Identifying different types of totems in your life
Animal totems appear to a person for a reason. They may be self-characterizing, may represent a part of your life's journey, or may be bringing a quick but important message to your attention. They may bring a sense of protection, or act as a vessel of healing. By understanding what sort of medicine the totem is providing or how long of a role it plays in your life, it is easier to understand the medicine itself.
The following types of totems relate to the extent of your life journey.
Messenger Totem
A messenger totem, or message bringer, usually has a more temporary presence in our lives. Their medicine teaches a moment of self-growth, bringing direction or warning to a decision. They may act as a sort of wake up call to bring a brief time of self-awareness, assuring that an action is approached with much thought and caution. Messenger totems may appear in an unusual experience, in a way that makes itself known and brings a teaching with it. It can be interpreted as a delay when it appears, as if the delay will make a difference to what new opportunity you run into or what trouble you may timely avoid. The messenger's significance in your life should last for a short period of time, usually anywhere between a few days to a few weeks, and sometimes as short as a few hours. Once the message is understood, the totem will be satisfied, and will normally become absent.
Journey Totem
A journey totem has presence throughout a major period in our lifetime. The animal will slip in and out of your life, appearing to remind you and guide you during this time period significant to the animal's medicine. The journey totem can essentially be viewed as similar to the messenger totem, but the biggest difference is the amount of time that the totem is significant in your life. They may guide you during times of questioning your career's path, participating in a long relationship or friendship, or dealing with physical or mental health lapses, among many other scenarios.
Life Totem
A life totem, or spirit totem, in fact most characterizes the title of "totem." Life totems stay with you for your entire life, realized or not. They reflect your spiritual nature, its own characteristics strongly influencing your personality. Your life totem will always be there to protect you, heal you, and teach you a lifelong lesson. It also reminds you of your very own powers, strengths, and abilities. Unlike messenger or journey totems, life totems will never leave your side. People usually only have one life totem, or a few on occasion. Therefore, life totems are to be viewed with paramount importance in your spiritual life.
The following types of totems relate to the purpose of the medicine provided, based on your emotional reaction to the animal.
Protector
Protectors, or protector totems, give the extra strength or energy when you need it most. They often appear in dreams that involve some sort of conflict, letting you know how to handle a threatening or confusing situation. They may appear to warn you of deceptions or blurred lines in your life. They may be trying to tell you that you shouldn't be so naive or gullible, or that certain strife may become present in your life that could compete against your totem's medicine.
Healer
Healers, or healing totems, allow us to draw upon their energy to heal ourselves. A certain animal providing you their healing medicine may help you to perform a metaphorical healing process similar to the one they under go, or become more resistant against something that they are naturally resistant to. If they shed skin or fur, they may teach you to let go of your past or get through a sickness and be resilient. If they hibernate during the winter, it may be telling you to undergo a time of long rest in order to recuperate from a time of draining conflict or accomplishment.
Teacher
All totems are teachers to some extent, but true teacher totems appear regularly to you to teach you something very special. Teachers act as a guide through a journey, often appearing in the dreaming world in order to teach a significant lesson that may become clearer in an imagined environment. Also, taking a look at a teacher living in your environment, you will see that they are doing so quite successfully. Learn from the teacher how to exist in your environment more proficiently.
Shadow
A shadow totem is very different from other totems. Many believe that in order for an animal to be your totem, you must have affinity for that animal. In fact, this is not necessarily the case. Shadow totems, or fear totems, are often an animal we are irrationally afraid for. We may feel so passionately towards this animal because it is trying to teach us something we are afraid to acknowledge or reluctant to accept. Essentially, a shadow totem commonly represents our inner fears. Until you face the animal that you fear, its powers will work against you. You must open your mind to the totem in order to earn its teachings. The goal of dealing with shadow totems is to learn the lesson they are pushing you to learn and incorporate the totem into your life. A shadow totem can become a very powerful totem of yours in the long run, symbolizing a harsh but vital lesson learned.
