BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality New Age Totems And Power Animals

Hello!

I've just posted a review of Dr. Steven Farmer's new book and CD Power Animals - How To Connect With Your Animal Spirit Guide.


The review can be found here: http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art24858.asp

What are your thoughts on this article? Have you ever attempted to contact and retrieve your power animal/s? Do you see a difference between totems and power animals, as the author does?

I'm going to be posting an article shortly about animal totems and how they appear in contemporary culture. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

What are your power animals? Do you feel they should even be discussed publically...or is it a very personal relationship?

I was very surprised at the outcome of my experience with the first guided meditation on the CD--finding and retrieving your power animal. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Hi Janet,
I read over your article..enjoyed reading it, and I am glad you were blessed to see your animal guides.. I believe everyone has different words for animal guides/totems/power animals.
To me, the animal totem would BE the power animal..The animal that is 'us'..an animal guide can come and go but does not have quite the same amount of significance as the animal totem.
As for sharing with another what your totem is, I would say that is a personal preference according to each person.
As for the teams/sports with the totems, I wouldn't call those totems, I would say they are 'mascots' and are not even in the same category with animal totems.
Animals are so important to me, along with animal totems, guides etc..that is what my business is centered around. If people would understand the significance of animals just in a general sense, the World would be a better place.....

Blessings,
Lisa
Animal Spirit Jewelry
http://www.animalspiritjewelry.com

Welcome to the New Age Forum, Lisa, and thanks so much for sharing your perspective on animal totems. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I totally agree that the world would be a better place if we not only understood the significance of animals, but actually tuned in to hear their respective messages. How wonderful that you've channeled your passion for animals into a jewelry business! I look forward to looking around your site. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

From your experience, how many animal guides does a person usually have? Do they come and go according to need, or are they with you since birth? Steven Farmer made the comment that, like any relationship, if you ignore your totem animal, they will "leave". What do you think about that?

All,

I've just posted a new article about totems, but with a twist:

Totems - First Chakra Social Symbols

In this article, I discuss the significance of family crests, team mascots, religious emblems, and even the swastika--all in the context of the first chakra.

Comments? Insights? Personal stories? I'd love to hear them! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Janet,
I think the number of animal guides we have varies according to need and purpose at times,just as I believe the same holds true for Spirit Guides.
I do not think that if we ignore them they will leave, I think they would send stronger messages so that we would gain some understanding and insight into them and why they are with us.
I believe that our main guide (totem)has been with us for possibly many liftetimes, not just this one. That animal IS us....we are THEM...

Thank you for the welcome! I joined not to long ago but haven't had enough time to post, glad I can now :-)

SO many questions and so little time before bed =

A person can have several totem animals or even plants rocks etc and as Lisa said the words totem nad power can be interchangeable. Also, some animals will come and go as you need them to. I keep a diary of signs that I've seen, such as a few weeks ago I had 3 references to Oak in less than 6 hours and all from different medias and sources. To me that would be a big heads up, but doesn't make Oak a totem for me.

My primary totem or power animal is the Black Bear with my minor totem being the dragonfly. I have several other totems and animals that pop up here and there and skirt around the edges of my consciousness on a regular basis like the horse, skunk, fox, wolf (interchangeable with bear in many circles as they are brothers), barred owl, rabbit, bluejay, frog the list goes on.

Totems will 'leave', however, if you need them and are willing to listen to them they will come back into your life again.

On a final note, to those that are new to the totem/power animal side of things, don't rely on just one persons take of an animal. It's akin to the saying, one mans trash is another treasure. Such as the coyote, in the south west hes similar to our wolf, while up here the coyote is as esteemed as the wolf is. To the Cherokee a bear paw is a certain kind of medicine to Eastern tribes it means something else entirely. Also in learning about your totems don't forget to read about the animal itself, it's natural behaviors, hibernation/sleep/eating/breeding patterns anything you can soak up.

