The Eagle

The eagle is a sacred messenger, carrying our prayers to the Creator and returning with gifts and visions for the people. Eagle feathers aid medicine people in calling on this connection when they need to contact spirit for healing.

Eagles are majestic birds with a powerful presence.  Although they can be social birds they do require isolation from human encroachment to breed in the wild.  If a human strays to close or touches their nest, they are likely to abandon it. Both male and female incubate the eggs and share in the duties of raising its young.

The eagle is incredibly patient. Often seen perched in a tree maintaining the same position for hours at a time,  eagle teaches those with this totem how to master the art of patience in every area of their life.   Within the energy of patience "all things are possible."  

Eagles are good at feeding themselves from the land and still soar to great heights in the sky. They teach us how to move through life without becoming attached to anything.   They show us how to accept what comes our way and see everything as a gift from great spirit.  They have excellent hearing and can hunt as much by ear as by sight. To those to whom eagle comes, the ability to hear spiritually and psychically will awaken

Eagles have sharp beaks and strong jaws.  They remind us to pay attention to our speech and how it affects others.  Our words as well as the tone of our voice should be examined.  Eagle asks us to maintain a prayerful connection with Spirit, to keep our minds focused on what is important in life.  Maintaining this attitude removes judgement from our consciousness.  Without judgement we speak with encouragement and kindness towards others. Lessons associated with judgement are part of this medicine.

Eagles have excellent vision.  Perched high in a tree they appear to analyze and observe everything.  If Eagle has blessed you with its presence in some way, you are being given potent gifts of clarity and vision to use for the good of all people helping to bring forth the light out of the darkness. Eagle also serves as a reminder to those with this totem to communicate with Great Spirit daily so the gifts Eagle offers you can be utilized fully.

The Echidna

The echidna resembles the hedge hog and the porcupine in that they are covered by sharp spines.  They can survive in a vast range of climates and habitat.  They have pointy snouts and extremely long sticky tongues to catch ants and termites.  Echidnas have no fixed home and can be found in a variety of shelters. Those with this totem will feel at home wherever they are and often live in unusual dwellings.

This animal is an ancient creature with a unique and well developed brain.   The echidna  has been around longer than humans.  Because of its long life span it is known as the keeper of ancient secrets.  It holds the teachings of longevity and renewal.

When the echidna feels threatened it can run away on its short stubby legs, or curl itself into a ball protecting its soft underbelly.  They can burrow straight down below the surface of the soil showing only its spines along its back to their predator.  This line of defense is symbolic for those with this totem.  It reminds you to watch your back in unknown or uncomfortable situations.  Sometimes echidna medicine people will actually feel a tingling sensation running up their backbone when danger is near.

Echidnas are solitary in their habits but mutually tolerable. They have a single minded attitude and understand the value of rooting around to find solutions to life's questions. Those with this totem are investigative and inquisitive and make excellent detectives.  They have good memories and are able to retain information.

The tip of the echidnas nose is very sensitive to electrical signals from an insects body.  Since the echidna has no teeth it crushes insects between horny pads in its mouth.  Echidna medicine people are able to detect subtle electrical impulses originating from the earth as well as the sky. They can channel stronger electrical currents through their body without damaging their nervous system.  This gives them the ability to communicate with the spirit realm and extraterrestrial beings more efficiently. The echidna holds many secrets.  When it appears in your life those secrets are about to be revealed to you.

The Elephant

Throughout history elephants have been prized for their power and strength.  They are extremely intelligence and honored by many cultures.  Elephants are the largest land animals and among the longest lived, with life spans of 60 years or more. According to Buddhist tradition, the Buddha chose the form of a white elephant as one of his many incarnations and the rare appearance of a white elephant is still heralded as a manifestation of the gods.  The Hindu god Ganesh, the remover of obstacles, is depicted with the head of an elephant.

Despite their great weight elephants walk almost noiselessly. Their stride is exceptionally graceful and rhythmic. Their hearing, smell, taste and touch is acute.  This compensates for their poor eyesight.  Their eyes are small in relation to the enormous head, which can only turn slightly from side to side.  This limited movement results in restricted side vision. Those with this medicine feel things deeply and respond to those feelings from a place of inner knowing.  Because their peripheral vision is limited they have a tendency to look straight ahead and not always see what is around them.  Learning to shift ones focus to encompass the whole is helpful.

Loyal and affectionate elephants are willing to risk their life for the sake of others in a family group.  Wild elephants have been known to grieve and even shed tears over the death of a family member.  They have excellent memories and when mistreated they often seek revenge.

