One aspect of animal totemism is the belief that animal spirits can be divine guardians, guides, and messengers to humans. These animal totems are similar in function to the Judeo-Christian concept of guardian spirits. Each animal is said to have inherent wisdom or strengths which aid the person to whom it is attached (sometimes called it’s ‘medicine’).
It is believed that the spirit (or energy) of animals move with us thru our lives, helping us to become what we're meant to become or learn what we're meant to learn. Some animals are said to be with us from birth to death to help us with our life's purpose (called life totems) while others are said to come and go as needed.
A person who has a life path of being in service to others may have a life totem animal that carries the primary energy of service. The spirit energy of this animal will likely remain with them throughout their lifetime.
A person may have one or several life totems. A life totem may be that creature a person has been drawn to since their earliest memories. A child with a strong and unyielding attachment to turtles for instance, may have that as his/her life totem. Life totems often make recurrent appearances in the lives they’re working with.
Other creatures come in and out of our lives as we need their particular medicine or empowered energy. This may be for a relatively short time or for a specific stage of our lives.
Carrying animal spirit energy with us will cause the like energy to manifest in our world which is why that animal will appear in physical form (or image) in our environments.
Someone who is in the midst of change, for example, may have butterfly as a totem (a symbol of metamorphosis). Because butterfly energy would be strong in that person's energy field, they'll attract the same butterfly energy in their physical surroundings. Hence they will see butterflies often.
Many people wonder how they can tell if an animal is a totem and there are a few good indicators. A deep attraction or devotion to a certain animal, or feeling a soulful connection to a specific animal is typical of totems. Another strong indicator that a specific animal is a totem is when we fill our homes with it’s image. We’ve all known people who’ve crowded their kitchens with all things ‘cow’ or have a yard overrun with ceramic bunnies and rabbits. Those are likely totems as well. Another sign is when we seem to see a certain creature everywhere we look. On those occasions it seems we can’t escape them (nor are we meant to!). Trust your feelings about it. If you feel that an animal has something to tell you, then trust that feeling.
Animal messengers can also come to us in dreams or in meditation. In fact, many people meditate specifically to meet their totem animal spirits.
If we are observant of the animals and other creatures that
make appearances in our daily lives, dreams, and those we find ourselves attracted to, we can recognize what animal energy we're carrying with us. And if we know that we can learn more readily what that
energy is meant to help us with.
Here are just a few of the more common totems. Click on the image to learn it's energy/medicine.
Check back as more animals are added
I highly recommend the following links for additional and more indepth information as well as the book
Animal Speak by Ted Andrews
http://www.sayahda.com/cycle.htm
http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/
http://animalspirits.com/index