| (no subject) |
[Jun. 3rd, 2009|08:08 pm] |
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Just wanted to give folks a heads-up--I have a short but sweet column on animal totems in context over at the new issue of Rendin the Veil ezine. |
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| Rabbit as a totem. |
[May. 8th, 2009|02:38 pm] |
Another totem post! This time about Rabbit. (Or if you wanna go crazy and add Hare in there, go ahead.) The usual template:
What experiences have you had with Rabbit (either as an overarching totem, or a specific species' totem)? What has Rabbit taught you, or if you haven't worked with Rabbit, what do you think Rabbit might teach?
Make your reply to this post BEFORE you look at others' replies, so you aren't subtly affecting your own answer without realizing it, or worrying too much that you'll give the "wrong" answer.
(Also, I was thinking it could be a good idea to tag posts with the animal of their subject - so newcomers can check through previous discussions and be less likely to ask the same questions - and maybe have a tag for these totem posts too?) |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 11th, 2009|05:55 pm] |
So--tell me about your experiences with Elephant (African? Indian? Pygmy? Extinct species?) Or if you haven't had direct contact, what you think Elephant may have to teach.
Remember, make your reply first (mine will be in the comments). Then go back and read what everyone else said to learn more. |
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| (no subject) |
[Apr. 11th, 2009|04:04 pm] |
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Just as a heads-up, I updated the small but growing list of totem-specific posts we've done for the sort of "community dictionary". I can't tag the posts that aren't mine, and I don't feel like getting on other people's cases about it if they forget to tag, so I just decided to stick with the list. I also updated the profile to include a link to it and a brief explanation. |
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| Totem trends? |
[Apr. 4th, 2009|09:30 pm] |
I've noticed that I'm encountering mostly birds and insects/spiders in both my "real" life and in meditations. There's too many interactions with these guys to count.
Yet I can count the number of times I've interacted with mammals in either situation on one hand, and there's zero encounters with anything from the amphibian, reptile, mythological, and extinct realms. I'm not counting plants in this one because I'm still getting use to the feel of plants and fungi period...they feel different than animals.
But it just seems like an interesting trend; not that I'm complaining, I'm perfectly fine working with just birds and buggies right now.
So my question is this: Has anyone else noticed some sort of trend in their totemism practice, especially a trend in the organisms you encounter? Not just in animal taxonomy, but even things like general locations (water vs land) or ecosystem roles (like the top predators of both insect and mammal food webs), or whatever else that can group organisms together. |
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| Using rat teeth clippings for rat totem |
[Mar. 30th, 2009|12:51 am] |
Hi everyone.
First the background: I have almost twenty pet rats, and I breed them. Rats are very sacred to me, and I keep any of them that have health problems or deformities. (So far this has been two.) One, Tim has severely misaligned teeth, and requires weekly tooth clippings. I'd like to use these clippings as a symbol of my sacred relationship with rat, but I'm not sure if this is a good idea. It's very necessary for Tim's teeth to get clipped, but the whole process scares him and isn't something he enjoys. So I'm not really sure if using his teeth clippings is a good idea. I was thinking about making a small pouch and collecting his teeth bits in it. Then when I feel like communing with rat or calling upon the power of rat, I could carry the pouch with me.
Any other suggestions of what I could do with these teeth bits to honor rat? Physically they are about a sixteenth of an inch by a quarter of an inch.
Is it a good idea to use these teeth or not?
Would anyone here have a use for them once I get a bunch built up? I have seven of them now, but get another four a week, so I will quickly exceed the quantity I can use. |
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| Rat as a Totem |
[Mar. 19th, 2009|06:37 pm] |
Reposted from my magical/animistic blog Dimension Bomb by ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) lupabitch's request, in addition to a few extra notes I'm posting here before solidifying them in more detail on the blog.
As per rules of the community, you're welcome to give your view first of what Rat as a totem might mean to you in the comments, then click the lj-cut link below for further info on my take.
( Click to enter the realm of the Rat King )
I've also lived with rats for a good long while, since about 2002 or so. My current companions are Genji and Bailey. Genji is an Australian Blue double-rex, and Bailey is a black-and-white bareback. They are roughly two months old, and right now they rule my life. I wouldn't have it any other way.
Would be interested in hearing other thoughts on this. Take care, folks! |
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| (no subject) |
[Mar. 15th, 2009|04:38 pm] |
So here's another totem post--the rules are as usual: without looking at the replies (including mine) talk about what the totem means to you, any experiences you've had, or if you haven't worked with this totem, what you think the totem might be "in charge of", so to speak. Then, once you've posted your reply, you can go back and see what others have had to say, and see how they compare to your response.
So I'm curious about Dragon. (Yes, I take a more liberal view of totems--if you want to be more Earthy about it, talk about Komodo dragon or another such reptile that you think may have inspired legends about dragons.) |
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| I hate introducing myself. :P |
[Mar. 14th, 2009|10:45 pm] |
Hello hello.
