Animal Totems (posts from Wake the Witch yahoo group)

Do you know your animal totem?
Posted by: "Katydid"
Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:12 pm (PDT)

Do You Know Your Animal Totem?(Ted Andrews)

Begin the process of discovering your animal totems by examining the animals you have been most interested in & the times of your life that interest was piqued. Use the following questions to help determine which animals are probably totems to you in your life.

Which animal or bird has always fascinated you? (We are drawn to that which most resonates with us. Those animals which fascinate us have something to teach us.)

When you visit the zoo, which animal do you wish to visit the most or first? (As a child, this is especially important. Children are more naturally open and thus are able to more easily recognize the animal that will be important to them)

What animal(s) do you see most frequently when you are out in nature? Have you had encounters with animals in the wild?(The animals we encounter, in their city environments or in the wild, have significance for us. We can learn from them, even if only about survival within that environment.)

Of all the animals in the world, which are you most interested in now?(Our interests in animals change. Yes, we usually have one or two that are lifetime, power animals, but others become prominent when there is something importance or specific to teach us.)

What animal most frightens you? (That which we fear the most is often something we must learn to come to terms with. When we do that, it then becomes a power. Some shamans believe that fears will take the shape of animals, and only when we confront them without fear do their powers/medicine work for us instead of against us. Such an animal become a shadow totem.)

Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal? (Historically, if a shaman survived an attack, it was believed that the animal was the shaman's spirit totem and the attack was the totem's way of testing the shaman's ability to handle the power.)

Do you have dreams with animals in them or are there animal dreams you have never forgotten? (This is especially important if the dreams are recurring or if at least the animal image in the dream is a recurring one. Children often dream of animals, & attention should be given to these animals. They will often reflect specific spirit totems of the child.) This is a great beginning to your journey!


never choose an animal totem
Posted by: "Katydid"
Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:15 pm (PDT)
http://members.aol.com/torcboy/neverchooseatotem.htm

Never Choose a Totem Animal by Christopher Penczak

Animal Medicine is a balm of the soul. Animals bring us
wisdom from not only the shamanic otherworlds, but from the natural, instinctive world surrounding us. The medicine is their message, the answer to our problems. Actual physical illnesses may manifest from harmful thoughts and actions, but more often than not, their medicine power cures the conditions before they manifest as illness, by attacking the root of the issue.

Whatever they tell us, through their character and actions, usually grants meaningful insight on the way we live our lives. Sometimes we need a gentle nudge from our animal friends, both in the spirit and physical worlds, to remind us of the living truths.

Some of us have found our totem animals, our animal spirit guides in the other realms. More appropriately, they have found us. Sometimes an animal adopts a whole tribe or family. These power animals may be the archetypal representatives of their race, existing on the astral worlds, or they are simply a guiding spirit taking the form we need most.

The concept is found most strongly in Native American mysticism, but power animals can be found around the world. Each one is unique, as individual as people walking the Earth and snowflakes falling from the sky. But common threads run between them. Each animal works with different themes to bring their messages across.

If you do not know all of your totems, because you can have many as the need arises,
the spirit animal may send a physical representative to remind you. Some stay for great lengths of time, while others do their work and leave, not building a long relationship with you.


Recently I had an opossum climb into my chimney and fireplace while writing at my desk. The noise freaked me out, and I went to investigate. My initial panic was followed by a series of phone calls trying to find humane animal control people who would be able to safely release the opossum. It left before anyone got here. Later I found out about Opossum spirit medicine from a good friend. The opossum teaches us to play dead.

We accept the power of our enemies and cease to struggle. By not providing a chase, they will leave us for dead and we will be free. Those words fit so perfectly for a tense confrontation I was having in my life. By heeding the advice, the struggle was resolved perfectly. This is a quick dose of animal medicine brought to the physical world so I couldn't miss it. By understanding their nature, we divine our message. I thanked the opossum and since then, have not seen it, either here or in the otherworlds.

In anticipation of finding your totem, there is a desire to control. You may find a certain animal "cool" and want it to be your totem. And since you have an affinity for it, it may be a totem of yours, but the power animal you need most steps in when the time is right, regardless of your expectations or desires. Let them come. Trying to control the situation may block the animal needed to contact you. Each has a lesson. I've found some people start disappointed in their animal, because it is not strong or fast enough to match their self-perceived personality.
But the animal may be bringing traits you lack. Go with it. Do not fight it. Accept and work with your totem animal.

