Spirit Guide of the Day is Hippopotamus. Keep grounded, but trust your intuition. Throw yourself into any artistic or creative activity that you are interested in while being protective of your work. Don't let others demean what you have been working on. It is a crucial time to stay on the path you've chosen and stay true to yourself. Your skin is quite sensitive at the moment so use lots of moisturizer and sunscreen when you are out in the sunlight. People who are connected with Hippopotamus speak with honor and truth, expecting others to be honest as well. These individuals can be temperamental and may need to work on controlling their temper and focusing that energy on their creative aspects. They are able to see beneath the surface of people to get to that truth and tend to follow habits and routines strictly, becoming upset if they are deviated from.

The Hippopotamus, Hippopotamus Amphibius, are the third largest living land mammals after elephants and rhinos.They can reach up to 5 feet tall, 13 feet long, and can weigh up to 3 and a half tons, living up to 40 years. Native to Africa, there are two species of Hippo. One which lives in East Africa, being the larger of the species while the smaller species called the Pygmy Hippopotamus is a shy, reclusive forest dweller restricted to the ranges of West Africa. These virtually hairless creatures have a grayish body with a flat, paddle-like tail. They posses four webbed toes great for swimming which spread outwards to support their heavy weight on land. The Hippo has no sweat glands and relies solely on water and/or mud to keep cool. This is one reason for their need to remain close to water sources, living the majority of their life, up to 16 hours a day, in water. The Greeks saw this need for water and deemed them the "river horse". Their nostrils are located high on their muzzles in order to help them bask in the waters and easily breathe. Hippos are able to hold their breath for up to five minutes for extended swimming.They do secrete a viscous red fluid used to protect their skin against the sun and, possibly, as a healing fluid. In order to mark territory, their flat tail is used to flick their excrement all around in order to indicate status and mark territory borders. Hippos will leave the water at night when the sun's light is less likely to harm their skin in order to graze on land for four or five hours. During this time, they can travel up to 5 miles and eat about 80 pounds of food. They do not need to eat much food due to their sedentary life, preferring to eat a herbivores diet of plants. Hippos are found in mixed groups, called schools, of approximately 15 individuals led by a highly territorial bull male. Their social structure is flexible, but dependent on food and water conditions. During droughts, large numbers are forced to come together near the small, limited pools of water. This overcrowding will force higher levels of aggression, led by the oldest and strongest males asserting dominance.