Finding Your Animal Totem
Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:15 pm
Finding your animal totem and or guides seems to be a large source of demand in the pagan community.
I've come across at least twenty people who have asked me or other users how to discover their person totem or guide.
If you really want to know what your totem or guide is, I have a few things that need to be cleared up.
Animal Totem
An animal that is believed to have 'bonded' with your soul upon birth. This means that this animal will always be connected with you, sometimes they will seem to disappear or 'leave'. But, they are always with you. This animal is considered a direct representation of you in the animal kingdom, which means that you will tend to exhibit traits of this animal [eating habits, sleeping hours etc.] and you will have an extremely strong connection to this animal.
Animal Spirit Guides
Animal spirit guides are animals that are called upon either by your animal totem or by your deity to lend you their medicine to help you at a certain stage or path of your life. This animal can last for many years or just a month or two, this animal will leave you once you have learned the lesson it needed to teach you. However, it is common for this animal to spring up randomly afterward to sort of "check up" on you. You can have more than one animal spirit guide at a time.
Now, if you really want to know about your spirit animal or personal totem I ask that you look within. Generally, this animal will NOT be your favorite animal or an animal you even expected. Don't be surprised if it turns out to be an animal you have a fear or extreme loathing for, it is VERY common to have spirit animals of creatures you dislike. You have to learn that they aren't all bad, and who better to teach you than the animal itself.
This animal will more than likely show itself to you when it feels you should know and much of the time it instills an "I knew that" or "Aha!" feeling.
You can discover your spirit or totem animal through dreams, meditation and journeying.
*Warning*
A totem animal is NOT something everyone has. Everyone has a spirit guide or two, but a totem animal is slightly more selective. We don't really know WHY, some people think it's because the concept we currently use for totem animals is rooted in Native American culture. Therefore, only people connected to the culture, beliefs, or strong past lives as pagans would have them. We don't really know, we just know not everyone has one.
When you attempt to discover your totem animal or spirit guide, typically your totem animal will instill a much stronger feeling within you. Almost like you feel yourself ripping apart when you see it[through dreams, meditation or journeying] it's almost like your soul is bursting from your chest. This animal will show itself to you five different ways, maybe a fighting posture, a relaxed posture, perched, in flight etc. the five 'faces' of your animal are giving you a clue into it's nature and your own nature.
It is more common for your spirit guides to reveal themselves through dreams and totem animals through journeying.
Dreams
Before you go to sleep meditate, in whatever way you prefer, empty your mind and slowly imagine a thread of white streaming across your vision and the thread will lead you to your animal[s]. When you feel the thread has "uncovered" this animal get ready for sleep and re-imagine the thread as you drift into sleep. Generally, it takes about three tries before your animal will reveal itself.
Meditation
Imagine the thread from before only this time, follow it. Mentally walk the path of the thread regardless of where it takes you. For me, I end up somewhere in my chest/abdominal region. You should begin to see a road, a trail or a path of trees when you have reached the general vicinity of your animal. Sometimes, you will encounter other animals unless they tell you to follow them, don't pay any attention to them. If they are violent or trying to attack you, leave them. No matter where you go you will find the animal[s] you are looking for. If it is your spirit guide it will speak to you in your first encounter, sometimes your totem animal does this too. But remember, the totem animal will show you five different 'faces' of itself before it speaks to you. If you have found it say your 'goodbyes' when you feel you need to come back and trace your steps back and open your eyes when you feel your mentally 'here'. If you haven't found your animal, don't worry, try it a few more times and it will come to you.
Journeying
You need a friend and drumming music.
Start out on your back and once you are completely relaxed, imagine a place that links you to this plane. Like a special tree or your grandma's house. Go to that place mentally, you should find a door, exit and you will end up in your subconscious. Do the same as above, except you should come back at a certain interval of the drumming [maybe when the beat get's louder or they do a specific beat three times in a row], you come back to the place that you used to anchor yourself to this plane, go through the door and come back. When you feel you are 'here' open your eyes. You may ground yourself after this, as you might feel light headed or very 'aloof' afterward.
If this is successful for you.