My first totem is the spider. I hated spiders. I'm still not too crazy about them, but I'm learning from them in both worlds. But I would not have chosen it. Spiders would come to me and just drop down. Wherever I went, there were spiders. I had them following me. My first initiation into the spider clan was a bite from my eight-legged friend as a child. I had an allergic reaction to it and was taken to the hospital. Twenty years later it culminated in a vision where a giant spirit spider helped me process some of my irrational fear and release it. Now they come to me frequently, but mostly during meditations. They have been a great help.

Since then I've also worked greatly with the crow, for I follow the crow goddess Macha. There are others, but they occur less frequently.


Your first meeting may be in a dream or meditation. It may come as a reoccurring physical encounter with an animal. You're animal may contact you first as needed, or you can initiate it.

Get into a quiet meditative state, and ask to meet the power animal most correct for you at this time. You may be spontaneously led on a shamanic journey. Or a vision may come to you.

Perhaps you'll get no response for now, and your animal will talk to you through the physical world. Be open and aware. No one wants the squirrel, when they think there is a tiger
out there. The ladybug is equally unpopular if you are the wild type, drawing more to the scorpion. But expect the unexpected.

Your totem may come to you in the form of a cartoon critter, teaching you to lighten up. It's happened. Be prepared. And never choose a totem animal. Let one choose you.





discovering & working with animal totems (long post)
Posted by: "Katydid"
Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:17 pm (PDT)
Discovering and working with Totem Animals

What are Totem Animals

Totem animals are any animal, bird, insect or aquatic life that offer themselves in service to assist not only humans but all forms of life.

In general, most people are born with 7 Totem animals while Shamans or those carrying strong shamanic energy may have hundreds of Totems.

New Totem Animals may be acquired throughout the life, especially in response to a great need for guidance or support.

A totem animal may come from any part of the world although it is more common for a person to be most strongly connected with those native to the persons country of birth. For those with strong ancestral ties to a country other than their birth, the animals are more likely to be found in the family's original country of origin. It is also quite possible that a person may have one or two totems from one part of the world, several more from another.


How can I tell which Animals are my Totems

Many times a person will feel drawn to one animal or another without being able to explain why, they just like the Animal's energy. This could indicate a possible totem connection.

Another clue is to watch and see which Animal's consistently appear in a person's life. This can occur through seeing frequent representations of the Animal such as receiving cards or letters with the same animal pictured over and over, turning on the telly and seeing nature shows featuring the same animal, seeing stories in the papers about the animal, or even in some
instances, having the animal show up in person in your neighborhood! Dreams will often feature a person's Totem animal when the person is ready as well as bringing in new totems. Shamans and some clairvoyants are also able to determine what a person's Totems are either through "seeing" the Animal near the person or journeying Shamanically to contact the person's Totems.


Developing a relationship with Totems

Once a person's animal totems have been determined, the next step is to develop a relationship with the energies the animal represents. This can be done in a number of ways, much the same as you would go about starting a new friendship.

The first is to be receptive and open to working with the Animal and the energy it represents. Allow yourself and your totems time to interact and get to know one another by studying their habitats, normal behaviour patterns and asking them to be present while you go about your daily routine so they can see how you operate in YOUR habitat! Commit to setting aside time each week to meditate and tune into your Totems energy, then stick with it! This show honor and respect, much the same way you want others to honor and respect you. Even a few minutes two or three times a week is better than nothing, and crucial if you want to reap the full benefit of what your totem is offering you. If the Totem animal is one you see frequently near your home,say a Blackbird or a Squirrel, spending time outdoors just watching and talking with the one's you see also encourages your Totem to be more responsive to you. Like any relationship, what you put into it is generally what you get out of it.

Ask your Totem questions, such as "what should I do about my situation at my job" and then be
open to the intuitive insights you receive. Jot them down if possible and act upon them! The more you act upon the intuitive advice given and are receptive to receiving, the more your totem feels like a valued part of your life and will act accordingly. It's also nice to return the favor and ask your totems if there is anything you can do for them! Remember, it's a two way street and the more you give the more you will receive. I often talk to the Crows
in my neighborhood (much to my neighbor's dismay!) as crows and ravens are two of my primary Totems. If I ignore them, next time out I am likely to have something tossed in my direction or have a flock follow me down the street shrieking at me. Like any old friend, they like to be greeted when we meet and are highly offended if I don't at least say hello. Makes all the difference in the world!


My Totem is acting strangely, what does that mean?

Once you have developed a relationship with your totem animals, there may be times when those local to your neighborhood or in dream states or meditations, don't act as they normally would. This is an alert that something is up or about to change in your life that you need to pay attention to. The stranger or more unusual the behaviour, the more you need to examine areas of your life that may be out of kilter or situations it's time to let go of. Usually we know intuitively when something is not right in our lives, but all to often we try to ignore it and carry
on as usual. Of course at some point the situation is going to blow up in your face which is precisely what your totems are trying to get you to prevent. Pay attention and take action where you know you need to. Then if the Totem still hasn't settled down, it's probably a raven or crow. They are always acting strangely. Just don't tell them I told you so or I will never hear the end of it!

