Totem Animals

People have asked me how do I find my totem animal.  For everyone it can be of course different, so I will give you an example of mine which has reappeared after many moons of not being around.

I was thinking of bear which is my primary totem and always will likely be so.  I was thinking maybe it is time to see if there is a new animal totem that can come into my life which isn't quite so solitary.  Perhaps it is time for some new lessons so I put it out to the universe I wanted to see a animal or spirit helper as these creatures are sometimes called.  I then quickly forgot about it and that was that.

That is the thing about a power animal.  It has to make an impression on you.  Some people are surrounded with hummingbird gifts or they have always loved them.  On their wind chimes, signs, flags and everywhere there is hummingbirds.  And of course, also feeders so the real bird is flitting around everywhere.  This is an obvious way of knowing.  Everything you own may be about deer or cats or cougars or lions and even though you can't have a lion in your back yard, you still love them and everyone else knows it!  That is a sure sign of this animal being your totem, and your teacher as well as helper.

So, not thinking about anything a blue heron stops on the beach not far from the balcony where I am looking out with my bird book.  I had spent one morning earlier replacing lost legs on someone else's carving of a blue heron so I was familiar with their look and in my medicine box in storage, I may have blue heron feathers that were given to me years ago, so it isn't like I am not familiar with this medicine however it was years ago even before my son.

I noticed the bird which I was told have been missing for the last few years at trout lake was back. I didn't really think anything of it and carried on.  Then another morning I noticed there was a pair which I thought was great and ran to get my camera.  Just as I was about to make the shot, a small boat and two fishermen came out around the corner and off they went before I could snap it.  So that was that.

Then I decided to go fishing. My gut wasn't great from drinking coffee and I instinctively wanted fish to eat.  Well it has been raining for days off and on so I thought I am not waiting, I got rain paints and my old Acubra hat and oil skin jacket and took the boat out.

I sat in the rain the first day with one heron not 20 feet from me.  I anchored in the lake off the river where I knew the fishing was best for casting and heron stood and fished.

Next evening again, out in the rain, this time heron moved and flew and landed even closer to me.  We looked at each other just sitting fishing in the rain.  I laughed, both of us the only ones on the lake fishing in a real downpour.  Didn't care, I was prepared and wanted fish!  So when I pulled up the anchor at dusk it was metal and really made a loud noise on the boat, but heron didn't move at all.  That should have told me something but I admit it, I am thick sometimes!

The next day I take the truck out for a drive and go over to the end of the lake by the campground. I am turned around and coming back towards town when the pair of blues fly low in front of me.  One carries on to the lake but the other decides to stop and land on the road in front of me!  So there I am in the truck looking at a blue heron who is standing in the road looking at me!

Ok, finally got it! I suddenly remembered I had asked for a new totem animal and he was!

That was the irony of it all. It was the larger of the two that hung around with me.  Not the smaller.  And ironically, blue herons are still known as solitary birds however they do take a mate, another solitary bird.  Well, I have no mate, can't say if that is a sign or not, but I did find out besides patience and ability to stand alone, are individualistic and are messengers between the dead and the living, they can be very much communal creatures when mating season is about. I found this interesting because I have always found that if I were to have a partner which really I have not, it would be someone I can be myself with, is more a companion and who also seeks beauty, harmony and balance which are all attributes of this beautiful bird.  It is not an easy totem to find, no idea where you would find a colony of other blue herons during mating season! lol!