Great post! I came across my totem animal by accident. I was thinking of a gamertag I could use on PSN and tried to use the word scarecrow. At first, it let me then it didn't so I erased and tried to put my name- Rob over it but my virtual keyboard SNAFUd and I wound up robCrow. At that instant I got a fleeting image of a crow in my mind and then I realized that the tag was perfect- I don't know how it was perfect but it was and it felt right. That's how I realized that the crow would be my totem animal. Since then I've used the tag as my online persona.
Kind of a corny story (especially for a 34 year old father of 4) but I thought I'd relate it nonetheless. If someone can help me understand the meaning of this symbology I would greatly appreciate it. For the record, I do have native American blood but don't really consider myself a native since I'm all mutted up.

This is an experience my brother had with a local medicine man of the Iriquois Indian tribe. HE was invited to take part in a religious ceremony and to try the sweat lodge. for those of you who do not know, a sweat lodge is a building, or in this case a TP, in which they have a roaring fire, lots of sacred smoke(Sage, not POT) and they splash water on you occasionaly.

He had to sit down indian style the entire time, with one arm (inner elbow) over his eyes. and you basically meditate until you start seeing visions. This is his experience.

==
He was at the base of an immensly huge mountain and a loud booming voice told him "CLIMB". At which he started to climb. He said he climbed for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually he stopped, realizing that he never got closer to the peak of the mountain. He said "I cannot climb this, this goes on forever" At this point a GIANT eagle swooped down and grabbed him by his shoulders. The eagles claws apparently went through his solar plexus/shoulder area. He said for an instant, IT was an immense sharp pain (probly what you would imagine if eagle talons had poked through this part of your body) and then the pain was gone, giving him a sense of safety and eagerness to "move on". The eagle took him to the peak of a mountain in which there was a cave with a light emminating from it(while flying up the mountain, a Jaguar followed them on the ground). The eagle motioned him with his head to go in. He walked into the cave to see a fire with a man sitting across it with a hood over his head (think stryder from LOTR) smoking a pipe. The man said "Adam, I have been waiting for you for a LONG time."

Unfortunately It was at this point that the medicine man woke him up(there is a limit to how long you can stay in these lodges due to dehydration, especially your first times).

According to the medicine man, the eagle and jaguar are Adams spirit animals or animal guides. The act of trying to climb an infinite mountain, and having to rely on an eagle to go to the top meant that
He needs to be more open to outside help, and that no one can go at it alone forever. He plans on going back again when he is invited for a session. Currently he see's the medicine man to talk maybe 1-2 times a month just to talk and they share/trade goods and services. But like I said, he has to wait for the right time to try again.

Hope you guys enjoyed the little story

Mine is the praying mantis. I did a guided meditation a year ago where you were supposed to meet your totem animal and this is what appeared. I don't really know what it means or symbolises...

Mine is the Red Tailed Hawk. They have always been close by wherever I go. After my father passed away, two Hawks would greet me every morning in my back yard. The other day I was out back again and a big one jumped up on my fence not more than 5 feet away from me. We just looked at each other for a few seconds and then he flew away w/his back to me showing off his red tail feathers.

Other birds have made appearances to me at just the right moments. A white dove once visited when I was grieving the loss of another loved one. Hundreds of blue shouldered greckles sitting on the houses accross from mine when feeling particularily depressed about the loss of my father. Have never seen them before or since.

I've always thought that animals of a species share a common spirit. I suppose that is similar to some Native American beliefs but I'm not an expert on the subject.

Good thread OP.... S&F

Thank you so much for posting this thread, A2D! I'm so happy that you shared this information because I wasn't sure how many here would be open to it. I'm pleasantly surprised by all the positive responses and experiences shared in this thread. Another way to encounter a totem animal is to pay more attention to your surroundings. Oftentimes, our totem animals (insects too) are right in front in us, and we don't even notice. For those having trouble finding your totem guides, pay close attention to the animals and insects around you in your daily life. If you encounter the same animals or insects over and over (especially if they are out of place or one's not typically seen in your area), that's a sign. There are many sites online that explain the meanings of your totems. Like someone else mentioned, what the animals stand for is usually something that you need help with in your own life. It is thought that Divinity speaks to us through it's creation (nature). We just need to remember to slow down, take notice, and listen. Thanks again, A2D!



[edit on 3-12-2009 by gazerstar]

Originally posted by Agree2Disagree
No wonder the natives are content staying on the res...they don't get any respect.

no doubt.

but i was wondering something, once one finds their totem animal(s) what do you do with them? lol i mean, how can this help guide you, just by knowing them?

i know my totem animal and can even remember throughout my life having recurrent animal themes, i see how they relate in retrospect but now how to use it now. if that makes sense.

Originally posted by Alexander1111
Mine is the praying mantis. I did a guided meditation a year ago where you were supposed to meet your totem animal and this is what appeared. I don't really know what it means or symbolises...

Patience, for one thing. The mantis knows what it needs and gets it... patiently. It doesn't dart around like the dragonfly chasing down food. It waits and watches for opportunities.

In order to fully explore what it means to you, you can also do something like "mind mapping"... sit and think about a mantis and write down all the things that occur to you, no matter how trivial or how insightful (like "big eyes" or "spiky forearms" or "eats bugs"). Eventually one of those things will give you an "aha!" sort of moment to explore (like "antenna" = "open to receiving messages").

Explore them.

Originally posted by Byrd

Originally posted by Alexander1111
Mine is the praying mantis. I did a guided meditation a year ago where you were supposed to meet your totem animal and this is what appeared. I don't really know what it means or symbolises...

Patience, for one thing. The mantis knows what it needs and gets it... patiently. It doesn't dart around like the dragonfly chasing down food. It waits and watches for opportunities.

In order to fully explore what it means to you, you can also do something like "mind mapping"... sit and think about a mantis and write down all the things that occur to you, no matter how trivial or how insightful (like "big eyes" or "spiky forearms" or "eats bugs"). Eventually one of those things will give you an "aha!" sort of moment to explore (like "antenna" = "open to receiving messages").

Explore them.

Interesting. Ok so that answers some questions (like the one Double_Frick asked a few posts ago) on what you can do once you know what your spirit/totem animal are; and how you can go about makeing use of it.

Good post!

I shall do this later on when I have sometime with my newly found spirit animal.

Question though. I hear alot of people saying the animal can change throughout the course of ones life. I was always under the impression, and was given the impression by alot of videos on the subject that you have one spirit animal guide, and thats it. It's yours for good, forever watching over you, and walking beside you, and you should even know it's name if you do the meditation and "supposed rituals" correctly.

I mean didn't the Native Americans have names given to them, containing a certain animal(I suppose these names were different and had nothing to do with thier real "totem/spirit animal),because these names don't change. I mean once they gave "Chief Sitting Bull" that name, he was called Chief Sitting Bull for his entire life. But I'm thinking now that these names have nothing to do with ones totem animal. I don't think his Animal guide was a bull. Maybe it was, who knows. I'm not learned at all on the subject of Native American lore and spirituality.

So it's a definite yes that you animal guide changes over the course of your life? How often?

Maybe thats why I had trouble figuring mine out, cause the first time, I tried many years ago I kept getting this image of a snake, but it wouldn't come to me, it was sort of moveing away, and hiding from me as I looked for it( this was when I meditated on the video I posted above).

But when I was reading the OP and then closed my eyes and meditated on that, clearly a rabbit appeared in my mind, I could see it very detailed.

[edit on 3-12-2009 by Nola213]