Tell me what your animal[s] is/are.
I've come across at least twenty people who have asked me or other users how to discover their person totem or guide.
If you really want to know what your totem or guide is, I have a few things that need to be cleared up.
Animal Totem
An animal that is believed to have 'bonded' with your soul upon birth. This means that this animal will always be connected with you, sometimes they will seem to disappear or 'leave'. But, they are always with you. This animal is considered a direct representation of you in the animal kingdom, which means that you will tend to exhibit traits of this animal [eating habits, sleeping hours etc.] and you will have an extremely strong connection to this animal.
Animal Spirit Guides
Animal spirit guides are animals that are called upon either by your animal totem or by your deity to lend you their medicine to help you at a certain stage or path of your life. This animal can last for many years or just a month or two, this animal will leave you once you have learned the lesson it needed to teach you. However, it is common for this animal to spring up randomly afterward to sort of "check up" on you. You can have more than one animal spirit guide at a time.
Now, if you really want to know about your spirit animal or personal totem I ask that you look within. Generally, this animal will NOT be your favorite animal or an animal you even expected. Don't be surprised if it turns out to be an animal you have a fear or extreme loathing for, it is VERY common to have spirit animals of creatures you dislike. You have to learn that they aren't all bad, and who better to teach you than the animal itself.
This animal will more than likely show itself to you when it feels you should know and much of the time it instills an "I knew that" or "Aha!" feeling.
You can discover your spirit or totem animal through dreams, meditation and journeying.
*Warning*
A totem animal is NOT something everyone has. Everyone has a spirit guide or two, but a totem animal is slightly more selective. We don't really know WHY, some people think it's because the concept we currently use for totem animals is rooted in Native American culture. Therefore, only people connected to the culture, beliefs, or strong past lives as pagans would have them. We don't really know, we just know not everyone has one.
When you attempt to discover your totem animal or spirit guide, typically your totem animal will instill a much stronger feeling within you. Almost like you feel yourself ripping apart when you see it[through dreams, meditation or journeying] it's almost like your soul is bursting from your chest. This animal will show itself to you five different ways, maybe a fighting posture, a relaxed posture, perched, in flight etc. the five 'faces' of your animal are giving you a clue into it's nature and your own nature.
It is more common for your spirit guides to reveal themselves through dreams and totem animals through journeying.
Dreams
Before you go to sleep meditate, in whatever way you prefer, empty your mind and slowly imagine a thread of white streaming across your vision and the thread will lead you to your animal[s]. When you feel the thread has "uncovered" this animal get ready for sleep and re-imagine the thread as you drift into sleep. Generally, it takes about three tries before your animal will reveal itself.
Meditation
Imagine the thread from before only this time, follow it. Mentally walk the path of the thread regardless of where it takes you. For me, I end up somewhere in my chest/abdominal region. You should begin to see a road, a trail or a path of trees when you have reached the general vicinity of your animal. Sometimes, you will encounter other animals unless they tell you to follow them, don't pay any attention to them. If they are violent or trying to attack you, leave them. No matter where you go you will find the animal[s] you are looking for. If it is your spirit guide it will speak to you in your first encounter, sometimes your totem animal does this too. But remember, the totem animal will show you five different 'faces' of itself before it speaks to you. If you have found it say your 'goodbyes' when you feel you need to come back and trace your steps back and open your eyes when you feel your mentally 'here'. If you haven't found your animal, don't worry, try it a few more times and it will come to you.
Journeying
You need a friend and drumming music.
Start out on your back and once you are completely relaxed, imagine a place that links you to this plane. Like a special tree or your grandma's house. Go to that place mentally, you should find a door, exit and you will end up in your subconscious. Do the same as above, except you should come back at a certain interval of the drumming [maybe when the beat get's louder or they do a specific beat three times in a row], you come back to the place that you used to anchor yourself to this plane, go through the door and come back. When you feel you are 'here' open your eyes. You may ground yourself after this, as you might feel light headed or very 'aloof' afterward.
If this is successful for you.
Tell me what your animal[s] is/are.
my guide isn't though. mine is a Fox