My Totem attacked, bit, scratched or frightened me in a dream or meditation

Welcome to the Shamans world! Actually, it's not uncommon to have these kinds of experiences with totems. Often it's their way of testing your ability to handle their energies in the proper manner so you don't harm yourself or someone else. Shamans often have repeated dreams of being torn apart and reassembled by their Totems.

Often when a new Totem appears, you are tested in much the same way as their energy is unfamiliar to you and you need classes so to speak in how to deal with this new influx of energy. How you respond in these situations tells the animal how you are able to handle the energy when it actually shows up in your life. Running away screaming is obviously not going to win you any brownie points, but has sure sounded good to me on more than one occasion. The main thing to remember is that the Totem would not be there if the chances were slim to none that you couldn't handle the energy.

What if I don't like, or feel drawn to my Totems?

This does happen. Earwigs for example make me go all wobbly. I know that Spirit in all his/her wisdom has a pretty darn good reason for having created them in the first place, and despite what Crow says about them having been manifested simply to give me the ickies, I know they have a very important place in the scheme of things. I won't kill them, but I will make my housemates remove them when found inside. Without violence of course!

So what do you do if you have a Totem that gives you shivers? First have patience with yourself and admit that you just don't care for this particular Totem. Then do your best to set aside any negative feelings you have for it and study it's native habitat and normal life cycle as you would the totems you do like. I have Ant as a Totem and frankly it's another not very favorite insect. Yet I have learned to respect their strength, sense of dedication and purpose, patience and loyalty to their group. They are still not my favorite insects, yet we have a good working relationship based on mutual respect and trust.

Often the totem we like the least is really the one we can learn the most from, so do your best to accept what has been offered. If you still can't stomach that particular Totem, you can ask that you have another take it's place, just be sure and honor the original one by thanking it for what it has taught you, asking Spirit to bless it and all of it's kind.

Asking Totem Animals for help

Now we get to the really good stuff! Yes, your Totem animals can assist you in a variety of ways. You see, when anyone or anything does a good deed, they attract positive karma. So it really is in your Totems best interests to help you in any way that they can. Likewise, it's also in yours to assist them when needed!

One way of asking for help is to sit in meditation and call your totems to you, saying that you have a problem or situation you need help with and asking for a volunteer to step forward who can give the greatest help. Don't be surprised if he one who steps up is not the one you expected, but trust that this is indeed the right Totem for the job.

Next, ask specifically what you would like to have happen, including the phrase " For the good of all and harm to none". This is very important, as your totem may not act if it knows to do so would bring harm to you or another. Yes, they will protect you if you are attacked by another, without hesitation, but they will also do their utmost to protect you from unforseen consequences that could be brought about as the result of your request.

Now you need to release the totem to go do it's work. You can use a phrase like " Peace and Spirit be with you as you journey forth to fulfill my request". Saying thank you in advance is also appreciated both by your totem and Spirit and actually gives greater momentum towards the fulfillment of your request.

Another option is to find a picture of your totem, set up a small altar or private space for the totem with some crystals, incense, flowers, plants, etc., preferably relating to your request. Write your request down on a piece of paper or parchment, place it in on the altar and set a candle ( in a candle holder please! It won't do you much good to ask your Totem to bring you your soul mate if you burn your house down in the process!) on top of it, light the incense,
then the candle and visualize your totem going off into the Universe to bring youwhat you have asked for. Please's and thank you's are again much appreciated and add momentum towards the
manifestation of your desire.

In some circumstances you may get the feeling that a friend or loved one needs your totems energy on loan so to speak. In such circumstances, you can ask that if it is appropriate, that your
totem(s) go and assist this other person. Your intent to help is all that is needed, your totems will take care of the rest!

Honouring Totem Animals

There are numerous ways to honor totem animals. It can be s simple as putting out food for the wildlife in your area (this does not have to include your loon of a neighbor down the street, but hey, whatever floats your boat!) with the intent that your Totems are also being nourished to sending positive energy and love from your heart to your totems.

Giving money to wildlife organizations, recycling, walking or biking as often as possible rather than driving, gardening organically, helping to protect wilderness areas and sharing your knowledge of your totems with others are all wonderful ways of saying thanks and giving back. Create a Butterfly garden in your yard, set up a bird bath or build a bird house. Even sitting quietly and saying thank you, sharing events in your daily life with your totems, honors them and the gifts they share with you each and every day.

