Saturday, July 21, 2007

BIRTH TOTEMS

I have been researching totems lately (oh, I am such a beginner on this spiritual quest of mine.) One type of totem is the birth totem. Mine is the woodpecker, or flicker, for people born June 21-July 21, according to Native American spirituality. Flickers such as the one I have shown above live in our neighborhood, and I absolutely love their song. Is that a coincidence? I don't think so.

I was amazed how well the flicker totem fits my personality and how its symbols appeal to me. The totem's flower is the wild rose. Now, I have written about the North Dakota wild prairie rose more than once in this blog. In fact, I have a pressed prairie rose that my mother preserved in a little transparent envelope. On it she wrote, "Julie just brought me this rose. She sure loves flowers! June 1959" The color aspect of my totem is rose. Not to brag, but I absolutely look my best when wearing a rose-colored blouse. My totem's musical vibration is the F natural note. Not being musical, I don't have a clue if this is right, but I bet if someone played me some music that was full of F naturals, I would love it.

My element is water, which I already knew because I am a Cancer, a water sign. My mineral totem is a rose quartz. So that explains why, in the crystal shop the other day, I was drawn to a wonderful, polished, rose quartz, and had to buy it. Robyn has been tutoring me in crystals, and I hadn't planned to buy any until she advised me on the basic (starter) ones to buy, but I was incredibly drawn to this one. (P.S. Robyn says that is okay. More than okay, it is what one should do - respond to a crystal that is calling to you.)

My totem's personality? Emotional, vulnerable but protective. Spot on! My weaknesses: self pity, envy and relying too heavily on others. Oh, my husband can tell you about relying too much on him. But that was early in our courtship/marriage. Now, I am not that way, and I have been trying so hard to conquer those other demons of self pity and envy.

My strengths? Resourcefulness (hmm, dunno), self-acceptance (yes!) and forgiveness. Oh, no! That's where I don't fit the profile. But I am mystified because one of my negative traits is "often unforgiving." Oh, yes, that has been me. So there's a contradiction. My other negative trait, supposedly? Moodiness. I don't really think so. My positive traits? Tender and sympathetic (Certainly, I'd like to think.)

My conscious desire? Emotional stability. Too right. Since my mother was emotionally unstable I look for signs of instability in myself all the time. My subconscious desire? Accomplishment. (I'll have to think about that one.) My spiritual path is "fitting in with the greater good." (I can relate to that.)

Some of the totem traits had no meaning for me, such as "my moon, seasonal aspect and wind direction." I'll have to study such items further. But when I found out that my flicker totem is a member of the frog clan, I quickly googled it and found that there, too, were many, many traits that fit me.

Next, I will write about an animal totem that I have chosen to be my spirit guide.

13 comments:

Annie Jeffries said...

I am a snake person. Somehow that does not sit well with me. I wonder if I was born a bit early because the birth totem that follows is the Owl and I relate to the Owl strongly.

gma said...

Where did you find your totem information? It looks like something I'd like to check into.
xo

E~li~si said...

I have chosen the dolphin but I also have done some research and took a test online. I tested out that the "wolf" was my totem...this site explained it well and the description fit me well, I have to say. Where did you find this site that told you all this information??

Lisa Oceandreamer Swifka said...

My birth totem is the Elk. One thing I strongly disagree with is the "weakness" which said I tend to exaggerate and am concerned with "status". No on both counts.
It's all very interesting!
XOXO

Rowan said...

Fascinating post JulieMarie, I'd like to know your sources too, though in my case I don't suppose all of them would fit or mean anything to me as I'm from another continent and our wildlife and flowers are different. As an animal totem I've always been drawn to the wolf but have no idea whether this is actually the right one or not. Hope you are going to post more things like this.

Miss Robyn said...

I want to know where you find this information? I am at a loss as to what my totem is. Being in an entirely different country to either the UK or the US - we don't have many of the animals here.
by the way - will send more information about the next crystal and give you a starter list.. tomorrow is a post on how to choose your crystals. I am a beginner in this too, Julie, we all are..

couragetocreatewriteandlove said...

There is this show I listen on hayhouseradio with Steven Farmer is good. It's about animaIs and shamanism. I have been trying to learn more about this subject but I haven't gotten completely into it yet.

Patty said...

I've seen totems too but not the ones about flowers..let us know where you found this. It sounds like great information

Carole Burant said...

My birth totem is the Crow...I had looked that up a while back and I was quite fascinated by what I learned because a lot of it fit me so perfectly! It certainly is worth looking into:-) xox

nonizamboni said...

Julie -- another interesting and wonderful post. I was moved by the wild roses pressed in an envelope by your mother. How fortunate to have such a lovely birth totem.
Search on!

Julie said...

I found my information at http://wolfs_moon.tripod.com/birthtotmain.html

Julie

Anonymous said...

Oh wow, so that makes mine a flicker also. Love Hugs and Blessings

Lila Rostenberg said...

I'll have to check my totem too! I recognize that envy is something I have had to deal with over the years. recently I cut out and pasted this quote in my journal..."Envy is the only one of the seven deadly sins which is absolutely no fun at all!"....How true!
Off to follow your link and find my birth totem!