Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 57 - EXPLORING YOUR TOTEM MEDICINE

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Totem Animals

Page 57

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Bear Medicine	Birth Totems	Coyote Medicine	Dragon Ranks	Dragonfly Medicine	Eagle Medicine	Four Animal Helpers	Grey Wolf Medicine	Hawk
Heron Medicine	Horse	Magpie	Raccoon	Salmon Medicine	Spider Medicine	Swan Medicine	Thunder Being Medicine	Totem Loss Disc

EXPLORING YOUR TOTEM MEDICINE
By CinnamonMoon

I don't care what Totem someone is walking with, when it comes to understanding their
Medicine you've got to explore it to know it. Most individuals come to approach that exploration
superficially. They'll do some reading up on it, research the different interpretations, and say "I'm
like this or that" or "I'm not quite that way I'm more like this" and they don't recognize they're
just taking in information only. To say you have that much insight into your Totem is a good
thing but where do you take it from there, is it only to interact with the Totem entity? Is it deeper
and into journeys with your Totem? Are you observing only or are you interacting or are you
actually learning to *USE* that Medicine within your very nature?

To explore a Totem fully we do need to study and learn to work with them. That's not even an
issue to question, but we also need to look at ourselves and learn to work with the related
abilities we possess. Where is the Medicine found within our sensory abilities? How about
within the way we are able to weave our own energy or tap into the Source Energy within the
universe? How do we use it? Is it positive or is it Contrary? Where is it? Where doesn't it show?
How are we like this Totem in the Medicine sense? Where do the Contrary aspects show and
how can we correct them? How can we *use* them in a more positive way? In this way we learn
to transmute our own negative energy into positive outlets. One Totem at a time will teach us
how to do this and each one adds to a variety of resourcefulness in the transmutation process. In
that we straighten out the negatives, balance them with the positive attributes, bring ourselves
under control, and are able to master the Medicine. Combined, the different Medicines create our
body of abilities that we have to rely on and work with. It becomes a very deep and intense study
and we can identify each energy signature when it presents itself. We know if it's 'us' or the
Totem in our presence. We know if we're to act from our own source or draw upon another or
follow it to information and insight through an experience. Messages begin to be understood
very clearly and guidance takes form.

Once we embrace how *we* can work with it we have accepted and received it. But it takes
using the relative abilities in conjunction with the understanding we gain externally that allows
us to master it. This means we have to work with it personally, not jumping in over our heads
before we're ready to use it where others are concerned. That's pitfall many individuals
encounter. "Oh, I'm like this, so all I have to do is call that into play and I'm good to go." Wrong.

We must learn how it plays, what the energy feels like, how it moves, the strengths and
weaknesses it holds, literally what it sets into motion and being before we can weave it properly.
If we know how these attributes manifest in us on all levels…mental, physical, emotional, and
spiritual…then we can balance it on the axis within our Self. That axis is found through the past
and looking back to see how we manifested it unknowingly in the past, how we can balance that
and make corrections by recognizing when it's out of balance. At that point we presently make
the adjustments, and are then able to see where in our personal needs of the moment we can
apply what we've learned.

In this way we adjust and we start to weave with it in our own life, not the lives of others, if we
make mistakes it's on us. Make a mistake, readjust the balance, and try again. Keep repeating
that process until you do get it right, and then you've mastered it. Then…then someone close to
you will come forward with an issue they need help with. You'll see where the Medicine will
allow you to help in some fashion…at least a portion of it. And the key here to recognizing when
to apply it or withhold it is that they ask for help. Spirit sends them our way. We share, we help,
and we bring it into manifestation this way. A co-creative process.

When a Totem is being explored fully we will research it with our minds, we will relate to it
physically in how we react to things, how we move, what our movements are telling us in
relation to that. We'll see how it manifests when our emotions are acting up. We'll study it
through our sensory abilities and learn to recognize it there. Each step of this exploration is
defining the energy signature of that Medicine for us…within us, so we know which Totem is
active; and externally so we know what an environment or situation or issue is calling for. Let's
look at that a bit and use Turtle as an example.

