Native American Totems & Their Meanings

[The Madame X]

Native American Totems & Their Meanings

from https://www.facebook.com/oklahoma.natives.12
and https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... 136&type=1


A totem can be the symbol of a tribe, clan, family or individual. Native American tradition provides that each individual is connected with nine different animals that will accompany each person through life, acting as guides. Different animal guides come in and out of our lives depending on the direction that we are headed and the tasks that need to be completed along our journey.

Native beliefs further explain that a totem animal is one that is with you for life, both in the physical and spiritual world. Though people may identify with different animal guides throughout their lifetimes, it is this one totem animal that acts as the main guardian spirit.

With this one animal a connection is shared, either through interest in the animal, characteristics, dreams, or other interaction.

This Animal Guide offers power and wisdom to the individual when they "communicate” with it, conveying their respect and trust. This does not necessarily mean that you actually pet or spend time with this animal, more that you are open to learning its lessons.

For some, knowing what is their totem animal is almost an innate process. It’s as if they’ve always known, inexplicably drawn to the animal or having a special feeling for the animal’s energy. For others, they wonder how to tell what their animal totem is.

Here are some questions to ask yourself if you’re wondering what your animal totem is:
Have you ever felt drawn to one animal or another without being able to explain why? This could be animal, including birds and insects.

Does a certain kind of animal consistently appear in your life? This doesn’t necessarily have to be a physical appearance, it could be represented in other ways such as receiving card and letters with the same animal pictured over and over, unexplainable dreams of a particular animal, watching television and seeing the same animal featured time and time again, or, actually having the animal show up.

When you go to the zoo, a park, wildlife area, or forest, what are you most interested in seeing?

Are there any animals that you find to be extremely frightening or intriguing?

Is there a particular animal that you see frequently when you’re out in nature?

Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?

Have you ever had a recurring dream about a certain animal, or a dream from childhood that you have never been able to forget?

Are you drawn to figurines or paintings of a specific animal?

The totem itself is a symbol that represents this animal. This could be any number of items - a crest, a totem pole, an emblem, a small figurine or anything else that depicts your animal guide.

Alligator
Maternal, revenge oriented, quickness, aggression, and basic survival instincts.

Ant
Group minded, determination, patient, active, and industrious

Anteater
Lethargy, curiosity, nosiness.

Antelope
Active, agile, jumpiness, and willing to sacrifice

Armadillo
Safety oriented, grounded, and has boundaries

Badger
Courage, aggressive, healer, having problems relating to others, and energy conduit

Bat
Rebirth, longevity, secrecy, initiation, good listener, and long life

Bear
Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength.

Beaver
Determined, strong-willed, builder, overseer, and protector

Bee
Organized, industrial, productive, wise, community, celebration, fertility, defensiveness, obsessive nature, and enjoys life

Boar/Pig
A very powerful totem - prosperity, spiritual strength, organized, self-reliant, fearless.

Buffalo
Sacredness, life, great strength, abundance, gratitude.

Bull
Insight into the past, fertility, rushing into things without proper preparation.

Butterfly
Metamorphosis, transformation, balance, grace, ability to accept change

Camel
Survival, positive, accomplishments

Caribou
Traveler, mobility, preference to be nomadic, adaptability to adversity

Cat
Guardianship, detachment, sensuality, mystery, magic, and independence

Cheetah
Swiftness, insight, focus

Cougar
Leadership, loyalty, courage, taking responsibility, foresight

Cow
Swift, insightful, and focused

Coyote
Trickster, intelligence, stealth, wisdom and folley, guile and innocence

Cobra
Swift and decisive

Crab
Good luck, protection and success

Crane
Solitude, justice, longevity, independent, intelligent, and vigilant

Crocodile
Ensuring your emotions are displayed accurately/appropriately

Crow
Justice, shape shifting, change, creativity, spiritual strength, energy, community sharing, and balance

Deer
Compassion, peace, intellectual, gentle, caring, kind, subtlety, gracefulness, femininity, gentleness, innocence, and seller of adventure

Dog
Noble, faithful, loyal, teaching, protection, and guidance

Dolphin
Kind, salvation, wisdom, happiness, playfulness, prudent, capable of deep emotion, and happy.