The more you take in and learn the more things will click. For example, I myself was reading about gemstones last winter, I've always had an afinity for green amber, I discovered that amber is associated with the west, which is assoc. with the black bear and cedar. Anyways, I could go on and on.

Long story short: follow your heart, learn as much as you can from as many sources you can and everything will come to you in time - if you want it to.

x0x Wendy

Hi Wendy,
I agree with what you said..And when you study the animal, it's also good to study what animal it preys upon and which animals prey upon it, as they are all connected.

Also if you go by the Astrology side of things we all have a birth totem. I was born in the East, making me part of the Hawk clan with my birth totem being falcon. Some interpret my birth totem as the Hawk, depending on the wheel that they follow.
I have always had a strange connection to cats, large and small and I love the big wild cats. I have had dreams of them and love to surround myself with things having to do with the big cats, although I know I will not see a cougar running in my backyard!!!

Hi everyone, Hi Janet!!!
I just joined yesterday and was so excited to read this article and forum. This whole concept is new to me and is very exciting. I had an experience a couple years ago with a little cat that I have. I call her baby and she is such a joy to me. She has comforted me many times when I was going through a hard time. She lays her little head on my shoulder and puts her paws around my neck and hugs me. Anyhow, let me tell you the experience I had with her. I had put flea drops on her back not kowing she was allergic. She had a terrible reaction. I had her laying beside me and she had her head on my arm. she kept drifting in and out and at times would stop breathing. When she would stop..I would feel warm energy coming out of my arm into her and she would start breathing again. This happened several times and the last time I saw a small brown kitten jump on my bed and look at me and then her.....and then it was gone. she almost immediately sat up...shook her head and was perfectly fine!!!! I've always wondered what I saw, but knew that little kitten was either her angel or mine or now wondering if mine also.... mebbe both!!!
I've always had a very special connection with cats and have had many show up at my door injured and needing a healing touch. I truly believe they knew to come to me. I haven't lost one yet!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I'm definately going to look into this more.

Sheri

Hi Sheri,

It's very nice to meet you and I hope that you will find those things that you are searching for....If you ever need any help with anything just let me know .

Blessings,
Lisa

Hi Wendy, Lisa, and Sheri! (Sheri, it's so good to see you! :love: I'm behind on my personal emails, so I'm sorry I haven't responded to you yet.)

Wendy, like you, I think messengers cross our path bearing specific messages--like the White Oak for you. Whenever I have an animal cross my path and it really catches my attention, I look it up in Ted Andrews' book
Animal Speak.

I've never really contemplated things like stones/gems as spirit guides/totems, so I guess I need to pay more attention to those things I'm drawn to!

I totally agree with this, Wendy: eat the meat, and spit out the bones (that which doesn't make sense or doesn't resonate).

Thanks for you reply, Lisa, as well as your thoughtful insights. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> In Power Animals, Steven Farmer states:

However, the very next sentence says:

Any ideas on this? I mean, if a cat were precluded from being a power animal based on domesticity, it would still be related to those who have totems in the feline family, wouldn't they? <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

Hi Sheri!

What profound experiences you've had with cats! Sounds like they're certainly animal guides for you. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I have 2 kitties, and I've often called them "angels". They've comforted me in unique ways during times of great emotional stress. What blessings they are!

A book you may be interested:


Awakening to Animal Voices: A Teen Guide to Telepathic Communication with All Life

It's definitely not just for teens, and is a wonderful resource on animal communication.

All,

I look forward to hearing more of your insights and experiences on animals and spiritual guides! <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Ted Andrews says a similar thing about domestic animals. I don't think it means that you can't have a domestic animal as a totem, just that you ought to study the wild version of your totem as well and be aware that they're related. A lot of people live in places where they don't have contact with the wilderness so maybe a cat totem would come to them as a little pet rather than as a tiger or lion, you know? But cats are cats.

Snake is one of my totems and even though I have one particular favorite that I've studied a lot and really relate to its specific medecine, studying snakes in general has taught me a lot too. Heather