from Greece mention the ferret about 450 BC, and Roman documents mention the use of ferrets to hunt rabbits at about the time of Christ. Adept at tunnel hunting it is believed that the ferret was used by the Egyptians as well as farmers and mariners to control rodent populations in barns and on ships. However, the history of the ferrets domestication is speculative without actual proof giving this little animal an illusive quality.
Ferrets are opportunists They will steal anything they can drag away hiding it in a safe place to be used at a later date. Intelligent and crafty this little animal teaches us how to use our ingenuity to create a safe haven for ourselves. They remind us to stock up on necessary provisions that might be needed. Always well prepared for any situation that might appear the ferret is a helpful ally in times of hardship.
The ferrets eyes point forward straight down their nose. Extremely focused on what is in front of them they remind us to stay centered on our goals to reach a desired outcome. Ferrets hold the power of observation. Their keen sense of smell coupled with their ability to see clearly in the darkness links them to the underworld where the secrets of creation are stored. Its intuition is sharp and its sensitivity acute. Ferret has the ability to see and know the hidden meaning behind all things and can assist those with this medicine in understanding themselves, their lives and the experiences they have more clearly.
Those with this totem need to remember to use all of their senses equally. If this medicine is underdeveloped the tendency towards tunnel vision is common. Rigid consciousness creates unnecessary worry and anxiety so caution is advised. Playful activities and a lighthearted attitude is helpful. When frightened or excited the ferrets tail bushes up and a musty scent is excreted. Although this scent does repel some predators the ferret does not feel completely safe until it has burrowed deep inside its tunnel. In man this symbolizes the need of a secure home life. A place for reflection and nourishment is mandatory for those with this totem.
Ferrets are incredibly fast and agile and show us how to move with lightning speed to avoid danger. Do you need to move more quickly in some aspect of your life? Are you stuck in rigid thought patterns that limit your view of the bigger picture? Have you created a safe haven for yourself? Is your power of observation a hindrance or a help?
Always remember that the ferret is a powerful ally and can help you discover a hidden part of yourself. Buried deep beneath the surface are the answers to life's mysteries. If you are having trouble understanding some part of your life invite the ferret into your meditation, listen to what it has to tell you and then act accordingly.
Magickal Attributes:
Ferreting out information as to the motives of others, especially when you suspect they might be harmful to you in some way. Gaining hidden information to benefit and/or protect yourself. Learning the real intent of others with whom you must interact. Seeing truth behind the façade.
Chant:
Silently peering, truth I’m nearing,
Ferret-like, I seek truth and light.
Lies uncovering, motives discovering,
To expose trouble makers, make things right.
Bibliography: Animal Magick, Sayada and Earthbow

May 16, 2002

The Fox Kingdom wishes to address you today. Fox has often been associated in Native American teachings with out smarting or "out foxing" the forces of the dark. And indeed we have been gifted at outwitting many groups of hounds out after us upon a foxhunt through carefully planned tactics of one sort or another to lead them in the wrong direction. In a great sense, one's ability to ascend becomes far easier if one also makes the intent to outwit the dark, confusing them as to one's whereabouts so that they cannot find one in time and space.

Mila has used such principals from the inception of her ascension. She has held the gift of connecting with what she called "The Medicines", which are souls remaining from failed human ascension that remembered the Sirian Seeding, and hid from the dark connected to the nature kingdoms. Such souls remembered the original purpose of the human species, which is to ascend, and when the time was ripe asserted themselves into the lives of prime ascending initiates global wide. Such souls are much like fox; clever, decisive, grand master chess players more or less who have sustained their existence for near 40,000 years (120,000 human years) without the dark's ability to capture their essence or remove the information and records that they carry.

Such souls were invited to blend with the nature kingdoms long ago. Nature saw that the possibility of a return out of the darkness and falls in consciousness would present itself in time in earth's future history. The human souls holding such information on ascension hid in our kingdoms for this time, assisting nature in better understanding the dynamics of ascension in preparation for the global ascent of earth. They also freely observed the dark in the dance that the dark had created upon earth. The observations were recorded and later administered to the first batch of ascending map carvers who were to bring forth the first wave of ascension for mankind. This was to insure the success of the map carvers, as the dark would surely outwit them otherwise.

