What is an Animal Totem?
The phrase “animal totem” literally means a symbolic representation
of your animal guide; such as a crest, a totem pole, an emblem, a small
figurine, or anything else that depicts your animal guide. A totem could
be symbolic for a whole tribe, clan or family – or just an individual.
However, the phrase “animal totem” also means “animal guide”, receiving
spiritual assistance from an animal.
Shamans throughout the world have relied on the guidance and wisdom
of spirit animals for thousands of years. Totems have been used in
shamanistic practice as far back as human history stretches, it is one
of the oldest forms of magick in the world. Hunters would paint the form
of their prey on walls during ceremonies to bless the coming hunt with
good fortune, and to acknowledge, bless and thank the spirit of the
animal, as well as even ask for its assistance from the spiritual world.
Many ancient tribes revered certain animals for their particular
characteristics. Animals are embroiled deeply in all the ancient
religions, and were often deified.
Egypt painting of the Jackal Headed God, Anubus
In simple terms, your animal guide
instructs you, protects you and teaches you important lessons as you
navigate your spiritual and physical life. They also help us reconnect
with our earth roots, reminding us that everything is interconnected and
we are all part of the same cycle of life. This knowledge is the most
important and powerful truth that we can hold. Working with animal
totems is a form of medicine in the Native American Indian tradition.
Animals that call to you in a particular way are calling to you in the
way of power. They carry special medicine for you, and may well call to
you through your dreams once you start learning about them. In learning
to call on the medicine of any person, creature or natural force, one
must maintain an attitude of reverence and be willing to accept help.
This power is truly at its most effective when used from a space of
unity – of each being having within itself a part of all other beings,
the law of oneness.
Do We have more than One Animal Totem?
Because our personalities, just like Mother Earth, just like Creator,
have many facets, we usually experience more than one totem animal in
our lives. Various traditions have differing teachings on whether there
is a specific number of totems we experience. The Native American
tradition, for one, teaches that we are each connected with nine
different animals that accompany us through life as our guides (
more on this further down).
We experience the wisdom and assistance of these different animal
guides as they come into and out of our lives throughout our journey.
They join us during new tasks, changes in direction, lessons to be
learnt, and all events involving spiritual growth including simply
bettering ourselves in day to day living. Bear in mind that as old
totems exit our life, so new totems arrive, and this is the way it must
be in order to continue growing and learning. Remember to always give
thanks and blessings to a departing or departed totem, when you become
aware that its energy is moving away from you.
Despite the changing nature of life and our totems, most traditions
agree that we usually experience at least one animal guide who stays
with us for our whole life, in the spiritual world and often in physical
manifestations. This animal acts as our main guardian spirit (Life
Totem). You share a connection with this animal that will show itself in
shared characteristics, your dreams, various interactions, and an
ongoing interest in the animal throughout your life. This animal guide
offers power and wisdom to you, and as you learn to communicate with it,
a relationship of respect and trust will develop and deepen. It is with
you to assist you in your soul’s purpose in life during this
manifestation.
What is the Difference between an Animal Totem, and a Witch’s Familiar?
Most people have encountered and recognize the popular image of a
witch and her black cat. A familiar is an animal that physically lives
with a witch, and assists her/him in her magickal workings.
Traditionally, witches worked primarily with cats, but a familiar could
be any animal living with the witch – a dog, rabbit, horse, snake, etc. A
familiar represents all the good qualities of that animal and is in
tune with the witch energetically. It provides the witch with a link to
the animal kingdom, and the essence of their power. A witch’s familiar
may or may not also be one of her animal totems, likewise her animal
totem may or may not join her in physical form.
How Can One Work with Animal Totems?
Obviously you cannot always work with a physical familiar, for
obvious reasons (space limitation, for one). Therefore, shamans / energy
workers / witches find working with animal totems in the astral of huge
benefit. You can at any time call on the animal kingdom for assistance –
it can be as simple as asking a question and going for a walk in
nature, or as complicated as a full ritual to acknowledge a specific
power animal – as long as you make the effort to open up to the natural
world.
Healers: You may choose to work with an animal totem
specifically for one magickal working that would benefit from that
animal’s medicine, guidance and power. In terms of healing, many animals
have unique resistance to certain diseases, and drawing upon that
animal’s energy helps us/our patient be more resistant to it as well.
Some animals are archetypal symbols of healing, like the snake, as it
sheds its old skin and moves into the new. As a symbol for
transformation, by meditating and focusing on the snake during times of
illness, it can assist in accelerating the healing process. Animals that
appear to us at times of illness can also be providing us with vital
clues as to the best way to focus our healing energies. You may also
find that the spirit of a power animal may choose at times to enter the
consciousness of one who has walked the “Medicine Way” (or in other
words, works with the Animal Kingdom energies) for many years, and align
itself to aid in healings. This is part of the initiation process of
Animal Medicine, and brings great power to the healer.
