TYPES OF ANIMAL TOTEMS
Here you will find out how to discover your animal totems. You will find your Life Long Totem, your Journey Totem, your Message Totem, your Shadow Totem, your Power Totem, and how to Work with any or all of your animal totems.
TYPES OF ANIMAL TOTEMS
Do you know your animal totems? Begin the process of discovering your animal totems by examining the animals you have been most interested in, and the times of your life that interest was maximized. Use the following questions to help determine which animals are probably totems for you in your life.
Which animal or bird has always fascinated you? (You are drawn to that which most resonates with you. Those animals which fascinate you have something to teach you.)
When you visit the zoo, which animal do you wish to visit first or the most? (children especially respond to this)
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 you encounter, in their city environments or in the wild, have significance for you. You 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, you usually have one or two that are lifetime, power animals, but others become prominent when there is something important or specific to teach you.)
What animal most frightens you? (That which you fear the most is often something you must learn to come to terms with. When you do that, it then becomes a power. Some shamans believe that fears will take the shape of animals, and only when you confront them without fear do their powers / medicine work for you ~ instead of against you. 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 and attention should be given to these animals. They will often reflect specific spirit totems of the child.)
When discovering totems you must first find out if the totem is a Life, Journey, Message or Shadow Totem. All totems are powerful but the meaning that the totem brings will vary depending on what type of totem has come to you. Before you go further you must learn what your Life Totem is. Discover your Animal Totems and find out what they are.
Answer the questions after each description to help you discover the Animal Totems in your life. Remember that you may not currently have a Journey or Message totem and finding out your Life animal totem is not always easy. When answering these questions you may have more than one answer per question but don't start listing out all animals, just the ones that are really important to you. Follow your instincts when answering the question ~ when in doubt ~ don't answer.
LIFE LONG ANIMAL TOTEM
Your life long animal totem can arrive at any time and will work with you throughout your entire life. Whether you have one, or many, it is there when you need it's powers, always reminding you of your power and connectivity. Let's concentrate on the main life totem at this time. The messages that your life totem bring are a hard reminder from mother nature. Your life totem is always there for you and generally reflects your inner spiritual nature. If, for example, your life totem is an eagle it probably means you are seeking wisdom. It is also important to understand which type of eagle is your animal totem since some have additional characteristics that are important to consider. This is true for all animals as there are many different types of each, e.g. different goats, whales, birds, etc. yet each are referred to under a single heading.
When you were a child, what animal did you collect or obsess over that you are still attracted to today?
Of all animals if you could have any animal as a pet or companion what would it be?
When going to the zoo, which animal do you spend the most time with or are drawn to?
if you could be any animal what animal would it be?
What animal is in your dreams that you have had since childhood?
What animal are you afraid of that you have no idea why you are afraid of it?
Of all animals what animals are you most attracted to?
When you are out in nature, do you often seem to run into the same animal?
What animal have you bumped into over and over throughout your life?
What animal have you watched for hours?
Does art work or jewelry with a certain animal always attract you?
Your life long animal totem will be the animal that you answered at least three times out of the eleven questions. The more time the same animal is listed in your answered the more important and stronger it is in your life.
JOURNEY ANIMAL TOTEM
Your journey animal totem reflects a period of time that is measured in weeks, months, and years [but not days] and it is the time it takes you to walk the path that the animal totem is reminding or guiding you on. During this journey you will find that this animal is always showing up in your life or that several animal totems will appear in your life all to guide you on the path. When you suddenly find two or three animals making an appearance around the same time and their natures are basically the same then you have found your path. The difference between the journey animal totem and the message animal totem is a period of time. A journey animal totem will slip in and out of your life over a time period.
What animal have you started to see occasionally that you never saw before?
What new animal are you attracted to?
Are you dreaming of an animal lately?
Are you thinking about an animal lately?
In the past two weeks what animals have you seen or dreamt of several times?
If you have a journey animal totem you will have answered at least two of the questions with the same animal. Blessings on your new path.
MESSAGE ANIMAL TOTEM
Your message animal totem usually brings you self growth or a spiritual message ~ like a wake up call, or slap in the face. It will usually arrive quickly and impartially in your life and the experience is usually quite powerful and has great impact on you.
What animal surprised or startled you today?
What animal that you don't usually see, have you seen a couple of times today?
What animal entranced you today?
If you only answered one question then this is a message you should consider. If you answered the same animal to two question then this animal is your message totem with a very important message. Heed it's word quickly for the message is for now and today.