Nature played a pivotal role in this movement of information from such souls into the first wave of ascending initiates as nature provided the "front" for the contact with mankind. Mila recalls all of the kingdoms coming to her directly, one at a time, seeking her out, counseling and coaching her through her early ascent, and administering this knowledge. The souls or "Medicines" remained behind such nature kingdoms and the dark in Mila's field could not see their presence and therefore could not touch them. Later and as Mila understood that this is what was working through nature, such souls were invited to be recast and resume an evolutionary role for mankind and all of earth. Such souls following their recasting are now overseeing human ascension in liaison with Solar and Universal counsels.

THE NATURE OF COMMUNICATIONS OF THE FALSE GODS

And so what does Fox wish to say to ascending human initiates at this time? The forces of the dark are all-pervasive in the human dance. Humans have so much karma with the false gods and forces of the dark that one shall be working one's way out of the dance for over the course of one's entire ascent. Such forces will continue to attempt to trip one up, leading one down the path of non-ascension rather than ascension every chance that they get. Many human map carvers have already failed due to such forces, for they could not discern the difference between the guidance of soul and the guidance of the forces of the dark.

What is the difference between communications of soul and communications of the forces of the dark? They are distinct, and Fox would like ascending initiates to better understand. Communications of soul will direct one inward to perceive karma, patterns, thought-form, ancestors, machinery, spells, curses and hexes that have caused a particular experience in one's current life expression. Soul will show one how to transcend and transmute such patterning so that one may create another life experience into the future.

The dark upon the other hand will point fingers at others in blame; or point one outside of self to look at the ascent of another rather than inward towards one's own truth. One cannot ascend another and one's truth lies not outside of self. Furthermore the ascent of another is not one's own business. One's own business is one's own ascent. Sometimes a life dance or ascent of another can become a mirror that one may more clearly see one's own issues that one requires transmutation of. However ascension is still an internal business, and does not require looking outward at others other than looking at the mirror that they provide to one's own internal state of being.

THE NATURE OF MIRRORS

What are mirrors? In human form, one is polarized. In polarity one holds one extreme in one's own personal genetic material. The polarity will attract the opposite as it is expressed in another. Generally the opposite patterning occurs in the unconscious and in the parallel life dance upon other planes of reality associated with the physical. All humans have parallel lives. Therefore one is one way upon the physical, and all other ways upon the parallel planes in the nonphysical. Those attracted to one's dance will mirror one's own way of being upon a parallel and nonphysical plane. As one looks at the mirror, one will better understand one's own unconscious nature, and then has an opportunity to dismantle such a nature through transcendence of thought-form, patterning, and programming within.

In the dismantling of an unconscious pattern, the machinery that holds a particular polarity in stagnation is released, and one can integrate the opposing forces within coming to the middle path. This is what the mirror is for, perceiving one's own unconscious state of being and parallel life dance. The mirror is not to go into judgment saying that this person is wrong for behaving this way or that; or having this pattern or that. The mirror presents itself for the purposes of ascension.

Ascension requires transcending judgment. Judgment is better understood when one recognizes that the very trait that one judges in others one exhibits oneself in parallel realities. If one is in judgment of others who are gay or have other sexual preferences, one is gay oneself or has other sexual preferences upon another plane of reality. If one is in judgment about the illness of another, one has the same disease oneself upon a parallel plane of reality oneself. If one is in judgment about others who are "born again Christians", one is a born again Christian upon a parallel plane of reality. All judgment is really and truly self-judgment when one looks at the larger picture, for one is also like all humans one attracts into their life dance upon a parallel plane. Judge another and one judges oneself upon another plane of reality.

