Animal Wisdom Speaks - April

​April has arrived and this month Animal Wisdom Speaks is dedicated to the Cassowary, a fierce protector and mentor that honors the individuality of their mentees, knowing that everyone carries their own unique gifts within and is walking their own individual path, teaching that there is not just one way – but many. 
​

Cassowaries are a keystone species, meaning that they have a disproportionately large effect on the habitats they share with other species. They teach you to never underestimate yourself, your role or importance in a cause, a group or an environment. Without the keystone, the arch or bridge collapses. Trust in yourself and your abilities.

​The greatest teachers and mentors on my path were - and are - the ones who would challenge me time and time again, coax me out of my comfort zone, let me look into the hungry eyes of the limiting thoughts I had had about myself, watch me teach my own mind about its infinite potential and wait for me on the other side of the all-devouring stream I had never thought of being able to cross. 

​Those were the teachers that were fine with me finding my own way and not follow the path they had walked on, who would fuel the spark of creation within me and not belittle me for being different and try to extinguish my flame.

"Ancestral Cassowary", pastels & crayons representing the colours of the Northern Lights, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2026, Hotel, Café & Konditorei Hecher, Wolfsberg, Carinthia) coming into being.

"White Cassowary", white pastels & crayons, Kristin Raphaela Otti (2024, Cafe Eiles & Café de L'Europe, Vienna)

The Cassowary is such mentor and teacher. While the female Cassowary leaves after having laid the eggs, the male Cassowary stays to protect the clutch and the chicks. He lets them explore and discover their territory for themselves, never reprimanding them, but furthering their individuality, observing and watching over them. They will bring the chicks back into their nest, albeit, if some form of danger arises that the chick is not yet prepared for and protect them fiercely, if the need should arise.
 
Cassowaries are a keystone species, meaning that they have a disproportionately large effect on the habitats they share with other species. They may be solitary birds and prefer staying hidden, but if they were to vanish the ecosystem would collapse.

The Cassowary teaches you to never underestimate yourself, your role or importance in a cause, a group or in an environment. Without the keystone, the arch or bridge collapses. Trust in yourself and your abilities. 
 
Kristin Raphaela Otti 

To learn more about the Cassowaries and their wisdom go to

Animal Wisdom Speaks