Dove
Cross-world communication, spirit messenger, peace, gentleness, love

Dragon
Longevity, richness, prosperity, infinity, wisdom, power, and fiery

Dragonfly
Flighty and carefree, strong imagination, higher aspirations.

Duck
Water energy, helper of seers, can clearly see/deal with emotions

Eagle
Divine spirit, sacrifice, connection to creator, intelligence, renewal, courage, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, freedom, and risk-taker

Elephant
Strength, power, affection, loyalty, royalty, and wisdom

Elk
Strength and agility, pride, majestic, independence, purification, strength, and nobility

Falcon
New beginnings, adventure, passionate, and leadership.

Fish
Graceful, slyness, open-minded, quick to change one's mind.

Flamingo
Heart healing, psychic, people person, flirtatious.

Fox
Cunning, agility, quick-witted, diplomacy, wildness, feminine magic of camouflage, shapeshifting and invisibility

Frog
Water energy, cleansing, rebirth, sensitivity, medicine, hidden beauty, peace, adaptability, poor character judgment and power.

Gazelle
Aggressive

Giraffe
Communication, intuition, attaining the unreachable, seeing the future

Goat
Surefootedness, stubbornness, independence, diligence, lack of foresight.

Goose
Self-demanding, reliable, prudent, rigid, vigilance, parenthood, and productive.

Gorilla
Family-oriented, intelligence, strength, environmental protector, keeps peace through aggression.

Grasshopper
Good luck, abundance, forward, progressive.

Grouse
Personal power, enlightenment.

Hawk
Messenger, intuition, victory, healing, nobility, recollection, cleansing, visionary power, and guardianship.

Heron/Egret
Aggressive, self-determined, self-reliant, multi-tasking, balanced.

Hippopotamus
Power, creation, imagination, healing.

Horse
Freedom, stamina, mobility, the land, travel, power, and freedom.

Hummingbird
Messenger, timelessness, healing, and warrior.

Jaguar
Chaos, shape-shifter, aggressiveness, power.

Kangaroo
Forward, balance, creative, stamina.

Lion
Family, strength, energy, courage, guardian and protector.

Lizard
Conservation, vision, self-protection, hidden defenses.

Llama
Comforting to others, secure.

Lynx
Keeper of secrets, guardian, listener, and guide.

Mole
Sensitivity, guidance, searching.

Monkey
Ability to change the environment, health, success.

Moose
Headstrong, longevity, steadfastness, and wisdom.

Mouse
Scrutiny, order, organizer, and an eye for details.

Octopus
Intelligence, camouflage, nocturnal.

Opossum
Diversion, strategist, and deceiver.

Ostrich
Grounded, practical.

Otter
Playful, friendly, dynamic, joy, helpfulness, and sharing

Owl
Deception, clairvoyance, insight, messenger.

Ox
Sacrifice, chastity and self-denial

Panther
Protection, hidden emotions, introspection, caution, careful decisions

Parrot
Communication, beauty, guide for wisdom, mockery, thinking before speaking

Peacock
Immortality, dignity, and self-confidence

Pelican
Resilient, unselfish, rising above.

Penguin
Self-discipline, grace, self-confidence, spiritual

Porcupine
Innocence, companionship, and trust

Prairie Dog
Swiftness, industrious, constructive, preparedness

Puma
Companion on journeys to other worlds, grace, silent power

Quail
Group-work, team play, creator of harmony and group tolerance, protectiveness (especially toward children)

Rabbit
Fear, timidity, nervousness, humility, rebirth,

Raccoon
Curiosity and cleanliness

Ram
Stoic, sensitive, persevering, curious, imaginative.

