What is totem animal?

For a more practical and simple definition, we can say that our totem animal is the animal with which we most share personality and behavioral characteristics. In spiritual terms, this identity between the person and their animal is much deeper and more complex.

They can point to the intertwining and sometimes even sharing of single spirit or animal energies. The practice of identifying the animal totem is a powerful tool for self-knowledge and can contribute insights and perspectives that help us solve problems or achieve our goals.

From now on, learn a little more about this practice and all the benefits it can bring to your life!

Understanding the totem animal

To better understand what a totem animal means, it is important to observe the true spiritual dimension of this approximation between animal and human. To begin, let us look at the origin of the totem animal concepts.

History of the totem animal

In ancient times, when there was no difference between religion and science, tribes usually relied on the figure of a shaman, who concentrated medical, astrological and spiritual knowledge, among others.

The Tungues of northeastern Siberia were the first to use the word "saman" ("shaman", "one who knows") to designate this figure. In this same culture some animals were revered, such as the bear, for example, in a deeply spiritual relationship with nature.

The word "totem" comes from Amerindian cultures and refers to a sacred object that represents some natural element (such as an animal or plant) and the relationship between that element and an individual.

Thus, the concept of "totem animal" developed from practices common to several shamanic cultures and refers to this sacred identity between a human being and an animal.

Animal totem, shamanism and nature

In societies that lived immersed in nature in its wildest state, these relationships and comparisons with animals were very everyday and meaningful, usually in the sense of observing the animal's behavior and drawing from it some important lesson for the person's life.

In modern society, this observation of nature has lost much of its meaning, making it very difficult to establish and deepen comparisons between individuals and animals in an organic way

At the same time, and precisely because of this estrangement between civilization and nature, the search for the totem animal offers the advantage of a reconnection with nature and the recognition of a principle common to all life forms.

Thus, besides knowing better the specific forces that manifest in you and for you, identifying the totem animal brings you closer to your true nature, which is also animal besides human.

Goals of shamanism

Shamanic traditions in general start from the principle that the mind of the individual is the origin of all his ills. In this way, every healing process starts from a detailed investigation of the individual in his deepest emotional and intellectual aspects.

The identification of the totem animal, as with most shamanic practices and rituals, has this goal of healing or, preventively, offering the individual all the self-knowledge they can muster to avoid future problems or to strengthen them on their journey.

Fundamentals of the totem animal

A person's totem animal is not always common in the region where they live and requires no prior knowledge or contact from the person. Let's look now at some specific questions regarding totem animals and what you can do to find yours!

How to discover your totem animal

The discovery of the totem animal is traditionally done in shamanic rituals that may include the use of psychotropics and narcotics. Eventually, the animal appears to the person in dreams, and it is most common to meet it through meditation or guided imagination.

Although dispensable, the presence of a shaman ensures greater range and precision throughout the process. Find a quiet and comfortable place, lie on your back with your eyes closed. If you prefer, play soft music and light an incense. Imagine yourself on the banks of a river or in a forest and walk slowly until you find the entrance to a cave.

Advance within it, going deeper and deeper into a small underground lake. There you will find the sculpture of an animal of great spiritual importance to you. It may be your totem animal, but note that this is a simplified exercise and may point to animals with only circumstantial importance.

What is the totem animal for

The identification of the totem animal allows us to recognize dominant personal characteristics or characteristics that need to be developed for a fuller realization of our potentials. It points to a specific force of nature that accompanies us throughout our lives, acting as a guide, protector and also as a center of power.

In this sense, it comes close to other systems used for personality description and analysis, such as astrology or the enneagram. But apart from the differences in application and approach, this is not as well organized a system as the other two.

Unlike astrology, there is no way to know your totem animal from simple information like date and place of birth.

How to recognize your totem animal

The surest way to identify your totem animal is to reach it through a ritual conducted by a shaman, who will know the difference between the totem animal and any other that may appear to you - either because it appeared to you for other purposes or as a mere figment of your imagination or desire.

There can be a lot of confusion in this regard, so it's good to clarify that usually your totem animal is one that you've always liked, for no apparent reason, but that just because you like an animal doesn't mean it's your totem.

Other accounts suggest that when it is real, the totem animal discovery is so profound and meaningful that there is no question about it, and that from then on, asking about your totem animal is like asking something as obvious to you as the color of your eyes.

Differences of the totem animal

There are similar concepts to the totem animal in other spiritual practices, so it is necessary to be careful not to get confused. Understand now the differences between totem animal and power animal or family animal.

Difference between totem animal and power animal

Generally, the expressions "totem animal" and "power animal" refer to the same thing, but it is possible to establish the difference from some relevant points. The main one is the fact that the totem animal is unique for life, while power animals may vary throughout it or refer to only part of our personality.

Thus, the concept of power animal can unfold into others such as "shadow animal" (which refers to a hidden or despised power in you), or "golden animal" (which refers to inherited characteristics and issues of ancestry).

Also, according to the circumstances of your life, there may be the approach of one or another power animal bringing the energy needed for that circumstance, while the totem animal refers to unchanging characteristics throughout life and to your being as a whole.

Difference between totem animal and family animal

The difference between totem animal and family animal is quite evident and easy to understand. And while they may currently be part of the same set of spiritual practices, the concepts have quite different origins, with the "family animal" being a concept in wicca dating back to specific northern European cultures.

The familiar animal refers to an animal that is alive and part of the witch's daily life. It has a physical existence and participates in the rituals and daily experiences of its owner, while the totem animal is an extraphysical force, a "spirit" or "nature energy" deeply connected and intertwined with the person's energy.

Can I have more than one totem animal?

The totem animal is unique to each person and cannot vary throughout their life. Or it would be like expecting that one animal could simply transform into another, since there is a deep identity between a person's soul and their totem animal.

It is possible, however, that under special circumstances you may perceive another animal approaching and experience a deep identification with it. This is a power animal, which serves to strengthen or shape you so that you can cope with a particular situation.

The presence and influence of the totem animal in your life, on the other hand, is constant and applies to every aspect of your reality.