People in shamanic cultures were convinced that humans and animals were related.  In their myths, for example, the animal characters were commonly portrayed as essentially human in physical form but individually distinguished by the particular personality characteristics possessed by the various types of animals as they exist in the wild today.  Thus Coyote is distinguished in the stories by his mischievous behavior, and Raven often by his unseemly dependence on others to kill game for him.

Then, according to various creation myths, the animals became physically differentiated into forms in which they are found today.  Accordingly, the myths explain, it is no longer possible for humans and to converse together or for animals to take on human form.

While the mythical paradise if animal-human unity is lost in ordinary reality, it still remains accessible in non ordinary reality to the shaman and vision-seeker.

The use of hallucinogenic drugs is no longer thought necessary for a person to experience metamorphosis into their power animal.  Dancing, accompanied by drumming, is the far more common method employed by shamans of Northern South America, for example, it involves nighttime dancing during which the neophytes move in imitation of animals.  This is part of a process of learning how to turn into animals.

Partly taken from The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner.

Any animal can come from any direction. Where they come from and the direction they go to tells you different things. You need to understand the Seven Sacred Directions so that you see where their message is focused. Coming from a direction gives you the perspective that direction holds, where they go gives the focus on the subject you need to take. What animal shows up tells you how you need to apply the information, and their actions tell you what the issue is. It all works together and the more you understand about them the clearer the messages, the greater the amount of information gathered, and the more comfortable you become working with them.

We can call on any creature-teacher at anytime. We can receive them from any direction and sometimes direction won't even be a factor, especially if they just appear out of thin air...and that happens too. Then we have to focus on what that animal represents, how it applies to our life, and what the actions of that animal are telling us to pay attention to or do. Some speak to us like we speak, others use body language, some take us places and show us things, it can come in such a variety of ways and as we go we start seeing how they relate to our ways of understanding them. We literally learn their language and the shaman/ess will speak many languages.

Each of us is unique. Seeking the "wisdom" of any animal would be done in the Below World or in the North (North pertains to life's wisdom gleaned by living it and the Below World is where the animal guides emanate from). However, you can sit in the center of the Medicine Wheel or pick a particular stone that represents the animal you wish to communicate with and focus on it there too. You can sit in your living room, call the animal to you, let it guide you on a journey and direction may or may not play a part in that. There really isn't a *wrong* direction. There are just some that are more focused or advantageous depending on the questions you are asking and the work being done. It all starts with centering – the center of you with the universe surrounding you wherever you are. The Now of the moment is where you bring it all together but you have to start somewhere and calling in the Seven Sacred Directions will help you do that.