Elephants have a total of four teeth, all molars.  The first pair of molars is located toward the front of the mouth.  When they wear down, they drop out and the two molars in the back shift forward.  Two new molars emerge in the back of the mouth to replace those that have moved forward. Elephants replace back molars six times throughout their life.  When the last set wear out, they are unable to chew and die of starvation.

Teeth have great symbolism. They are considered receivers and transmitters of energy linked by connecting paths throughout the astral body.  Because the elephant is highly intelligent those with this totem make excellent researchers and alternative scientists. The complex study of numbers, energy meridians and the tie in between the physical brain, the teeth locations, and the major and minor head chakras is fascinating as well as beneficial.

Elephant tusks point backwards and are used as weapons and for digging edible roots.  From a spiritual point of view this suggests an ability to uncover the secrets left behind you and bring them to the consciousness for evaluation and healing.

This beautiful creature hold the teachings of compassion, loyalty, strength, intelligence, discernment and power to name a few.  If this is your medicine these virtues are a part of your natural character.  By applying these gifts in your life soul evolution is achieved.

The Elk

Elk have tremendous stamina and can run for a very long time. They are powerful animals with strong reflexes and respond quickly to anything that appears on their path. They are also unpredictable, passive one moment and aggressive the next. Elk can sense danger the moment it arrives and can teach us how to become more observant of subtle energies.

Elk live in large herds and are seldom seen alone. Although they enjoy the company of their own kind they do need space to roam and if cornered they can become quite dangerous. Those with this totem need a sacred space to retreat to from time to time in order to keep their energy balanced.

The elk, like the deer, have contests to see who will mate with the does; but unlike the deer, elk will fight very aggressively and frequently draw blood or worse. Those with this medicine need to keep their aggressive tendencies under control and seek fairness in all that they do. These tendencies may not be evident to the conscious mind, although when provoked they can often surface unexpectedly.

Elk never graze at night. An attacked herd will bolt in all directions so as to confuse a predator. The art of survival is part of its teachings. Majestic in their bearing the elk demands respect.  Adult bulls with a full set of antlers are a match for any animal they would encounter, including a bear.

There is no more impressive a sight than a full grown elk, with its winter coat, standing tall and looking fierce. Elk shares with us its regal demeanor and those with this totem often find themselves on center stage both in their professional and personal lives. If Elk medicine is fully developed within a person a strong self image is expressed. Those with this totem usually have past life associations connected to royalty.

When elk appears in your life, it may be telling you to polish your act and carry yourself with pride and power. That does not mean you should be egotistical, however, for elk knows that its true power comes from Great Spirit. It shows off the gifts it has been given and uses them to its advantage.

Elk holds the medicine of strength and empowerment. If you need to be impressive in a situation, it would be good to connect with elk and learn from it. If you are shy or unsure elk can show you how to become more confident.

The Emu

The emu is the worlds second largest bird behind the Ostrich.  They are quick mobile runners with a bouncing swaying motion. Emus are generally nomadic and those with this totem will have a yearn for travel and adventure.  Settling in and settling down will be difficult for them until later in life.  Since the emus life span is short, usually about 6 years emu medicine people will try to squeeze everything they can into their life experience. Caution is advised not to over extend oneself beyond their capabilities.

A flightless bird with a large stout body, long neck and long strong legs emus have been known to roam up to 75 miles.  They demand space to roam free and if cornered they can become aggressive kicking their feet at their target. In relationships those with this totem can become restless and dissatisfied easily.  They are dreamers and explorers always thinking the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Once they manifest their dream they often lose interest in it and move onto something else. This  trait can be challenging to those whom they partner with.   Although they require stability they also shun it.

Emus mate for life. Because of this emu medicine people love deeply and are always faithful to their partners in spite of their wandering spirit. Male emus incubate from 7 to 10 eggs in a ground nest for about 60 days. For those with this totem this signifies that the masculine and feminine energies are aligned and working in harmony.  If this medicine is underdeveloped integrating both male and female aspects of self is important for optimum health and well being on all levels.

Emus are most vulnerable as eggs or as hatchlings.  Lizards eat emu eggs and young emus are hunted by dingo's, eagles, dogs and cats. If they live into adulthood their size alone serves as a protection for them. Children with emu medicine are very sensitive to their surroundings and need tender care and protection from their parents.  Otherwise the children become subjective to attack from outside influences.  This attack limits their free roaming spirit and creates emotional congestion.

The emu teaches us about freedom, its positive and negative aspects and helps us attain quality of life. Because they don't live a long life the emu holds the teachings of youth and innocence and reminds us to maintain a light heart and a playful spirit.