Quarter Guardians: Some animals are associated with the quarters (four elements) and can be called in to activate the quarters.
Advisors & Guides: Totem animals are also great
advisors and can be called on for help in particular situations. They
can lead us and help us in sacred quests and journeys, as well as bring
us direction about situations, choices, decisions and activities we’re
involved in. A closer study of their characteristics and behaviours
provides clues and insights as to what our own behaviours and actions
should be in particular situations.
Teachers: You can also personally select a “power
animal” – i.e. a totem animal to work with within the astral for a time
(weeks, months or years) in order to learn specifically from that
animal. All animals that come to us are teachers. They teach us about
our own potentials, about energies at play within our lives and about
our spiritual paths. We can learn something from every animal, but those
that appear to us, and those that we choose to work with, can teach us
special wisdoms.
Protectors: Animals are also protectors, and can be
called upon to give us extra strength and energy. They can alert us to
trouble, physically and spiritually. Pay attention to what animals
appear in your life in order to benefit from their messages of warning.
You might find yourself having dreams of conflict in which an animal
appears – the animal lets us know what qualities to draw on to handle
the conflicts in our life. Protection animals are not always big and
ferocious – every animal has its own unique defence strategies and
abilities. While bears can be powerful protectors for many aspects of
life, the opossum can also serve as a protector, warning that things and
people around us are not what they seem to be. We may need to “play
possum” in some situations.
How To Find Your Animal Totem
When you find an animal is speaking strongly to you, that you feel
drawn to it, or you find it keeps cropping up (e.g. you see a poster of
an eagle, then hear a song about an eagle on the radio, then look out
your window to see an eagle fly past), you need to acknowledge and open
yourself to it. You can do this very simply by placing pictures or
totems (statues/crests etc) in your environment, and learning more about
the animal. This will assist your subconscious in being more open to
the energy of the totem, and thus allow messages and wisdom to flow to
you from your animal more easily, as well as encouraging the energy of
the animal to be welcome in your space.
There are several questions you can meditate on if you have not
become aware of your animal totem/s yet. Remember that you cannot be
wrong! Just trust your intuition and relax as you contemplate the
answers:
- What animal, bird or insect do you feel most drawn to?
- When you go to a nature reserve, park or zoo, what animal are you most interested in seeing?
- What animal do you most often see (in nature and in your ordinary
surroundings – contemplate any interaction, whether images, sounds, or
the actual animal)?
- What animal are you currently interested in learning more about?
- What animal most frightens you, intrigues you, or makes you feel “out of your comfort zone”?
- Have you ever been bitten, scratched or attacked by an animal?
- Do you ever have recurring dreams about a particular animal?
- Are you drawn to figurines or pictures of a specific animal?
More exercises to try:
- Make a list of animals that have drawn your interest or have left a
deep impression on you from paintings, photographs, stories, movies,
carvings, etc. This will help you identify what animal/s has/have played
a meaningful part in your world.
- Keep a journal of the animals present in your dreams or that you
encounter through the day for the next month. How did the animal behave?
Did you interact with the animal? This will help you identify which
animal shows up in your life most frequently.
- Find a place where you can be alone to meditate. Sit quietly and ask
your animal to make its nature known to you. Feel free to use tools
such as incense, smudge, and candles to help you. A particularly helpful
meditation is picturing yourself standing in the middle of a large
forest glade, with a river and/or lake, or perhaps a cove by the sea.
Ask your guide to come to you, as you walk in the surroundings.
DIFFERENT TRADITIONS:
As already discussed, different traditions vary on the specifics when
it comes to the exact number of totem animals you work with, and what
they are called. Below I list two DIFFERENT views – the point is to do
your own research and go with what suits YOU. It’s a personal choice
based on what you resonate with.
View One – Types of Totems:
Life Totem
Your Life Totem animal is the first totem you should connect
with, intuitively, once your understand its significance. Your Life
Totem animal is with you throughout your entire incarnation, and is
always there for you when you need its abilities. It is possible to have
more than one Life Totem animal that join you during your journey.
Primary Life Totem
Your Primary Life Totem represents your key focus at this time – that
which you are currently working on, learning, developing. The messages
brought to you by your Primary Life Totem are important reminders from
the Universe about your present purpose on Earth, and your inner
spiritual nature.
Journey Totem
You Journey Totem animal is with you for a specific period of time –
whether that be weeks, months or even years, depending on how long it
takes you to walk the path and learn the lesson/s that your Journey
Totem animal is guiding and assisting you with. You may experience
several Journey Totem animals appearing in your life more commonly than
all the others, as if by coincidence. When two or three animals suddenly
make an appearance in your life, and they share a similar nature, it
means that you have established the basis of your path.
