Light & Shadows of Chalandor

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Discover your Animal Totems

Answer these questions to help you discover the Animal Totems in your life. For Journey and Message Animal Totems you will have to often ask yourself the same questions. Remember that you may not currently have a Journey or Message totem. And finding out your Life animal totem is not always easy. When answering these questions you may have more than one answer per question, just don't start listing out all animals - only the ones that are really important to you. Follow your instincts when answering the question - when in doubt, don't.

Life Long Animal Totems

When you were a child, what animal did you collect or obsess over that you are still attracted to today?

Of all animals if you could have any animal as a pet or companion what would it be?

When going to the zoo, which animal do you spend the most time with or are drawn to?

If you could be any animal what animal would it be?

What animal is in your dreams that you have had since childhood?

What animal are you afraid of that you have no idea why you are afraid of it?

Of all animals what animals are you most attracted to?

When you are out in nature, do you often seem to run into the same animal?

What animal have you bumped into over and over throughout your life?

What animal have you watched for hours?

Does art work or jewelry with a certain animal always attract you?

You Life Long Animal Totem will be the animal that you answered at least three times out of the eleven questions. The more times the same animal is listed in your answers the more important and stronger it is in your life. The one that appeared most is your current Animal Spirit totem.

Journey Animal Totems

What animal have you started to see occasionally that you never saw before?

What new animal are you attracted to?

Are you dreaming of an animal lately?

Are you thinking about an animal lately?

In the past two weeks what animals have you seen or dreamt of several times?

If you have a Journey Animal Totem you will have answered at least three of the questions with the same animal. Blessings on your new path.

Message Animal Totems

What animal surprised or startled you today?

What animal that you don't usually see, have you seen a couple of times today?

What animal entranced you today?

If you answered the same animal to two question then this animal is your Message Totem with a very important message. Heed it's word quickly for the message is for now and today. If you only answered one question then this is a message you should still consider.

Shadow Animal Totems

What animal attacks have you been in?

What scary or traumatic animal situations have you been in?

Does seeing a certain animal bring up feelings of fear?

What animal do you run from?

What animals do you have reoccurring nightmares about?

Does just watching TV with that animal appearing scare you?

Answering two questions with the same animal means you have a Shadow Totem you must address. Remember that the Shadow Totem will continually test you and work against you for you are it's prey. You must embrace the lesson of the animal totem and conquer your fear, accept the power of the Shadow totem, and bring it into the light as your spiritual totem.

DO YOU KNOW YOUR ANIMAL TOTEMS?

Begin the process of discovering your animal totems by examining the animals you have been most interested in & the times of your life that interest was piqued. Use the following questions to help determine which animals are probably totems to you in your life.
1. Which animal or bird has always fascinated you? (We are drawn to that which most resonates with us. Those animals which fascinate us have something to teach us.)
2. When you visit the zoo, which animal do you wish to visit the most or first? (esp. children)
3. What animal(s) do you see most frequently when you are out in nature? Have you had encounters with animals in the wild? (The animals we encounter, in their city environments or in the wild, havesignificance for us. We can learn from them, even if only about survival within that environment.)
4. Of all the animals in the world, which are you most interested in now? (Our interests in animals change. Yes, we usually have one or two that are lifetime, power animals, but others become prominent when there is something importance or specific to teach us.)
5.What animal most frightens you? (That which we fear the most is often something we must learn to come to terms with. When we do that, it then becomes a power. Some shamans believe that fears will take the shape of animals, and only when we confront them without fear do their powers/medicine work for us instead of against us. Such an animal become a shadow totem.)
6. Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal? (Historically, if a shaman survived an attack, it was believed that the animal was the shaman's spirit totem and the attack was the totem's way of testing the shaman's ability to handle the power.)
7. Do you have dreams with animals in them or are there animal dreams you have never forgotten? (This is especially important if the dreams are recurring or if at least the animal image in the dream is a recurring one. Children often dream of animals, & attention should be given to these animals. They will often reflect specific spirit totems of the child.)
Information from "Scott Cunningham

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