As one ascends, parallel lives upon parallel planes are integrated. In so doing, one's gifts and talents can be brought to the physical from such parallel lives. Many an initiate of ascension complains of difficulties with manifestation. All initiates will have many parallel planes in which one manifests one's needs in ease or is wealthy. As such parallel lives are integrated through ascension, the information upon manifestation transfers from the parallel plane and into the physical making manifestation easier thereafter.

At this time the planes surrounding earth that parallel lives are related to are being altered. There were once 36 planes and 36 parallel lives for each human surrounding earth. Now and due to the recasting and opening of a new global dreamtime there are only 24 planes. The 24 planes assure that polarity is minimized and compartmentalized so that the karma requiring transcending in ascension or through completion in death is tallied and cleared in the coming decade of cleansing.

In ascension, parallel lives upon planes 1-8 are integrated in the ascent to 1800 strands of DNA. Parallel lives upon planes 9-14 are integrated in the ascent to 3000 strands of DNA. Parallel lives upon planes 15-18 are integrated in the ascent to 6000. The more parallel lives that are integrated, the more information one has available in the physical to live and express within and the less polarized one becomes. This is how one exits extreme polarity and enters the dance of the "middle path or road" within in attaining the state of the Bodhisattva or 6000 strands of DNA integrated into the biology. This is also how one becomes a walking example of compassion in action, which is the result of embodying the middle road of unity.

One may discover capabilities gifts and talents one didn't know that they possessed as ones' parallel lives are integrated. Mila discovered the ability to write, teach, lecture and conduct workshops as three parallel lives in which she was a spiritual teacher were integrated early in her ascent. Furthermore, other gifts and talents such as an ability to sing and create artwork along with floral arrangements and crafts also came forth as lives in which Mila was involved with such endeavors in the nonphysical integrated into the physical. One may find a whole new manner of expression through ascension as a result.

THE DANCE OF FULFILLMENT

Ascension is about movement into freedom and joy again, and out of boredom and confinement. Often in human form freedom and joy is experienced in expressing one's gifts and talents. And so Fox asks each reading this material to go within and look. What gifts and talents are in need of expressing to bring forth a sense of fulfillment in one's life dance now? What requires shifting in the life in order to allow expression of such gifts and talents? What changes are necessary to birth the joy and freedom? Go within and assess, and then make the commitment to the change, and earth will align her dream with oneself as an ascending being for such a choice.

Ascension is a process that allows for a return to wholeness. Wholeness allows one to be complete and capable of doing and being whatever is required to sustain one's physical life existence. Much of the homelessness and poverty prevalent in the human dance is the result of such extreme fracturing of polarity that some are left with an inability to function in the physical. Such human's function fine in parallel lives in the nonphysical however. As such homeless humans ascend, they will find their way out of poverty, as the information necessary to function and take care of self blends with the physical in the integration of the parallel lives.

Understand that those who are homeless are a mirror for one's own lives of homelessness and poverty. For each human has one or more parallel lives in great poverty and need. As these too are integrated, one will find their way to the middle ground of abundance. Abundance is a state in which all that is required in the moment manifests, as it is needed. Nothing is saved as all that is required shows up only as it is required.

Some who are homeless are so fractured that one would consider them schizophrenic or insane. Indeed one also has parallel lives that experience insanity and schizophrenia, and again such humans are mirrors of one's own state of being held in the nonphysical. As one integrates that which is seemingly insane, one will pave the way to a new understanding of insanity for all of mankind. For those who are insane see into the parallel dreamtime realities and think they are physical. The psychiatrists do not see such parallel realities and assume the individuals are insane. In reality, the individual is simply a gifted parallel life dreamer, perceiving what really and sincerely does exist in dimensions just above and beyond the physical but most of humanity fails to see.

It is for this reason that the medicine men and women of many indigenous tribes are often insane or schizophrenic by modern day terms. Such "insane" humans see into the parallel lives of those in the tribe, and can assist in clearing trauma or karma that leads to disease or emotional instability in the physical. Therefore such humans are often considered a "doctor" or gifted at "doctoring others" rather than insane by the tribe, and can readily access the parallel lives of those who were ill to assist in their recovery through communication with the unconscious realms.

