The Usefulness of Generic Totem Meanings

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Okay, so most of us have totem sites we go to for information, or books, and many of us have heard of Jamie Sams and Ted Andrews. Many of us have probably heard or read simplified statements like; 'oh horse, horse is Power. Whale is Record-Keeper.'

But how useful are these one word or two word generic titles really? What do they actually tell us about the animal?

I think that sometimes they can be harmful, but it's true that I have also used them in my own practice. I don't use ones that Jamie Sams made up, but I have been found going to people 'well, the dog is a loyal animal, and he likes structure...so maybe...'

And there I've used two key words, and implied structure and loyalty. So for me, sometimes, they can be useful - but how can they hinder our understanding of animals? Even my totem files, as long as they are, can be a hindrance. Why? Because they can make people not look 'outside' the writings to the animal itself. Some people will, but not all.

Yet totem files, and any book on totems may also help people to look at animals in way they might not have considered.

Are there any generic totem meanings that might apply to an animal all the time? Is Hawk always 'Messenger'? Is Buffalo always 'Abundance'?

Is it ever that simple?

Comments

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

They can be useful for more obscure animals, just because you may need a little help on figuring out that animal's teachings. It;s like interviewing someone--you want to know a little about them beforehand, adn maybe that includes reading other interviews people have done of them. But it's still not what you'd get from your interview.

[sidheblessed.livejournal.com]

I think tey can be useful in providing some ideas on what an animal's lesons may be but I beleive that they can't compare to direct comunication with an animal.

[valkyriur.livejournal.com]

I think it can be useful if you really know nothing about the animal. In that case though, you should do some research about the animal itself like in an encyclopedia first (it's what I had to do with Springbok Antelope, as I didn't even have a name for it, I just knew how it felt).

I know I have used the generic totem files if I'm completely stuck as to what it could possibly mean. I even sometimes use it to help what I think it is that it is there for.

I think as long as a person first looks inside themself, they can be very helpful. But since an animal can mean completely opposite things to two different people, it is very important to look inside oneself for the meaning.

[blackdragon5.livejournal.com]

I always think of the facts I know about the animal (its habitat, life history etc) and what it means to me personally. The general meanings were helpful to me in the beginning, because they gave me an idea how the animals have communicated with other people, but I don't think about them much any more. I think they can be a hindrance if a person thinks they are written in stone and doesn't look beyond them, as you said. The actual communications I've had with animal spirits usually don't match the generic meanings much at all. For example, the Lark is usually said to represent song and happiness. The Horned Lark has a very different meaning to me because it is one of the few birds that is active in the North Dakota prairie on winter days when it is 40 degrees below zero! To me it represents toughness and survival of adverse conditions. I like your totem files because your drawings of the animals are beautiful.

[paleo.livejournal.com]

I think *always* relying on generic meanings is foolish, however I do believe that there are times when an animal spirit shows up for a more symbolic reason than a more deeper relationship. I find myself dealing with this issue quite a bit with Cat. Cat is certainly a complex entity, but part of her legacy is a large hoard of mythology and symbolism. I work with Cat on a deep level, but there are times when Her energy comes forth in various "generic" ways. Cat is Cat, but sometimes She is Magic or Stealth or Sex.
I do not believe in One True Symbolism for any animal, though.