SHADOW ANIMAL TOTEM
Your shadow animal totem may be an animal you have been attracted to. They bring great power for you to use and in order to prevent this power working against you they will put you through tests before allowing the power to work with you. In all of nature and in the spiritual realm [shadow world] there are prey and predators. A shadow animal totem is one that you initially fear as it often represents inner fears that you must overcome ~ you are usually given a very vivid test to see if you are ready to accept the power of the animal totem. Until you face the fears of the shadow animal totem it's powers will work against you, not letting you soar high. When you overcome the fear of the shadow animal totem you bring it into the light world as your spirit animal totem and they become one of your most powerful animal totems.
What animal attacks have you been in?
What scary or traumatic animal situations have you been in?
Does seeing a certain animal bring up feelings of fear?
What animal do you run from?
What animals do you have reoccurring nightmares about?
Does just watching TV with that animal appearing scare you?
Answering two questions with the same animal means you have a shadow totem you must address. Remember that the shadow totem will continually test you and work against you for you are it's prey. You must embrace the lesson of the animal totem and conquer your fear, accept the power of the shadow totem, and bring it into the light as your spiritual totem.
POWER ANIMALS
There are two ways you can meet your power animal. You can either perform a ritual or you can meditate. If the ritual makes you uncomfortable then perform the meditation instead. With either, when you catch that first glimpse of that particular animal to which you have a connection, you will know it in your heart.
One way to perform a ritual is to write down the name of an animal that you feel would suit you and then call forth to the essence of that particular animal and ask it to assist you in your present life. Part of the ritual is the honouring of the animal. The act of honouring an animal is not an act of worship. Honouring an animal is the acknowledgement of their power and their being. The animals are your brothers and sisters in the oneness of this, our universe. The energy of the animals, birds and other creatures that assist you should be honored. For too long these creatures have not been recognized as our equals. The American Indians leave tobacco as a gift, scattered on the ground. You could also burn incense in honour of the animal or leave a gift of some sort like a crystal or a gem on your altar. Afterwards, you will likely encounter all kinds of information about an animal of interest either through television, a book, or in some other way. If this is the case, plan to go into the meditative state again to cement your relationship with it and to get to know the animal and the essence it represents better.
To meet the animal in a meditative state, take a deep breath, still yourself, and ask your inner being to see which energies are right for you to help you in your present circumstances. In the silence of meditation you may get a visual of an animal, or a knowing, or a feeling, or a name may just pop into your head, or even a combination of these. Make sure to ask for details on the animal so that you can better acquaint yourself with it. Make sure it is not coming from you and what you want it to be. You will most likely see the animal in its natural form and habitat. There may even be a conversation about the animal between you. Converse with the animal ~ anything is possible on the astral. You can even merge with your totem and become the animal with your own intelligence intact [this is known as shape shifting]. Ask questions and get to know your new companion. Even the most simple of creatures have gifts to offer and many a person has been quite surprised by what they have. Not everyone has a bear or eagle so don't get in your own way and block the true animals you work with. If you find yourself with an animal that you are unable to work with and you cannot access any of its gifts or abilities it may be that you are not supposed to be working with that animal ~ at least at this time.
WORKING WITH THE ANIMALS
Now that you know what your Animal Totem is, you need to work with it. Meditation tapes and ceremonies are available through a variety of mediums. Simply choose one that you feel attracted to or that resonates within your spirit. Whether it be attending a pow-wow or simply sitting down in a quiet space and playing harps and strings ~ go within to seek your answers. Learn all you can about the animals that have come to be with you and use your learnings well. The animals have much to teach and we should listen as we continue ~ on this ~ our journey into light. Life is complicated enough, use the light to show you the path upward.
Now that you've got the animal, what do you do with it? Power animals are great advice givers, often representing your higher self that you haven't been paying attention to lately. In a meditative state you can ask for their assistance on problems that have been nagging at you. Sometimes one power animal or more may choose to work with another in order to achieve greater success when working with you. Your animals can assist you in the waking state as well. For example, if you were trying to teach someone a particular lesson and they were having difficulty understanding you ~ you would simply ask wolf for assistance for she is a wise and wonderful teacher.
Animal totems are used by Shamans in many tribal organizations from around the world and of these the best known are the American Indian and African. Children can be taught to work with the animals and they often have a great deal of success with them. The animal totems are not limited to mammals ~ t he birds, insects and reptiles can be just as helpful.
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