If you would like to know more about Totem Animals, I strongly recommend the book " Animal Speak" By Ted Andrews.
Copyright © 1998-1999 by Lynx Graywolf
All rights reserved.




finding your animal totem or guide
Posted by: "Katydid"
Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:20 pm (PDT)
Finding your Animal Totem or Guide

I get quite a few people asking me how do you know a particular animal is your totem or guide? It can be a fun process finding out, because most people have more than one animal guiding them at any one time. It's great trying to find a serious totem and then have a prankster like the raven or the coyote come up instead. Anyway, here are some tried and true ways of finding/realising your totem.

1. The first. The easiest. What animal has always fascinated you? Have you always loved leopards? Or horses? Or even to be obscure, snails? (Okay, so one of my guides is the snail. No laughing!) These animals usually resonate with your energy most closely, and have something to teach you.

2. Secondly. What animals do you HATE? Spiders? Rats? Snakes? That strange rhinocerous that keeps appearing in your dreams? The qualities we hate within other animals, are usually qualities we do not wish to foster, or are qualities within ourselves that we repress. These animals also have something to teach us. They are shadow totems, and only by confronting our fear of them, can we turn this fear into power, and use it wisely. My shadow totem/guide is the dolphin, and I'm not prepared to turn my hatred and fear into power just yet, because I'm having much too much fun flying with the raven.

3. Well kids, what animals do you HAVE to see at the zoo every single time? The otters? The fox? The bears? Think about it, it's animal magnetism displayed at its most basic. Kids are usually pretty down on their guides and potentially their totem animals, because they're generally more receptive. The zoo is a good place to start as any.

4. Did you like cheetahs a year ago? Lions the year before that? The changes in our animal tastes means something. We usually have learnt the lesson from one animal, and moved on to learn something new. Though we do have a lifetime totem, it's much easier to stumble upon the creatures that we are currently learning from.

5. What animals do you see most frequently when you're outside? A week where you've only seen pelicans? Another week where you seem to hear magpies left, right and centre? We learn from these animals survival within a harsh environment, and that beauty and courage are still available to us.

6. Ever been bitten? Massacred? Scarred by an animal? These animals are usually testing us, to see if we're worthy of being their pupil. Repetitive nightmares of an animal attacking you can also mean the same thing. If a wolf wants to be your totem, and it can't access you in real life because you live in Australia, it will sometimes come to you in your sleep instead.

7. Dreams. I've referred to them a couple of times now. They're important. Recurring animals mean something symbolically, whether or not we understand what they mean. Write down dreams with a particular animal in them, especially if you've had them more than once. It's significant.

8. Meditation. Let the animal come to you. Walk through a forest, a desert, whatever comes to mind and let it find you. This is a good method, especially for those who can already meditate. It's not good to resent the first animal that comes to you, or you could find yourself attacked. I was meditating a month ago and stumbled across a wolverine. I was a little bit surprised, I didn't want a wolverine protecting my heart chakra! Next second claws were digging into my chest and all I could smell was rank decay. I'd angered Wolverine! However, acceptance followed, and I wouldn't have it any other way now.

Within Villtur the honouring of animals is something that should be done on a frequent basis. I don't necessarily mean via prayer, or going to the Animal Adventist Church down the road for Mass. Honouring animals acknowledges their power, and that they - by the simple fact that they have souls and personalities - are our equals.

You can honour animals by:

a. Leaving seed scattered in your yard, at the park, or anywhere in general for the bird spirits. Birds traditionally are one of the oldest symbols of the Mother Goddess, and appreciate the seed, especially in Winter.

b. You can sponsor an endangered species.

c. Helping at local RSPCA centres and rehabilitation centres.

d. Researching and observing animals that are important to you. Spend a few hours at the zoo watching it, writing down what you notice, respecting it's space and trying not to make it uncomfortable. The more you understand about an animal, the better.

e. Observing the individual ethics of an animal. Male dogs do not like to be directly stared at, it offends them and their sense of territory, looking away and letting them approach lets them appreciate your sense of propriety. Cats on the other hand test you by staring, if you look away, you are the weaker prey and they will not respect you. Calling out bird calls without thinking often disturbs birds in the local area. If you whistle for no reason, you often have upset all the birds that can hear you, and have infringed on their sense of territory. Only call, if you sense that it would be accepted. These are a few small examples.

f. Keeping ornaments of your totem animals or pictures. Even carrying little images around with you. Constantly remind yourself that they are there. Do not take them for granted!

g. Not killing them/responding to them mindlessly. Sounds stupid I know. But don?t just slam your hand down when you see a spider, scream when you see a rat or jump on a chair when you see a cockroach. If you need to get rid of it, fine. If you have to kill it because there's no where you can let it go, then do it. However, you should first acknowledge that you are killing a living creature, and decide from there what the best cause of action is.