As one integrates the parts of self that are "insane" upon a parallel plane, one will also more readily open unto dreamtime and one's own unconscious. This many an ascending initiate is doing at this time, and sometimes opening the unconscious can be scary or frightening as there are indeed many monsters and goblins therein. The monsters and goblins are only present due to the Annanuki programming and desire to prevent their slave race from awakening and ascending. Anger will generally cause such monsters and goblins to leave in a great hurry, as they are as in as much fear as oneself.

NAVIGATING THE UNCONSCIOUS

Navigating the unconscious is a difficult thing at first. The further that one ascends, the easier it becomes. We of the nature kingdoms will assist as a guide for those who are willing to embark upon this return journey to full consciousness in human form and open unto the unconscious. Call upon us as such and we will lead the way and lift the veils that the forces of the dark run so that one may see more clearly down to the truth of one's own internal process. We will act as a guide through what may appear as a group of goblins or monsters, so that one will learn not to fear such internal manifestations but rather integrate them or conquer them as needed in the act of transcendence.

Fox will also assist one in learning to outwit the dark. The dark are lost, and not so clever really, and can never be as clever as nature, earth, one's soul or the Tao given their lack of information. Any soul that has fractured into such small pieces that it chooses to control, dominate and prevent ascension of another is in great lack of information and extremely lost. Such lost souls puff themselves up into grand monsters. Take a pin out and pop the balloon and see what size they really are. They are not so grand really, nor so knowledgeable; although they certainly wish to appear so to continue to dance with ascending initiates, leading one down the faulty path of non-ascension.

THE DARK AND INCOMPLETE ASCENSION

Why do the forces of the dark they cling to ascending humans so? Long ago, ascension was a means that the forces of the dark extradited themselves from the lower dimensions back to the upper dimensions where like forces of parallel darkness exist. As the real ascent of earth comes forth, such forces are blocked from moving up the dimensions and reuniting with their larger forces and instead shall be expelled out the star gate and sent on for recasting, as earth is complete with the karma. Much of such completion will not occur until all non-ascending
humans are cleansed from the earth plane as such forces are embedded into the genetic structure of mankind.

Furthermore, the very forces that the dark wish to reunite with upon upper dimensions are being cleansed due to an intervention of the Tao, or the source from which all creations emanate from inside and outside of time and space. Such upper dimensional dark forces are being pulled for recasting so that they too can remember the greater part of who and what they were before they fractured. There is nothing to go to even if such dark forces could ascend up and off of earth. In their lack of cooperation and understanding and fear of the light, they cling to ascending initiates in the new consensus and try to do what succeeded long ago in human ascension.

Long ago in human ascension, the dark piggybacked upon the souls ascending to the next dimension to create communication pathways with larger forces of great darkness upon the upper dimensions of your creation. Such piggybacking also caused incomplete ascension as a part of the ascending soul also fractured in the experience and was left behind. Such left behind souls became known in human form as "false gods" and "ascended masters". The original soul did ascend; alas that which was left behind failed to ascend and therefore is not really an ascended master at all.

Such fractured bits of souls left behind in incomplete ascension and as a result of their lost ness sought nonphysical fame and dominion over the human species through the creation of hierarchical structures supposedly in governance over humanity. Such governance never involved the other species upon earth. This is how the "spiritual hierarchy" came to be and was structured out of incomplete ascension of certain souls plus the forces of the dark vying for dominion over earth. The spiritual hierarchy has such little knowledge that they know not how to ascend mankind; nor do they think that the ascension of earth is possible. They have guided many who will follow and listen in present time into believing that biological ascension is not possible. This indeed is a grand lie as all of earth is ascending in the physical at this time and embodying a new genetic structure that will lead to resurrection, reconstitution and movement to the next dimension and beyond.

