Different Animal Totems

Do we have more than one Animal Totem?

Because our personalities, just like Mother Earth and Creator, have many facets, we usually experience more than one totem animal in our lives. Various traditions have differing teachings on whether there is a specific number of totems we experience. The Native American tradition, for one, teaches that we are each connected with nine different animals that accompany us through life as our guides.

Guides on our spiritual journey

We experience the wisdom and assistance of these different animal guides as they come into and out of our lives throughout our journey. They join us during new tasks, changes in direction, lessons to be learnt, and all events involving spiritual growth including simply bettering ourselves in day to day living. Bear in mind that as old totems exit our life, so new totems arrive, and this is the way it must be in order to continue growing and learning. Remember to always give thanks and blessings to a departing or departed totem, when you become aware that its energy is moving away from you.

Animal Guardian Spirit

Despite the changing nature of life and our totems, most traditions agree that we usually experience at least one animal guide who stays with us for our whole life, in the spiritual world and often in physical manifestations. This animal acts as our main guardian spirit (Life Totem). You share a connection with this animal that will show itself in shared characteristics, your dreams, various interactions, and an ongoing interest in the animal throughout your life. This animal guide offers power and wisdom to you, and as you learn to communicate with it, a relationship of respect and trust will develop and deepen. It is with you to assist you in your soul’s purpose in life during this manifestation.

You may not be aware of your animal guide until you begin to actively seek out the connection and open yourself up to their signs of communication, or go through a significant change in your life that brings their guidance and assistance to the fore. Once you’ve discovered your guide, though, you’ll most likely be able to look back and see that they’ve been with you throughout your life in a myriad of ways.

The Raven & I

While I’d been fascinated by Corvid’s (Raven / Crow) manifestation in so many mystic theologies and cultures throughout human history since I began working with animal medicine in 2012, I’d never personally interacted with this guide until around the time my life underwent a series of major traumatic upheavals. I walked out of my house one day and heard a crow cawing incessantly. I’d never heard a crow calling at my home before. I was instinctually driven to stop in my path, turn and search for it. As I spotted it in a tree above my roof, it seemed to look directly at me, gave one more loud caw as if in recognition, and then it flew off apparently satisfied.

That was the start of a developing relationship that has deepened as the years have gone by. Corvid has been with me through the sudden loss of both my parents, closing my crystals & esoteric shop Earth DNA after a decade, moving house (twice!) and now beginning a massive new chapter with The Mystic Cat farmstead. Almost every day I’ll hear the cawing of a crow nearby in the late afternoon, a ritual that has become both comforting and uplifting. I’ll admit that I sometimes joyfully caw back a loud and friendly hello, much to Russ’s (and probably the crow’s) amusement!