Totems date back to early Greek mythology, but they are commonly associated with Native Americans.
Animal totems are Native American symbols that are used in a person's life to represent his family history and heritage, to provide him with wisdom and medicine, and to represent him throughout his life in various ways. Animal totems can be in different forms and mean different things, but they are always rooted in nature.
Family Meaning
Traditionally a totem animal would appear in the tall, intricately carved tree trunk or log that stood as a reminder of the history of an entire family group. The totem is directly correlated to the family's historical interpretation of the characters etched into it. The family totem is unique, and some traditional meanings can be altered in favor of the meaning that the family ascribes to a certain animal. Some totems can only be explained by the person or family who created them.
Individual Meaning
An individual's totem animal is a significant part of her life, according to Native American tradition. The totem animal is a spirit guide that will accompany a person on her life journey and offer assistance and wisdom to help her along the way. Traditionally there are nine animal spirits that offer guidance to a person but only one totem animal.
Medicinal Meaning
Animal totems also offer something called totem medicine. Each totem animal has wisdom and medicine to teach all people. The medicine is gathered by observing the animal in nature and then applying the principles that govern its life to your own. For example, the totem animal turtle offers the medicine of slowing down and allowing things to happen. This alleviates the stress of life that many experience when they try to force things to happen. Each totem animal is associated with different natural energies suited to its life. Turtle energy is that of water and earth.
Animal Totems
Animal totems can be something you are born into (birth totem), can offer power (power totem) or can come into your life to bring you a message (messenger totem). The following are a small representation of traditional animal totem meanings.
Bear: Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection and great strength.
Deer: Compassion, peace, intellectual, gentle, caring, kind, subtlety, gracefulness, femininity, gentleness, innocence and seller of adventure.
Wolf: Loyalty, perseverance, success, intuition and spirit.
Eagle: Divine spirit, sacrifice, connection to creator, intelligence, renewal, courage, illumination of spirit, healing, creation, freedom and risk-taker.
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