Why do these beings or ascended masters and false gods not see the truth if earth is indeed ascending? They are so locked in their own limitation that they can only perceive what they know. This is not unlike humans at 2 strands of DNA that likewise do not perceive the change in earth all around them. Such humans carry on as if nothing has changed, when everything is changing and the times of great shifts in awareness and awakening are imminently ahead.

Such false gods and ascended masters who never ascended shall be cleansed from earth along with those who never awaken in human form from their slumber. For those at 2 strands who hold heritage to the slave race that the Annanuki bred in a laboratory have no capacity to transcend thought-form and therefore are incapable of ascension. Therefore they shall never awaken. Such false gods and ascended masters mimic the limitations of the humans related to the Annanuki slaves, and therefore are as limited, from Foxes point of view. Such limited souls are allowed only to incarnate into non-ascending forms that shall never push beyond 2 strands of DNA by earth at this time. Due to such boundaries, such forces try again and again to con ascending initiates into allowing them to piggyback and move off of earth through one's ascent.

Where will such limited souls go as they are removed from earth? Earth is sending them for recasting to wherever their source and soul originated from. This will prevent such souls from repeating their manipulations elsewhere in creation and causing yet another place in time and space to fall in consciousness like earth. Therefore earth's ascension shall bring an end to the manipulations and falls in consciousness caused by such limited souls and forces of the dark into the future.

LIFTING THE VEILS ON THE DARK

Fox guides each initiate to lift the veils surrounding those beings that come into one's presence during meditation for the purposes of guidance. Are such beings of soul? Are they of nature? Are they of the earth mother? Or are they of the dark? At this time, communication is becoming holographic. As one attunes to the heart chakra where the hologram is stored, one can spin the hologram at a certain speed to communicate with one's own soul, the nature kingdoms or the earth mother at large. Such communication will come from within and not surround oneself from the outside of the field and form.

Anything that surrounds oneself upon the outside may or may not be of one's soul and therefore may be a force of the dark. One can command all such forces to one's source for recasting during which that which is not sincerely of one's own can be removed. Generally if the forces of the dark surrounding oneself and try to guide one in one's own life preoccupations and ascension, one also has karma with such beings. Such beings misguided one's ancestry again and again, and often into situations that only lead to another fall in consciousness in one's lineage or death. If one continues to listen to such beings, one will be again be lead towards a path of death instead of a journey of ascension. One can therefore choose to release their karma and complete with such beings so that they may be prevented from communicating with oneself again into the future.

Mila over time became quite angry at such forces that would push themselves upon her and into her field offering her ongoing and faulty guidance. She would often push them aside returning them to her source where they would be cleansed from earth if their karma was complete. Anger is an excellent tool to push out that which is non-resonant from one's field. Most forces of the dark are terrified of anger; furthermore soul and nature have no fear of anger and will not leave as it is expressed. Therefore getting angry at such forces that wish to repeatedly interfere is useful and Fox recommends that initiates draw upon such as needed to clear their field, and then hear one's own soul, nature and earth more clearly.

Another means of pushing such forces from one's presence is to synthesize the field into a rainbow of tones from primary in color to the pastels of the language of light. One can synthesize each chakra, subtle body, light body and greater auric field. In so doing, that which is from the outside in origin is pushed from the field and prevented from interference as one has created a whole and complete circuit of energy flow. Mila has channeled a lovely synthesis meditation that one can utilize for this purpose, and shall produce later this year a synthesis audio CD. In the meantime, one may record the meditation as it is published upon the site until the CD has been produced and released.

As one synthesizes, one can also intend to "disappear in time and space". Call upon fox for this gift. As one disappears, one is no longer noticeable to the forces of the dark that wishes to manipulate oneself, and one is then free to go about their day in ease. This is the gift of fox: outwitting the dark and learning to discern between guidance from earth, nature and one's source and the forces of the dark. It is only as one learns to listen and channel solely soul, nature and earth that one masters Bodhisattva level of evolution. Fox is here and at the service of all dedicated to this goal in this lifetime.