Turtle Medicine deals with the Earth Mother, its shell contains the 12 Moons marked on the
sections, the shell itself is the union of the whole and the lore is rich. There's a lot more to study
though…we've stepped into Air and the Higher Mind as we take in all its symbolism and begin
to see how those interpretations apply. But we need to step into it further and we need to see how
it plays out in our own actions physically. So looking at Turtle we would study it through Fire
and the movements, reactions, or how it's so slow and plodding on land, struggling to right itself
when tipped over. Turtle's able to speed through Water gracefully and can assist us to learn the
agility of maneuvering through our emotions. When Turtle is at risk it withdraws…do we do
that? Do we pull back into our shell of protection if we feel threatened by something we can't
defend ourselves against? Or do we 'snap' at others when we need to…or perhaps in relation to
the Contrary nature instead? These are things we should be aware of? How does Turtle handle
relationships to itself, its kind, and others? How do we act like Turtle when our emotional
triggers go off? Are we able to see through our senses when Turtle is rising up within us? When
our own behaviors indicate that? Are we able to carry others on our backs when they need us to
or are we under too much pressure from doing just that? These are only a few examples because
Turtle (or any Totem for that matter) raises many questions for us to examine within ourselves
before we go applying this Medicine with regard to others.

Really looking at yourself and how that Medicine applies, manifests, and is used is what will
allow you to master it and use it to help yourself and others in life. We are the ones to bring it
through. Now each of us has 9 Totems that keep us company, learning who they are and studying
each with this intensity allows us to totally master who we are as a person, to bring out our
Highest Self our nature becomes well-honed and we gain so much self-control. That control
allows us to know why or why not to apply the Medicine, and we know when we are being asked
to apply it by guidance.

Where is the Medicine in you? How are you like the Totem that has revealed itself? Where do
the Contrary aspects appear? Where is it in balance with you? Where is it out of control? How do
you embrace it? How do you need to change it? Do you need to change it? How do you work
with it? It's already there, the discovery process is about recognizing it within you. Once you are
able to see it you can focus on that and utilize it. Reading about Totems is not enough. You need
to really explore them. Those explorations, when leading you into deep study, will include
journeys with your Totem animals. It may also include shapeshifting to learn to work with the
primal nature as well as the higher nature. It will involve learning what its vulnerabilities are and
who the enemies are too…the types of individuals you will find conflict with in life. What it
preys upon will indicate the types of individuals that you will be attracted to for growth and
support as you move forward. The gestation period, the birthing process, these tell you how long
it will take for manifestation and the ease with which that will come through using this Medicine.

How those babies are tended will indicate how you are to tend the affairs around the Medicine's
use and what you're manifesting. Can that manifestation (baby) stand on its own and free you to
go onto other things or will it need a period of care? How long? The time to maturity is the time
it takes to master the self in light of this Medicine, or for your project to be self-sustaining and 'mature'.

Learn to apply what you learn about the Totem and its Medicine to how you work with it, and
you'll see what you need to do. Where to act, where to hold back, where to be patient, how to
pace yourself with it. How to stay in balance, to know when it's coming forward and why that
would happen. Learn how it feels to go off balance and correct it too. That can be a sneaky issue
as we don't always pay attention to our irregular feelings and relate them to our Totems but there
will be a relationship and a way to restore the balance if we look. The nature of the creature will
tell you what to do when it rises…what your senses are relating to you. As another example, in
the case of Big Cat Medicine you might ask if your whiskers are twitching and telling you to pay
attention to what's around you. Or if they are telling you to go hunting information in your
environment…to stalk what's going on? Are they playful? Are they on alert? Are they curious?

Are they relaxed? Are they hungry? Are they at risk? See where the connective tissues relate to
you physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Then work with it. You'll find yourself
mastering these abilities easily as they are in your nature already and simply need to be
recognized. Whenever the energy signature appears and the senses respond (whichever sense that
may be) it is a direct indication of what you're to do. Understanding how these relationships are
connected comes from understanding the Totem's nature within your Self. Once you do that
you've embraced the Medicine and it is second nature to let it just kick in whenever you have
need of it. You've got to go within yourself to find it though.