Rat
Fertility, stealth, scavenging, intelligence, enjoys luxury

Raven
Introspection, courage, self-knowledge, magic

Rhinoceros
Wisdom, solitary, insightful, solid.

Roadrunner
Mental agility, speed, opportunistic.

Rooster
Vanity, likes to be showered with gifts and attention, early riser, settling for nothing less than the best

Salmon
Proud, intense, confident, wisdom, inspiration

Scorpion
Transforming, strong, inspiring, chaotic, passionate

Seagull
Versatility, loud, easy-going nature, creativity, laziness

Seahorse
Confidence and grace

Seal
Love, longing, dilemma, active imagination, creativity

Shark
Hunter, survival, and adaptability

Skunk
Reputation, presence, and strength

Snail
Protective, aware, solitary.

Snake
Impulsive, shrewdness, rebirth, transformation, initiation, and wisdom

Spider
Balance, wisdom, creativity, communication

Squirrel
Planner and gatherer

Stag
Lord of the forest, masculine power of regeneration, signs.

Swan
Grace, balance and innocence, soul, love, beauty, of the self

Tiger
Strength, valor, power, and energy

Toad
inner strength, luck, self-examination

Turkey
Generosity, life-giver, and sharer

Turtle
Nurturer, shy, and protecting

Unicorn
Purity, innocence, dreamer, personal power, gentle

Weasel
Strength, energy, ingenuity and stealth

Whale
Wisdom, provider, intelligence, and kindness.

Wolf
Loyalty, perseverance, success, intuition, and spirit

Woodpecker
Sensitive, protective, and devotion

Zebra
Agility and individuality

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/h ... z2gTv9pyBB

[The Madame X]

I would like to recommend a wonderful book from my collection: Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small
by Ted Andrews
available at:
http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Speak-Spir ... ed+andrews

Those of you who are interested in connecting with your power animal(s) this is a good meditation, albeit in my opinion a little rushed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAl9v2w342c

[Ookami]

It would be interesting to see some of the responses, so I would like to bump this up.

[The Madame X]

When you go to the zoo, a park, wildlife area, or forest, what are you most interested in seeing?
Large cats, bats, owls and hawks.

Are there any animals that you find to be extremely frightening or intriguing?
Intriguing: Large cats, bats, owls and hawks...large snakes and lizards
Dislike: Parrots eek

Is there a particular animal that you see frequently when you’re out in nature?
Squirrels, chipmunks, turtles...

Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?
Dogs, chicken, squirrel, bees

Have you ever had a recurring dream about a certain animal, or a dream from childhood that you have never been able to forget?
Lions, Panthers, butterflies, boar, serpents and lizards.

Are you drawn to figurines or paintings of a specific animal?
Horses, bats, large cats, owls, hawks, snakes

Its kinda diverse for me. Don't really know who significant it is...

[Ookami]

When you go to the zoo, a park, wildlife area, or forest, what are you most interested in seeing?
I take particular interest in the wolves. Snakes and Big Cats are also very interesting though.

Are there any animals that you find to be extremely frightening or intriguing?
Intriguing: Predators are always very interesting
Dislike: Monkeys and Apes.

Is there a particular animal that you see frequently when you’re out in nature?
Rabbits, Owls and other small predatory birds. Wild doves too.

Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?
Every species of common farm animal, cats, dogs, bobcat, bats... the list grows.
I don't really take well to being warned. I have been bitten quite a lot, but was never really surprised or threaten by the biting. Though the bobcat wasn't a fun experience.

Have you ever had a recurring dream about a certain animal, or a dream from childhood that you have never been able to forget?
A very large hooded cobra, foxes, cats and otters. Wolf Dreams also.

Are you drawn to figurines or paintings of a specific animal?
Almost all animals, but I especially like wolves, horses and snakes.
I have a special appreciation for depictions of territorial fighting and hunting.

I too have a very wide array of experiences with nature, so I won't jump to any conclusions. Animals are the way I communicate and its also one of the ways that I perceive subtle energies and people.