There are many other ways of honouring animals, but these are some basics which are hopefully food for thought. http://ravenari.com/vilturr/t/finani.html





the basics of animal totems
Posted by: "Katydid"
Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:22 pm (PDT)

The Basics of Animal Totems(Ted Andrews)

1. Every animal has a powerful spirit.

2. This spirit may be its own, or that of a being who uses the animal image to communicate messages of the orld to humans.

3. Every animal has its own talents. A study of its talents will reveal the kind of medicine, magic, and power it can help you to develop within your own life. Remember, every animal has a speciality.

4. Lifelong power animals are usually wild, not domesticated, animals. There are a few exceptions, but even these exceptions are just links to the true power animal. For example, people may have dogs or cats as totems. These have their own medicine and power, but the domesticated animal may only be a softened form of its wild counterpart. A dog may be a link to the wolf, coyote, or any of the wild canine family. A cat may be a link to a member of the wild feline family, such as panthers, lions, tigers, and such. For many, beginning with the
domesticated form of the totem is a way of laying a foundation so that some day they will be able to handle and work more effectively with its true power form.

5. The animal chooses the person, not the other way around. Many believe that they can just choose an animal and start communicating with it. Usually ego gets in the way at these times. The individual chooses the animal he or she believes to be the most glamorous and powerful, rather than what is harmonious to the individual. The results are ineffectual and often frustrating. No animal is better or worse than any other. Every animal's medicine is unique. It is always much better to be powerful in mouse medicine than to be clumsy and ineffectual in eagle
medicine. You will find your greatest success in the animal that comes to you.

6. You must develop a relationship with your totem. To communicate with them demands respect. You must learn their point of view. Animals won't just warm up to you immediately. They must learn to trust you and your limitations, and you must learn to trust them and their limitations. This takes time, patience and practice.

7. You must honor your totem for its medicine to be effective in your life. The more you honor them - the more significance you give them within your life - the more powerful and effective they become.

Some of the ways you can honor them and draw them closer into your life is by:
Hanging pictures of them,
Drawing pictures of them,
Reading and learning as much about them as possible,
Buying figurines of your totem for yourself or purchasing small tokens and images of your totem and giving them to friends as gifts.

These are reminders of the power and spirit of your totem animal. Donating to wildlife
organizations with time and / or money. Dancing to honor your totem is a powerful link. Learn to mimic its behaviors. If it's a turtle, learn to creep like a turtle. If it's a lion, learn to crouch like a lion. If it's a bird, imitate its hopping or flying. And most importantly, keeping the animal alive within your imagination. See yourself as the animal totem using its qualities in appropriate places within your life. Remember that the imagination is a real link to your totem.

8. Once you learn to work with the medicine of your power animal, it then becomes a doorway to connecting with others of the animal realm. You are not limited to just one totem. Each can teach or add something to your life that the others can't. Working with your power animal will help teach you how to align with others. This way if you need greater strength, you can call up the image and draw upon the energy of a bear. If you need speed, you can connect with the energy of cheetah. Through your power animal, you learn to align with and shapeshift to the energies of other animals and beings.

9. Although there are one or even several totems that are strongest in your life and remain with you through most of it, others do play a role. You may have a totem for a day. You may have a totem that assists you through a particularly rough period in your life. One may come to you and stay with you through a cycle of several years. Another may be present when you do creative work. You are likely to have different totems for different areas of your life. There's no limit to the totems you can work with. The key though is to connect strongly and fully with at least one. This expands the consciousness and opens the bridge to others more easily.

10. More than one person can have the same totem. I know a number of individuals who work with wolf medicine. There are common factors in the way each works, but there are also differences. The archetypal energies and spirit reflected in the wolf will manifest for each uniquely, because each person is unique. The role the totem plays will be specific in many ways to the individual. Individuals who are in close relationships may share a totem. That totem becomes a guide to making the relationship stronger and more productive. The totem
may watch over the couple. Totem sharing is not limited to couples. Healing and meditation groups often share a totem animal, to oversee the activities.


link to life paths animal totems site
Posted by: "Katy_Ravensong"
Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:27 pm (PDT)

This is the first site I found that really 'hooked' me on researching totem animals/guides. That was quite a few years ago and it is still one of my favorite sites. It has many annoying popups since it's a tripod site but the info is worth it.
http://wolfs_moon.tripod.com/totemspage.html