A totem is an object representing an animal or plant that serves as an emblem of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe, reminding them of their ancestry (or mythic past).[1]
Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem. Normally this belief is accompanied by a totemic myth.
Although the term is of Ojibwe origin in North America, totemistic beliefs are not limited to Native Americans. Similar totem-like beliefs have been historically present in societies throughout much of the world, including Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Arctic polar region.
In modern times, some single individuals, not otherwise involved in the practice of a tribal religion, have chosen to adopt a personal spirit animal helper, which has special meaning to them, and may refer to this as a totem. This non-traditional usage of the term is prevalent in the New Age movement
from my experience the buffalo aka the bison is my life totem. he has always came to me in dreams and has been an obsession as far back as i can remember. when i was a toddler he came to me , of course i grew up on a cattle farm so everyone assumed i was talking about a bull. lol
he is with me still and has taught me many things over the years, endurance, how to gather the herd around me when protection is needed etc etc. i just got saw a pair of beautiful earrings with bison at a powwow i attended sunday, they were far more than i could afford so i walked away. half an hour later i was given money by a dear friend who said they wanted me to have something to remember the day by so i got my earrings.
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then my roomie who was driving took a different route home and we passed by the only bison farm in de and i got to see a herd, awesome confirmation that he's with me still!
you may also have totems that come to you for long or brief periods of time. has an animal shown up unexpectedly? i was talking to a friend who does wildlife rehab on the phone a few weeks back and there was a horrible racket goin on it was a baby crow. i didnt think anything about it until i was leaving work the next morning and i heard the same noise. there was a crow sitting on the light above my car cawing at me, happened every day for a week. obviously i'm supposed to be working with and learning from crow medicine.
i also have specific totems for healing. mine is bear, he gives me medicine with which to help others. i did not know i had bear medicine until i was doin reiki one night on a friends nephew who had swallowed his grandmas pills and was in intensive care unconcious. they had no clue if or when he was going to wake up, being only 3 the outlook was grimm. i had lain down to send long distance healing and apparently the rythm of the fan i was using put me in a shamanic trance. the next thing i knew i was in the hospitl room and there was an enormous bear standing on it's hind legs ROARING. i was not afraid and i began to chant and felt the bears energy enveloping the child who after a few minutes woke up. i was immediately transported back to my home where i came immediately out of the trance. i thought wow that was amazing, i'll have to tell chris and looked at the clock it was in the wee hours so i went to bed. in the morning when i got up there was a message that he had woke up in the middle of the night sat bolt upright in bed and started talking to the nurse. i called chris and asked her what time he woke up, it was exactly the same time i had seen after my journey. it is a blessing and honor for spirit to use me as a vessel!
if you havent used a totem i would reccomend ted andrews animal speak as a starting point. i got my copy around 1991, it was the 1st book i ever bought that was even remotely metaphysical. i was literally driving down the road passing a store when i felt a "pull" that had never happened so i went in and the 1st thing i saw was that book, so i bought it on impulse and have used it ever since. i also had the pleasure/priviledge to attend one of ted's workshops before he passed and it was wonderful. we did a meditation to find a spirit bird and i wasnt having any luck a completely barren birdless sky surrounded me as i stood on a cliff. i was gazing around and seeing others totems ( a 1st for me) my frined deb was there and her sabertooth growled at me so i continued to look around wondering why everyone else was having luck and not me when suddenly a dragon swooped down and grabbed my shoulders and took off. i felt like i was safe and surrounded by love and magyk. no harm could come to me it was amazing! i had never worked with or even considered dragons before, and never really worked with them but i KNOW he's always with me. i found out years later that under the cherokee calander i am born under the sign of the dragon so i had my aha moment. it also explains my love of shiny things and my affinity for mermaids.