Namaste
The Fox Kingdom

The Frog
There are numerous species of frogs found all over the world. Their bodies are designed for jumping and their sharp eyes help them capture their prey, mostly insects. Because the frogs eyes bulge out from the sides of the head they are able to see in nearly all directions. This provides them with excellent depth perception.
Frogs have a well developed sense of hearing. Behind each eye is a large disked membrane, an external eardrum that picks up sound waves and transmits them to the inner ear and then to the brain. This coupled with their exceptional sight give them both clairsentient and clairvoyant abilities.
The frog produces sound similar to the way humans do by forcing air from the lungs over the vocal cords. Their variety of complex calls from ribbets to croaks associates it with language. Those with this totem have the potential to take command of the spoken word and are often bilingual.
Tree frogs are strong jumpers and despite their toes being only half webbed they are also strong swimmers. One of the most interesting characteristics of the tree frog is the changing of its colors from bright red, green, orange, to aqua. Color change is brought about through the stimuli of light and moisture which create physiological change and result in contraction or expansion of the pigment cells in the skin. These bright colors appear on flanks, groin, surface of the thighs and the belly and serve in species recognition or in confusing predators. One species native to South America has brightly colored eyespots on its rump. When approached by a predator, the frog lowers its head, elevates its rump thus confronting the predator with a seemingly much larger head. The study of color and its affects on a persons psyche is helpful.
With the exception of a few species, most frogs do not care for their young. They mate and then abandon their eggs. Because of this lessons associated with survival are common in frog medicine people. Scientists believe that the health of frog populations reflect the health of the eco system as a whole.
Because frogs are found in water and on land they hold the magic of both. Water has long been associated with emotional cleansing. Mud the combination of earth and water is used in healing therapies to rid the body of toxins. Because those with this medicine are extremely sensitive the use of mud baths is advised.
The frog is a totem of metamorphosis. Most frogs undergo a two stage life cycle. Eggs hatch into tadpoles which grow and eventually become adults. This signifies the awakening of ones creativity. When frog leaps into a persons life it is an invitation to jump into their creative power. To do this it is helpful to know which stage of life you are presently in. By studying the characteristics of the frog the discovery of your present life cycle is known. The frog clan helps us cleanse our minds, bodies, and souls. If one hops into your life, take inventory. Are there ideas, things, or emotions that you need to release in order to move towards your dreams. Frog is not afraid to dive into the emotional waters and cleanse all that is no longer useful. Frog brings healing. As water cleanses the arid earth and returns life to it so Frog's medicine can wash away any physical and mental energies which deprive us of harmony and peace, and helps to replenish our own ability to heal ourselves on all levels. It is a symbol of recognizing one's own power, of adaptation and using sound and nature to make changes in our life.
Sayada, Earthbow, and Animal Speak

Commonly found on all continents except Antarctica, frogs and toads throughout the ages have attracted awe and revulsion from many cults and cultures.  Many differing and contradictory beliefs have survived to the present day, and past associations with witchcraft, medicine, weather, birth, death and rebirth continue to stimulate many superstitions and fears. 

Frogs and Toads are amphibian creatures of the order ‘Anura�? meaning ‘without a tail�?  There are some 24 different families of frogs and toads with more than 3,800 species.  Frogs usually have squat bodies with smooth moist skin, bulging eyes that allow them to see in all directions, no tail, webbed feet for swimming and strong hind legs for jumping.  There are no clear distinctions between frogs and toads, except that toads generally have dry warty skin and short hind legs more suitable for walking than for jumping.  Both are commonly found in warm moist tropical regions, but they can also be found in mountains and deserts.

Most frogs are aquatic and will often sit in water with just their eyes and nose above the surface.  The eyelids of a frog cannot move and to close its eyes, they must draw them back into their sockets.  They also do this while swallowing food, since the in-drawn eyes add pressure to the roof of the mouth helping to move food down into the throat.  Frogs have teeth in the upper jaw, but these are quite feeble and used only to grip it’s prey rather than for chewing.  The prey can be anything that fits into the frog's mouth such as:  insects, spiders, snails, worms and small fish; bigger frogs may even eat mammals such as:  mice, small birds and other frogs.  Many frogs have a long sticky tongue, which they use to capture their prey.

