[LCorbett]

callynne...thank you for the kind words! You are talking about the Chinese Horoscope signs with you and your hubby. Instead of a birth month being assigned, the Chinese assign a YEAR. So, your sign depends on the year you were born. I'm a Dog.

Totems are different. They are gernerally associated with the religions of indigenous peoples. How you acquire your totem varies, and sometimes changes during your life, depending on your needs, spritual or personal. Some are lifelong, some are temporary Guides, staying in your life as long as it takes for you to learn the thing it's teaching your or until you accomplish whatever you are doing. I follow the Path of Native American teaching, it is my religion (great-grampa was N.A. I learned many things from him before he joined the ancestors. I was 21 years old when he died).

You don't choose your totem, the totem chooses you, and like I said earlier, it varies greatly how you come to have your totem. Some Peoples believe that you have a Totem at birth, which helps you throughout your life, and you acquire Spirit Guides, which may or may not stay with you through you entire life. Totems can be anything, animal, insect, bird, fish. If you are seeking your totem, then you must be in tune with both yourself and the things around you. Most people want the so-called cool totems like eagles, wolves, bears, etc., and they don't "see" the totem Spirit that presents itself. Look for unusual things that happen involving the things around you...chances are your totem is speaking to you. Your totem will likely have the same attributes of your own personality...for instance, Coyote is a Trickster (for good or bad), and he is also gernerous. There are also the actual ANIMAL traits & behaviors that may match your personality. Wolf is playful by nature, and loyal to family. So, look inside yourself, look at what is around you, ask yourself what you need spritually, then Seek with your Spirit. Your totem may have qualities you already possess, so it may be reminding you or strengthening you...or it may have qualities that you SHOULD possess. Study the totem, observe it, then look inside yourself for the lessons it is there to teach you.

I really could go on, because there are so many ways to do this...Each People has a specific way. But I hope I've shed a little light for you!

[BobD]

Taking that into account, I guess the Turtle is my totem, and the coyote and wolf are spirit guides...
Bob

[LCorbett]

OK...How Raven became my totem.

I have, for as long as I can remember, always liked ravens. I collect raven art, books and made a point to watch when one would fly overhead...I just felt an affinity to them. A love for the bird itself.

Before I started carving full time in 2000, I used to have a drafting business and kept an office in town. It was within walking distance (a mile), so I walked to and from work every day. I see lots of stuff on my walks...eagles, moose, osprey among others.

One time, a raven started appearing on the same street light each morning. When I passed below, I would look up and acknowledge my Cousin (N.A. definition...all things are our cousins...we are all created by the same Maker, so all things possess His (and Her) Spirit). Sometimes Raven would answer, sometimes not. But always he would fly a short distance with me..from tree to tree, many times talking all the while...then off he'd go about his raven-business. This went on for three weeks straight...every day with no variation. One day, Raven wasn't on the street light. I was disappointed...but when I got to the pole, there was a single raven wing feather at the base. This was a Gift from Raven, and I took this as a sign.

When it REALLY hit home was about a month later when curiosity prompted me (for whatever reason) to do some research on my family name (for your information, Corbett is my maiden name...I'm married, but I've kept the name professionally). This side of the family is Celtic (Irish), but had its origins in France. Anyway, the research brought up the derivative of the Corbett name from an old word that meant "raven".

That's when it all came home to "roost", as it were.

Oh, another way that a Totem or Spirit Guide chooses you is by marking you. You could say that Osprey is also one of my Totems, since I still bear the scar on top of my head where she "marked" me. Those here that belong to the other forums know the history behind my screen moniker "Osprey Bait".

[BobD]

I'm fascinated by the teachings of the First People...and how closely it relates to my Celtic heritage...many of the teachings are similar.


Bob

[LCorbett]

Yes, Bob, they are similar. Being of Celtic extraction, you're probably familiar with the Morrighan, the Keeper and Guide of dead warriors. Sometimes she would take the form of Raven and accompany the souls to the afterlife. There are a couple of ways she is said to do this, one being to actually "eat" the soul. Kind of a gruesome assocation with Raven, but there is the common association between Celtic and N.A. beliefs that Raven is also the messenger between worlds. Many people mistakenly associate Raven with death because of this. That Raven brings death, which it doesn't...it guides.

Another N.A. belief about Raven is that it was originally white. Short story is that Raven loved The People and associated with them a lot. Raven saw the the People suffered when it was cold and dark, so he tricked Grandfather and acquired Fire under false pretenses and brought it to the People. Grandfather found out and either one of several things happened to Raven (depending on the tribe)...one that Grandfather caused Raven to be singed by the fire, and another that he turned Raven black as a reminder to the People that they used to live in darkness, and to give thanks for the Gift and to the one who brought the fire.

[Hugh]

Well I have to ask an embarassing question. What the heck is a personal totem and what does it mean. I have a rough idea, but??????? My wife has native american decendants, and she might ask me any day now, about her totem, and I should have an answer ready, if I'm to remain the all knowing, sensitive person that she thinks I am.

[BobD]

It's probably not exactly right, but I relate it to your horoscope...I'm an Aquarius, and that means that I have a short attention span and kinda just do things on the fly and make decisions on the fly.

A totem can mean two things...either you share the totem's characteristics or you need to bring more of the totem's characteristics into you! A protective mother often has a bear as a totem or a spirit guide because the way a mother bear protects her young is legendary. A person who wants to be more protective may look at the bear's characteristics to become more protective or nurturing...

I'm sure Lori can explain this much better than I have!

Bob

[Colin_Partridge]

Lori,
If nothing else here I am getting an education. I just am facinated by all of this its really earthy. I also believe that all things are connected how can they not be. To walk with nature is probably the most humbling thing any one can do. If any of you do not believe me do it sometimes just take a walk in the woods. The raven on the pole story gave me goose bumps. Thanks again for the education.
Colin

[Mryooper]

I guess the Wolf would be my totem. I use to drive about 200 miles a day deliverying newspapers to the paper carriers. Well not much of a job, but a job anyways. On a road that cuts thru the Nicolet Forest preserve I came across a Wolf . I stopped in amazment as this wolf did not move. It just stood there on the edge of the road . I sat for I guess 10 minutes just looking with amazment that this wolf didn't even flinch. It just stood there eye to eye with me. I was only about 6 feet from it. I am no Kevin Kasner so I didn't get out of the car. It walked out sniffed the back tire and walked off to the other side of the road and lifted its leg and marked its territory. I drove off and as I looked in the rearview mirror ,its mate ran across. This has only happen 2 times in my life that I have seen a wolf . A year before I came across one on the same road, but it was just stood there and then sniffed the air and ran off into the woods. When I told this story to a few Native American friends I know. They said the wold was my guide spirit. Not to sure, but rather he guide then chase me LOL

[squbrigg]

Interesting thread, you learn something new every day, if you pay attention. Thank you Lori and Bob, I've heard of Totems and Spirit Guides, but never understood the difference. Never considered that I might have a connection to a specific totem......unless it's my Husky.....I swear that dog talks to me, she's smarter than most people I know. I am curious though, as to how you identify one's Totem, and I've read and re-read your thoughts on it. Is the Totem just a First Nations belief, or does everyone have a Totem? I know the Celts and the Vikings believed in connections with animals.....real and fabled....but the connection here in North America seems to be much closer.

Bob