My name's Azure. I don't follow any specific path, I just do what feel right to me. At the basic level, I consider myself an animist and agnostic. My spirituality is heavy on involvement with animals, spirits, nature, meditation/journeying, etc. The typical things like that. I consider myself as always learning and evolving my personal path. I've realized that I would really like to branch out a bit more with who I know exploring similar things.
Otherwise, I'm 23 years old and unable to work -- mostly due to PTSD and something called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which gives me chronic pain. I'm still working on getting accepted by the government as disabled. I draw and write when I can though.
(x-posted to ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) the_animist . I believe it's a lot of the same people in both groups, sorry!) |
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| Greetings be |
[Mar. 14th, 2009|03:18 pm] |
To spare painful amounts of text, here’s my introduction behind the cut. :3
( ”Hallo )
Well, there we are. Time to go meet some new people. |
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| Question for y'all... |
[Mar. 6th, 2009|09:51 am] |
Hey folks!
So I'm looking to do some ritual working and I'm needing some materials. I am specifically looking for two raven feathers and a piece of wolf skin. My very strong preferences would be that the feathers be from either natural moulting (feathers from a live bird not one that was killed) or from an animal that died of accident or natural causes, and similar for the wolf pelt - that it be from an animal that died by accident or naturally rather than from being hunted. For the wolf skin, if that's not possible, then I'd prefer a skin that was previously owned rather than a new skin. Do you have any ideas where I could find such items? Do any of you have any of these items to spare, trade, or that I could purchase from you?
Any leads would be much appreciated! |
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| Totem tattoo? |
[Mar. 5th, 2009|08:07 pm] |
So, my boyfriend's friend is a tattoo artist and he offered me a free tattoo. I've been thinking for a while about getting some sort of tattoo representing my totem (wombat) for a while now, but now that the offer is presented I'm sort of conflicted.
I was thinking either a wombat pawprint or a simple wombat design that is almost sort of tribal looking.
Anyone else do something like this? Any ideas or suggestions? I just want something on my body that represents wombats that will be with me forever. |
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| Digging Deeper: Questions for Totemists and Therians |
[Mar. 4th, 2009|08:25 pm] |
| [ | mood |
| |  quixotic | ] |
I came up with this series of questions after finding myself frustrated by certain trends of romanticism without research in the totemist community. I meant them to be used more as food for thought than to be answered as a literal "meme". However, if you feel inspired to write out your answers and share them, by all means do so.
1. What was your first exposure to the animal in question? What were the first emotional or symbolic associations you formed to the animal in question?
2. What nonfiction books have you read about this animal? Have you watched any documentaries about this animal? Did any of these provide more depth of information than the others? Did any of them conflict on the facts they gave? If so, how could you go about finding which ones are more accurate?
3. Have you encountered any fictional books, movies, or television shows starring this animal? If so, how realistically was the animal portrayed? If the animal was anthropomorphized (talking animals, animals with human societies), in what way did the process of anthropomorphism bring the animal closer to human ideals? Were the animals shown as friendly and heroic or mean and villainous? How do you think these depictions color the way our culture views the animal’s natural behavior? How do you think these depictions may have colored your own view of the animal’s natural behavior?
4. When your research into an animal brings forth a fact that conflicts with your current view of it, how do you react? For instance, if you associate wolves primarily with strong, friendly family bonds, how did you react to learning that brutal harassment and killing occur within wolf packs? (If this fact is new to you, research the history of the Druid Peak pack of Yellowstone and the killing of a wolf called Number 40F.) Did this knowledge change your opinion of the animal? If so, how?
5. When you think of the animal, do you only focus on traits you find admirable? Are you able to objectively admit to and face the things about the animal that may be disturbing, repulsive, or uncomfortable to reflect on? Do you think you can find a way to assimilate your knowledge of the animal into a more holistic view, resisting the urge to romanticize or vilify?
6. Do you see this animal as being somehow “better” than other animals? If so, why? Does this view come from an emotional reaction or from objective observation? Even if this animal is your personal favorite, are you able to appreciate the uniqueness and importance of other animals?
7. What is the relationship of humans to this animal? Are you able to put aside any anger and negative feelings (even if it may be justified) to come up with constructive ideas on how humans can better coexist with this animal? Are there any actions that you can initiate yourself that may help this animal and its habitat?
8. Is there anything else you can do to learn about this animal, objectively and for its own sake?
9. After learning as much factual information about the animal as possible, can you think of any ways to express your more emotional, personal, and spiritual connection to it? How can you integrate the scientific knowledge you’ve gained and your emotional connections in a way that is honest, healthy, and rewarding? |
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| Introduction |
[Feb. 28th, 2009|11:34 pm] |
Howdy all, I wanted to introduce myself before I began replying to posts.
( intro )
So that's a bit about me. I'm looking forward to having a group of people to discuss our shared beliefs and experiences. |
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| Sexual Dimorphism and their use in Totemism |
[Feb. 25th, 2009|08:11 pm] |
Does a species' sexual dimorphism (physical differences between genders [example: big female spider compared to tiny males of the same species]) play a part in a totem's meaning or lesson? Do you make a distinction between male and female forms, and attribute different lessons to the different sexes?