Not all frogs have a long tongue; those that don't, use their fingers to feed prey into their mouths.  Frogs have 4 fingers on their front feet, and 5 toes on the back.  A frog's long hind legs allows them to jump great distances, often more than 20 times their body length.  To survive a frog must keep its skin moist, which is why they can usually be found close to water, and why they like to hide in moist places while on land.  They also have glands that secrete mucus helping to keep their skin moist.  While frogs have lungs, they also take in oxygen through the skin, which aids respiration when underwater.  Most frogs regularly shed the upper layer of their skin (the epidermis), and the old skin is usually eaten.

Frogs start mating when the males of a species move to breeding ponds and begin croaking their mating calls to attract females.  They do this using a vocal sac, which produces sounds unique to their own kind that the females can identify with.  When they meet, the male climbs on the back of the female and puts his arms around her in a strong grip, a position called “amplexus�?  When the female lays her eggs, the male releases his sperm to fertilize them.  The number of eggs laid can number from a few hundred to thousands.  The time it takes the eggs to hatch varies between species, but usually takes between 6 and 21 days.

From the egg emerges a tadpole, a fish-like creature with a round body, a tail and gills.  Tadpoles do little more than eat, feeding mostly on algae when still young, and later on plants, insects and dead animals.  After about 6-9 weeks, the tail starts to disappear and is replaced with arms and legs.  The hind legs appear first, then the arms.  The tadpole then develops lungs and just before it becomes a real frog, the gills disappear.  The whole process usually takes between 12-16 weeks, and when complete, the newly formed frog leaves the water.  The life span of a frog depends on the species and can range anywhere between 2 and 40 years, but the average is more likely between 4 and 15 years.

Poison

The toad more than the frog is most commonly associated with poison.  When a toad is molested it secrets or ejects poison that irritates the eyes and mucous membranes of many, but not all of its predators.  The poisons of the Colorado River toad (B. alvarius) and the Giant toad (B. marinus, also called the cane toad) affect animals as large as dogs, and in some instances can cause temporary paralysis or even death.  Dried toad poison has been used to treat various ailments in the past, and it is known that some species of toad poison can produce hallucinogenic effects in humans.

Contrary to popular belief, toads do not cause warts.

Myths and Folklore

For thousands of years, frogs and toads have been associated with myths, folklore and magic.  Sadly many of these myths and tales portray them as demons, creatures associated with the devil.  Some cultures however viewed them in a positive light, and saw them as representative of good fortune, protection, rain and fertility.  In some cultures the frog symbolized resurrection and a higher stage of spiritual awakening.  In the Rig Veda creation myths of the Hindus, the Great Frog supports the universe and is representative of the matter from which all is created.

In ancient times clay used to make pottery was collected from the banks of natural rivers and lakes, sites that would have had an abundance of frogs and toads.  The peoples of ancient Mesopotamia for example, collected clay from along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, where they undoubtedly encountered frogs and toads and later adopted them into their religious beliefs.

The Egyptians believed frogs to have been formed from mud and water, a belief that seems to have materialized as a result of rivers flooding during the rainy season, at which time frogs reproduced in such quantities that thousands of tiny frogs and toads invaded walkways and public areas; they even entered private homes and in general were regarded as pests.  This phenomenon was dubbed “Frog Rain�? because such occurrences always happened after the first heavy rains of the season.  As such frogs became associated with weather predictions because they would begin croaking just before rains.

In Egypt the frog was most commonly associated with the goddess Heket (or Heqet), the goddess of fertility and childbirth who assisted Isis in her ritual to resurrect Osiris.  Heket is depicted as a frog-shaped goddess, whose priestesses trained as midwives.  They wore amulets, jewellery and other ornaments that bore her image.  Frog shaped knives placed on to the bellies of pregnant women and newborn babies were believed to protect their youngsters.  Frogs in general were so important to the early Egyptians they were often embalmed after death.

