Chris's Totem

 

Each and every person has nine power or totem animals that represent the medicine they carry in their Earth Walk.  These animal or creature beings emulate each person's abilities, talents, and challenges.  There are seven directions that surround your body.  They are East, South, West, North, Above, Below and Within.  The other two animals which make up your nine totems are the ones which are walking at each side of you at all times.

 

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Common Raven

The East

Guides you to your greatest spiritual challenges and guards your path to illumination

Raven - The bringer of magic

Throughout time, Raven has carried the medicine of magic.  This has been true in many cultures across the planet.  It is sacred, in the medicine ways, to honor Raven as the bringer of magic.  If the magic is bad medicine, the carrier may be honored out of fear rather than out of respect.  Those who fear Raven may do so because they have been dabbling in areas in which they had no knowledge, and a spell may have backfired on them.  Rather than analyzing the dark side of sorcery, realize that you will fear Raven only if you need to learn about your inner fears or self-created demons.

 Raven magic is a powerful medicine that can give you the courage to enter the darkness of the void, which is the home of all that is not yet in form.  The void is called the Great Mystery.  Great Mystery existed before all other things came into being.  Great Spirit lives inside the void and emerged from the Great Mystery.  Raven is the messenger of the void.

In Native teachings the color black means many things, but it does not mean evil.  Black can mean the seeking of answers, the void, or the road of the spiritual or nonphysical.  The blue-black of Raven contains an iridescence that speaks of the magic of darkness, and a changeability of form and shape that brings an awakening in the process.

 

 

North American PorcupineThe South

Protects the child within and reminds you when to be humble and when to trust, so that innocence will be balanced in your personality.

Porcupine – Reminder of innocence

Porcupine has many special qualities, and a very powerful medicine: the power of faith and trust.  The power of faith contains within it the ability to move mountains.  The power of trust in life involves trusting that the Great Spirit has a divine plan.  Your task is to find the pathway that is most beneficial for you and that uses your greatest talents to further that plan.  Trust can open the doorways to the creation of space.  The space thus created allows others to open their hearts to you and to share their gifts of love, joy, and companionship

If you were to observe Porcupine, you would immediately notice its quills.  These quills are only used when trust has been broken between Porcupine and another creature.  Much like Otter, Porcupine is a gentle, loving creature, and non-aggressive.  When fear is not present, it is possible to feed porcupine by hand and never get stuck by its quills.

Through understanding the basic nature of this animal, you may come to understand your own need for trust and faith, and for becoming like a child again.  In today’s society, this is a needed reminder to honor the wonder of life and the appreciation of each new day as an adventure of discovery.

 

 

 

West

Leads you to your personal truths and inner answers.  It also shows you the path to your goals.

Swan - swan medicine people have the ability to see the future, to surrender to the power of the Great Spirit, and to accept the healing and transformation of our lives.

Little Swan flew through the Dreamtime, looking for the future.  She rested for a moment in the coolness of the pond, looking for a way to find the entry point to the future.  This was a moment of confusion for Swan, as she knew that she had happened into the Dreamtime by accident.  This was her first flight alone and she was a bit concerned by the Dreamtime landscape.

  As Swan looked high above Sacred Mountain, she saw the biggest swirling black hole she had ever seen.  Dragonfly came flying by, and Swan stopped him to ask about the black hole.  Dragonfly said, “Swan, that is the doorway to the other planes of imagination.  I have been guardian of the illusion for many, many moons.  If you want to enter there, you would have to ask permission and earn the right.”

  Swan was not so sure that she wanted to enter the black hole.  She asked Dragonfly what was necessary for her to earn entry.  Dragonfly replied, “You must be willing to accept whatever the future holds as it is presented, without trying to change Great Spirit’s plan.”  Swan looked at her ugly duckling little body, and then answered, “I will be happy to abide by Great Spirit’s plan.  I won’t fight the currents of the black hole.  I will surrender to the flow of the spiral and trust what I am shown.”  Dragonfly was very happy with Swan’s answer and began to spin the magic to break the pond’s illusion.  Suddenly, Swan was engulfed by a whirlpool in the center of the pond.

  Swan reappeared many days later, but now she was graceful and white and long necked.  Dragonfly was stunned! “Swan, what happened to you!” he exclaimed.  Swan smiled and said, “Dragonfly, I learned to surrender my body to the power of Great Spirit and was taken to where the future lives.  I saw many wonders high on sacred mountain and because of my faith and my acceptance I have been changed.  I have learned to accept the state of grace.”

 

Wild Turkey North

Gives you wise counsel and reminds you when to speak and when to listen.  It also reminds you to be grateful for every blessing every day.

Turkey – in Turkey’s death we have our life

The medicine of many saints and mystics.  Your virtues are many.  You have transcended self.  You act and react on the behalf of others.  You aspire to help those who need help.  This is not out of some sense of self-righteous moralism or religious guilt.  Help and sustenance is given by Turkey out of the realization that all life is sacred. 

Turkey is actually thought to be the Give-Away Eagle or South Eagle of many native peoples.  The philosophy of give-away was practiced by many tribes.  Simply stated, it is the deep and abiding recognition of the sacrifices of both self and others.  People in modern-day society, who have many times more than they need, should study the noble turkey who sacrifices itself so that we may live.