A) Yes, I incorporate the sex difference into my work
B) No, I feel that the lessons are the same regardless of physical differences
C) Sorta; it depends on the totem and/or the lesson that I need to learn
D) I have no clue -or- I never thought of this before
E) Other |
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| Crow |
[Feb. 22nd, 2009|03:53 pm] |
We haven't had one of these in a while, so I thought I'd suggest the American Crow for another round of totem discussion. It seems that, out of the corvid family, most people tend to focus on Raven, and sort of lump Crow in with hir. But of course, while all Ravens are Crows, not all Crows are Ravens. I'd like to hear what anyone might have to say about Crow specifically, and what idiosyncracies Crow may have. (If you've had experience with other corvid species commonly referred to as "crows," other than ravens, you can go ahead and chime in too. :)
What experiences have you had with Crow? What has Crow taught you, or if you haven't worked with Crow, what do you think Crow might teach?
Make your reply to this post BEFORE you look at others' replies, so you aren't subtly affecting your own answer without realizing it, or worrying too much that you'll give the "wrong" answer. |
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| Totem-the Forum |
[Feb. 22nd, 2009|03:14 pm] |
http://s4.invisionfree.com/Totem/
At first glace, it may look like the skeleton of yet another animal dictionary, and in a way it is.
But what separates this from other dictionaries is YOU! Yes, you my friend, because in this forum there's no single author deciding what means what!
It is free, open forum where the animals and plants can be discussed by any number of people, and where all interpretations are welcomed and added to a constantly growing and changing dictionary.
Plus, it includes sections for Plants, Fungi, Mythical creatures and even Micro-organisms like bacteria! Most standard dictionaries out there do not contain such topics, denying the respect that they deserve. They're just as much a part of our lives and the world like Animals are.
So despite the new, empty feeling of this baby forum, please join and add your experiences today!
/shameful salesperson plug
I don't expect this to become a big thing anytime soon, or even at all, but I do hope to make this community work. Totemism is becoming more and more popular, and the books out there really don't do it justice as a tradition. Different people experience and see different things even with the same totem, and I'd much rather hear everyone's points of view than just one ambiguous author's view.
The basic idea (for now at least) is that someone starts a thread on an animal/plant/whatever with some keywords and concepts regarding how they view/experience their totems and guides (or even just spirits you've worked with on one occasion). Then other people can comment and add in their own concepts/experiences, to which can be added to the original post. Discussions can occur, and all views can be heard.
There's also a section outside the dictionary-type sections where techniques, ideas, and advice can be sought about totemic practices.
So if you're interested, please join and add your stuff! Don't worry about being too much of a "totemism newbie", I'm new to this as well ^__^ |
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| (no subject) |
[Feb. 9th, 2009|04:29 pm] |
Bird Cards by Toerien and van Dobben
A totem card deck that focuses specifically on birds and has some fantastic artwork--review at the link above!
So--how have folks been? Sorry I've been quiet; grad school started up again and per usual is eating my life! |
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| Problems with people due to totems? |
[Feb. 9th, 2009|02:23 pm] |
Hey guys.
I was wondering what you guys think of situations where you don't get along with someone because you have incompatible totem animals.
I've been starting to wonder if my inability to get along with certain kinds of people has to do with having a wombat totem. Wombats are notoriously stubborn and determined on their own objectives, and this trait in myself has made me clash with a LOT of people, regardless of totem. Some people see me was overbearing and grumpy while I just tend to see myself as determined and aggressive, but not in a nasty way. It's been one of the biggest conflicts in my life, regardless of the totem of whoever I'm interacting with, but it seems like a LOT of people can't 'take' that sort of personality. I'm fiercely loyal and generally good-natured, and I've been told that as well, but it just seems like that doesn't make up for the stubbornness that people get frustrated with in me.
Also, I have noticed that I have really not gotten along with certain totems consistently, and then to look back on that and see the relationship my totem has (or would have if they were on the same continent) with that animal has been really fascinating. The most disturbingly specific example of that was a really, really bad relationship I had with a person with a dingo totem. He was in both the human sense of the word and the animal sense of the word a 'predator'. In this situation, a much older guy that was interested in me sexually but in an aggressive, not-okay kind of way. Although I went along with it for a while, it came to a head when I sort of 'fought back' and got rid of him. I hadn't thought about it in this way until like a year after it happened, but our relationship to each other in relation to my wombat totem and his dingo totem was really concrete in a disturbing way.
Also, I was wondering if anyone thinks there may be any justification in my thought that one of the reasons I have trouble relating to people here is the fact that most people have totems native to their 'home' and I have a totem that is from a whole world away from me (I'm in the US, and wombats, obviously, are in Australia). But I don't know how deep some of this stuff goes. It was an interesting thought, though. |
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tired