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i would suggest you explore any animals you have an utter fascination with or dream about in depth, even those that frighten you can hold a key to understanding yourself and your hidden potential!
find a quite spot and relax close your eyes and ask your totem to appear be patient they may be shy at first. also make sure you ask the animal if he is your totem/guide as many creatures may simply be there out of curiosity. a true spirit helper will make itself known. and do NOT have preconceived ideas a bettle can be just as powerful an ally as a lion. so don't shun your helper out of false pride or ego. and there are no feminine or masculine totems, my friend deb is a powerful woman and has a sabertooth cat, i know men who have butterflies. both are valid for them and are equally useful. also if you've never meditated before it may take some time to become open enough so keep trying, if you fall asleep and dream the animal that shows up in the dreamscape may be a guide as well. if you have specefic questions or need any advice feel free to hit me up either in comment or on my fb.
totems can alter and enhance your life in ways you may never know and as knowledge is power being open to possibility can create whole new worlds, mayhaps you should try exploring them!
Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem. Normally this belief is accompanied by a totemic myth.
Although the term is of Ojibwe origin in North America, totemistic beliefs are not limited to Native Americans. Similar totem-like beliefs have been historically present in societies throughout much of the world, including Africa, Arabia, Asia, Australia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and the Arctic polar region.
In modern times, some single individuals, not otherwise involved in the practice of a tribal religion, have chosen to adopt a personal spirit animal helper, which has special meaning to them, and may refer to this as a totem. This non-traditional usage of the term is prevalent in the New Age movement
from my experience the buffalo aka the bison is my life totem. he has always came to me in dreams and has been an obsession as far back as i can remember. when i was a toddler he came to me , of course i grew up on a cattle farm so everyone assumed i was talking about a bull. lol
he is with me still and has taught me many things over the years, endurance, how to gather the herd around me when protection is needed etc etc. i just got saw a pair of beautiful earrings with bison at a powwow i attended sunday, they were far more than i could afford so i walked away. half an hour later i was given money by a dear friend who said they wanted me to have something to remember the day by so i got my earrings.
you may also have totems that come to you for long or brief periods of time. has an animal shown up unexpectedly? i was talking to a friend who does wildlife rehab on the phone a few weeks back and there was a horrible racket goin on it was a baby crow. i didnt think anything about it until i was leaving work the next morning and i heard the same noise. there was a crow sitting on the light above my car cawing at me, happened every day for a week. obviously i'm supposed to be working with and learning from crow medicine.
if you havent used a totem i would reccomend ted andrews animal speak as a starting point. i got my copy around 1991, it was the 1st book i ever bought that was even remotely metaphysical. i was literally driving down the road passing a store when i felt a "pull" that had never happened so i went in and the 1st thing i saw was that book, so i bought it on impulse and have used it ever since. i also had the pleasure/priviledge to attend one of ted's workshops before he passed and it was wonderful. we did a meditation to find a spirit bird and i wasnt having any luck a completely barren birdless sky surrounded me as i stood on a cliff. i was gazing around and seeing others totems ( a 1st for me) my frined deb was there and her sabertooth growled at me so i continued to look around wondering why everyone else was having luck and not me when suddenly a dragon swooped down and grabbed my shoulders and took off. i felt like i was safe and surrounded by love and magyk. no harm could come to me it was amazing! i had never worked with or even considered dragons before, and never really worked with them but i KNOW he's always with me. i found out years later that under the cherokee calander i am born under the sign of the dragon so i had my aha moment. it also explains my love of shiny things and my affinity for mermaids.
find a quite spot and relax close your eyes and ask your totem to appear be patient they may be shy at first. also make sure you ask the animal if he is your totem/guide as many creatures may simply be there out of curiosity. a true spirit helper will make itself known. and do NOT have preconceived ideas a bettle can be just as powerful an ally as a lion. so don't shun your helper out of false pride or ego. and there are no feminine or masculine totems, my friend deb is a powerful woman and has a sabertooth cat, i know men who have butterflies. both are valid for them and are equally useful. also if you've never meditated before it may take some time to become open enough so keep trying, if you fall asleep and dream the animal that shows up in the dreamscape may be a guide as well. if you have specefic questions or need any advice feel free to hit me up either in comment or on my fb.
totems can alter and enhance your life in ways you may never know and as knowledge is power being open to possibility can create whole new worlds, mayhaps you should try exploring them!
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