Message Totem
A Message Totem arrives suddenly, neutrally, and at random times
throughout your life (or maybe even only once). A Journey Totem, in
contrast, stays a little longer and tends to slip in and out of your
life over a period of time. The Message Totem brings a powerful message
of self growth and spiritual awakening – a sudden step forward. The
experience will stand out as unique.
Shadow Totem
A Shadow Totem animal is one of a number of totems sent to us to test
us, and will be the one that you initially fear. The Shadow Totem
represents your inner fears and weaknesses that you need to overcome.
Once you are able to see the fascination or attraction in a previously
feared, ‘dangerous’ animal, you have succeeded in learning its lesson,
and its power and strength will be open to you. For this reason, facing
the fears that the Shadow Totem brings out in you can result in major
spiritual growth. Failing to face your fears could result in the Shadow
Totem being unable to assist you, and in fact force it to work against
your life, holding you back from enlightenment.
Spirit Totem
A Spirit Totem is what a Shadow Totem becomes in your life once
you have overcome your fear. It is one of your most powerful Animal
Totems.
View Two – The Native American Indian Nine Totems:
Each and every person has nine power animals that represent the
medicine they carry on this journey/lifetime. For example, a person who
is connected with Wolf is a born teacher, pathfinder, innovator and
self-starter. If they are not living their truth/not walking their true
path, you may find they emulate the opposite of these qualities. The
number nine is based on the concept that we are born on Earth with seven
directions: East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Within (which
they teach is inside us AND around us since the entire Universe is
inside our consciousness). We have a totem animal in each of the seven
directions to teach us the lessons of these directions. The other two
animals are the ones that walk on either side of us at all times. We may
experience them in recurring dreams, a fascination with them throughout
our lives, or simply a recognized “connection”.
What is Animal Medicine?
In this context, the word “medicine” must be redefined. Medicine is a
Native American Indian concept which refers to anything that improves
one’s connection to Creator/Great Spirit/The Great Mystery, and all
life. This includes physical healing, mind healing and spirit healing.
It also encompasses anything that increases or brings about growth in
personal power, strength and understanding. It is a way of living that
brings healing to Mother Earth and all life forms. Therefore, in
essence, Native American medicine means a way of life – walking on Earth
in perfect harmony with the Universe.
Animals’ characteristics, behaviours, patterns and even their very
appearances, relay messages to us – we just need to learn the language.
This is an ancient form of “reading the wyrd”, the way the world worked
before technology made us blind and deaf to the natural world around us.
This precious information, and gifts of healing, are completely free to
us.
When you call on the power or energy of a specific animal, you are
asking to be drawn into complete harmony with the strength of its
essence. All understanding that we gain, all wisdom that we collect
through these valuable interactions with our animal brothers and
sisters, is a healing process, and must be approached with both humility
and intuitiveness. Certain aspects of the lessons the animals choose to
teach us are reflections of our soul lessons. These are essential
truths about being human, being vulnerable, and seeking wholeness with
all that is. They are a part of the pathway to power. The power lies in
the wisdom and understanding of your role in the Great Mystery, and in
honouring every living thing as a teacher.
Learning to interact with the Animal Kingdom in this way is about
reactivating your instinctual intuitiveness, remembering your innate
knowledge of natural truths, learning how to relate to all of the Great
Mystery’s creatures, and how to “observe the obvious in the silence”.
“The silence of a quiet mind is the sacred fertility of the receiving spirit.” –
Medicine Cards, Jame Sams & David Carson
MORE
Look out for the next few posts where I’ll be providing lists of
animals and their totem meanings. Obviously the meanings of each animal
have been extremely simplified and in many places only one aspect has
been focused on. This is simply due to time and space constraints – to
try encompass the whole of a complex creature and all the hundreds of
lessons it has to impart would be an impossibility. But hopefully the
information will be enough to get you on your way, and once your eyes
and energies are opened, the animals will begin to fill in the rest as
needed
Sources for this series include:
http://www.goddessrealm.com/animal-totems
http://www.animaltotem.com/find-your-totem.html
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-totems.html
http://www.animalspirits.com/indexlist.html
“Indian Power Animals and Totems” by Marguerite Elsbeth
“To Ride a Silver Broomstick” by Silver RavenWolf
“To Stir a Magick Cauldron” by Silver RavenWolf
“Animal-Speak Pocket Guide” by Ted Andrews
“Medicine Cards – The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals” – by Jamie Sams & David Carson ***HIGHLY RECOMMENDED***
“ Earth Medicine” by Kenneth Meadows
“Psychic Pets” by Barbara Woodhouse
Cucumber: 97%*