In ancient China the toad was a trickster and a magician, a master of escapes and spells.  But he was also the keeper of powerful secrets.  One legend tells a story of a wandering wise old man called Liu Hai and his three-legged toad companion Ch'an Chu.  Ch'an Chu knew the secret of eternal life, and due to his masters kindness he revealed the secret to the wise man.  In Japan a similar legend involves the Gama-Sennin, also known as Kosensei, a wise old man with a hunched body and a warty face.  Kosensei wanders the land with his toad companion, who teaches him the secret powers of herbs, including the secret of immortality.

Frogs and toads go through at least one major transformation during their lives, that from tadpole to adult.  Many also shed their skins regularly as they grow, and some even eat their discarded skin.  These transformations may explain why many cultures saw frogs and toads as symbolic of re-creation, or as keepers of the secrets of life after death.  Members of the Olmec tribes of early Mesoamerica created images of a toad as the ‘God of rebirth�? reborn after consuming itself and thus caught up in the never-ending cycle of life and death.

As much as the frog was seen as a symbol of life and birth, it was also seen as a symbol of death.  Some European myths tell that it was bad luck to kill a frog for they housed the souls of dead children.  In the ancient Zoroastrian religion of the Middle East the frog was associated with Ahriman (the most evil of all beings).  In Europe, it wasn’t until the Middle Ages that the frog was given such an unfavourable reputation, and the frog went from being a sacred symbol of creation to a manifestation of evil.  The frog (along with other animals) was quickly associated with Witches, and thought to be their devoted magical animal used to carry out all sorts of diabolical deeds.

In early Christianity, demonologists often referred to frogs as the ‘Witches Familiar�?or ‘Agent of the Devil�?  The fact that frogs resided in swamps and stagnant pools, often dirty and unsanitary places, was used to exemplify the power of consecrated holy water to expel evil spirits and purify sinners.  Witches were thought to use frogs and toads in satanic rituals, and to concocted malicious sounding spells and potions from their body parts.  Some believe that a witch could be identified by a mark shaped like a toad’s foot secreted on her body or that the image of a toad would be visible in the left eye.  Other myths tell of witches extracting toad secretions, or collecting toad saliva for use in flying potions and invisibility spells.

In the Witch trials at St. Osyth in England, Ursula Kempe's young son testified that one of her four familiars, a black toad named Pigin, had once caused illness in a young boy.  Toads were also popular as poisonous ingredients in potions:  “the women-witches of ancient time which killed by poysoning, did much use toads in their confections�?  Witches were also believed to control the weather by concocting brews from frogs, toads and snakes, often referred to as “Toad Soup�?  Undoubtedly, many experienced illness or death after ingesting or applying some sort of frog-made brew including their toxic secretions.  Such folklore and popular mythology was the result of Inquisitional propaganda to eliminate the old Pagan religions and prosecute Witches with charges of heresy during the persecution years.

Frogs and toads since ancient times have been highly regarded for possessing medicinal properties.  Pieces taken from a frog’s body were used as aphrodisiacs to aid impotence and boost fertility.  A frog’s liver was believed to be an antidote to all poisons, while a toad’s lungs provided the means to the “perfect murder of a wayward husband�?  In many Shaman traditions of the Americas, hallucinogenic compounds derived from toads are used in religious rituals for communion with the spirit world and for self-transcendence.  In many cases, these myths have some foundation in truth, as some species contain compounds both poisonous and hallucinogenic.

One of the most widely told myths concerning the toad is that of the “Toad-Stone�? a fabulously jewelled stone that grows inside the toad’s head.  This jewelled stone when placed in a ring or a necklace, would heat up or change colour in the presence of poison, thereby protecting the wearer from the dangers of poisoning, a common threat in the Middle Ages.