  Spectators unfamiliar with the cultural phenomenon of the pot latch or give-away ceremony are often mystified by it.  A tribal member may gladly give away all he or she owns, and do without in order to help the People.  In present-day urban life, we are taught to acquire and get ahead.  The person with the most toys wins the game.  In some cultures, no one can win the game unless the whole of the People’s needs are met. 

 

Image:LutraCanadensis fullres.jpg Above

Teaches you how to honor the Great Star Nation, and reminds you that you came from the stars and to the stars you will return.  This animal is also the guardian of the Dreamtime – for your personal access to the other dimensions.

Otter - a set of lessons in female energy

  This applies to both men and women, as all of us have female sides.  Otter is always on the move and is very curious.  Unlike other animals, Otter will not start a fight unless it is attacked first.  This joyful little creature is adventuresome and assumes that all creatures are friendly - until proven other wise. 

  These character traits are the beauty of a balanced female side, the side of ourselves that creates a space for others to enter our lives without preconceptions or suspicions.  Otter teaches us that balanced female energy is not jealous or catty.  It is sisterhood, content to enjoy and share the good fortune of others.  Anchored in the understanding that all accomplishments are worthwhile for the whole tribe, Otter people express joy for others.  Envy, or the fear of being replaced, has no place in Otter's balanced understanding of sharing goodness.

 
American Crow  Below

Teaches you about the inner Earth, and how to stay grounded and on the path

Crow – keeper of the sacred law, master of illusions

If you look deeply into Crow’s eye, you will have found the gateway to the supernatural.  Crow knows the unknowable mysteries of creation and is the keep of all sacred law.

Human law is not the same as Sacred Law.  More so than any other medicine, Crow sees the physical world and even the spiritual world, as humanity interprets them, are an illusion.  There are billions of worlds.  There are an infinitude of creatures.  Great Spirit is within all.  If an individual obeys Crow’s perfect laws as given by the Creator, then at death he or she dies a Good Medicine death – going on to the next incarnation with a clear memory of his or her past. 

 

   Crow is an omen of change.  Crow lives in the void and has no sense of time.  The Ancient Chiefs tell us that Crow sees simultaneously the three fates – past, present and future.  Crow merges light and darkness, seeing both inner and outer reality.

  As you learn to allow your personal integrity to be your guide, your sense of feeling alone will vanish.  Your personal will can then emerge so that you will stand in your truth.  Crow people says to be mindful of your opinions and actions.  Be willing to walk your talk, speak your truth, know your life’s mission, and balance past, present, and future in the now.

 

  Within

Teaches you how to find your heart's joy and how to be faithful to your personal truths. It is also the protector of your sacred space, the place that is yours alone and is never shared except by invitation.

 

Moose – honor the gifts you can give, and recognize your worthiness

 

Self-esteem is the medicine of Moose because it represents the power of recognizing that wisdom has been used in a situation and that recognition or a pat on the back is deserved. 

Moose is the largest member of the deer family, and has great strength.  The call of the male Moose is an awesome thing to hear on a musky spring night.  His pride in his maleness and his desire to share his seed with a Moose cow are displays of his sense of self-esteem.  The bellow of a male Moose can be viewed as a positive force, since it represents his willingness to "tell the world" about his feelings.

This "tell the world" trait contains a joyfulness which only comes with a sense of accomplishment.  There is no greated joy then a job well done.  This trait is there fore not a seeking of approval, but rather an enjoyment of sharing because of the spontaneous explosion of joy that comes from the deepest part of one's being.

Moose medicine is often found in elders who have walked the Good Red Road and have seen many things in their Earth Walk.  Their joy lies in being the teachers of the children, and in being the first ones to give encouragement.  This is not to say that Moose medicine people do not use their wisdom to warn as well as to give praise, because they do.  Moose medicine people know what to say, when to say it, and to whom.

 

 

The Right Side

Protects your male side and teaches you that, no matter where you turn, it will be your Father-protector within.  This animal also caries your courage and warrior spirit.

Deer – teaches the power of Gentleness

Deer teaches us to use the power of gentleness to touch the hearts and minds of wounded beings who are trying to keep us from Sacred Mountain. Like the dappling of Fawn's coat, both the light and the dark may be loved to create gentleness and safety for those who are seeking peace.  Find the gentleness of spirit that heals all wounds

 

  The Left Side

Protects your female side and teaches you that you must learn to receive abundance as well as to nurture yourself and others.  The left-side animal is also your teacher about relationships and mothering.

Fox – teaches the art of Oneness through its understanding of camouflage

Fox medicine involves adaptability, cunning, observation, integration, and swiftness of thought and action.  Fox's ability to be unseen allows it to be the protector of the family unit. If danger arises, Fox is Johnny-on-the-spot.  Nanih Waiya, Great Spirit in  the Choctaw tongue, honors Fox with the duty of keeping the family together and safe.  This is accomplished through Fox's ability to observe undetected, without making others self conscious. 

Fox is a sign that you are to become like the wind, which is unseen yet is able to weave into and through any location or situation.  You would be wise to observe the acts of others rather than their words.

Much like the clowns at the rodeo, Fox can keep the raging bull from stampeding a friend or family member.  Fox can use silly tactics as a brilliant camouflage move.  No one could guess the sly power behind such ingenious maneuvers.