Shamans, who see the fast-approaching future, believe our earth is on the brink of catastrophe because the actions of its human inhabitants have brought about critical instability. I concur with this thinking. There are causes, reasons, and consequences, the patterns of which are identifiable—if we simply open our eyes and our consciousness. To speak of lions “forewarning” implies that they bear a “consciousness.” I believe this to be so. Yet, rather than the ego-consciousness so familiar to humankind, I believe that they carry the consciousness of the Original Source, the Creator identifiable with the solar Logos. Like the shamans of Africa, I accept that the White Lions are agents of light: Lions of God.

In this way, the words of the spirit master gradually became clear to me: “When man destroys the agents of light in this world, he freezes consciousness.” Humankind’s mismanagement of its planet, and the consequences of this mismanagement, have instilled fear on earth, and for good reason.

The thought of an Ice Age of imminent apocalypse and global catastrophe is frightening in the extreme, yet the White Lions’ message to us is not to succumb to our fear. They are here as the symbol we might draw upon to overcome this fear—and change the consciousness that is heading us into devastation. As the symbol of the heart of humankind, they are here to teach us the power of being brave and truly lionhearted. We as a species can evolve - not only physically, but ultimately also spiritually. We can overcome fear by summoning principles of courage, faith, and love. Love, in shamanic understanding, is faith in a divine presence. It is the knowledge that we are not alone, that we are all connected, we are all One.

Caught in the treadmill of our consumer societies, we might feel impotent against the ongoing destruction of our earth. This is not so. I do not believe that we are helpless. We become intensely powerful and effective once we start believing in the light within us, and allow this inner light to guide us toward the right action.

There are many ways to reconnect. We might not choose the White Lion as our symbol. Our totem might be the doves that we feed at Trafalgar Square, or the stray cat that we cherish as a light-radiating stone in our house. There are many ways to reinvest in our earth and its riches; there are many ways to give something back for what we have received. The important thing is to start making the connections, and the interconnections.

The truth is that we can make a difference. The very first step is to confront, and overcome, our own fears. Fear can hold us back from believing in our inner radiance. The lion symbol is not a lifeless statue in bronze or marble guarding the entrances of our state buildings. It is alive. It lives in the courage and truth and light of every one of us. Like Christ himself, and all the other avatars of light who walked this planet in physical form, the White Lions are here on earth as a beacon to guide us to reclaim that light within us.