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| Week 39 - the letter "T" |
Sure, I have my suspicions and many people have weighed in on what they think my totem animal is, but I've never been sure or gone through anything "formal" to discover the answers. Plus, there are so many different terms: totem animals, animal guides, power animals, animal spirit guides, and I'm sure many more. And these different terms...are they just that, "terms", or is there substantial differences between them?
I'm not sure and I honestly haven't ever explored it. Thinking about that now, it's strange. Animals are one of my "things." They generally respond well to me and I have a "way" with them. I have a deep respect for all souls and animals are included in that category. My personal belief in animism and the interconnectedness of all things creates a kinship with animals. But I have never done the work to really find out what animals are my totems/guides. Maybe I'm afraid?
A good friend of mine has an oracle deck about animals. I never can remember the name of the deck but I plan to find out and add it here. He had me select a set number of cards representing my animal guides. He built an amazing document explaining the meaning of the animal and what position they held in my life. I loved this and would share bits of it, but it is packed away somewhere and the thought of attacking any and all boxes labeled "Pagan" to find it is daunting. Besides, I don't want to repack those boxes for my move.
Ugh, rambling.
From these cards, he created a soul collage for me representing the various animals. It is beautiful and I love it on so many levels. It is one of my most cherished possessions. It's not the greatest picture, but here it is:
Based on my thoughts and what I have discovered, I know one of my totem animals is a bear, more than likely a panda or a polar bear. A dog or wolf is also there along with a turtle or frog. Others agree.
I have always been a fan of pandas. Some of this is probably due to it being a childhood nickname because panda rhymes with Shanda. Panda gifts were a safe fallback. As I got older, I drifted more towards polar bears but always came back to my precious pandas.
What I know about pandas as totem animals only further confirms that a panda is definitely an animal for me.
Panda Spirit Animal:Those who know me will definitely see why I'm rather certain of my panda-ness.
The panda is a powerful spirit animal inspiring tranquil strength and determination. Under its soft and fuzzy appearances, this animal totem brings forth the importance of strong personal boundaries to feel safe and grounded in life. If you have the panda as spirit animal or totem, you may be inclined to be emotional and feel like you need strong material and physical comfort to feel at ease in your life. Symbolic of the ability to find a balanced and nurturing path through life, it will encourage those who have it as totem or power animal to integrate different aspects of their personality in an harmonious whole.
Panda Symbolism
The panda is a symbol of gentleness and strength. The general meanings associated with this animal are:
The symbolism of the panda also encompasses personal and spiritual qualities, such as:
- Gentle strength
- Peace
- Good luck, positive outlook on life
- Connection with Eastern wisdom
- Integration of polarized aspects of yourself, such as feminine and masculine energies
- Heart-centered energy, nurturing ability
- Importance of emotions
- Calm determination, ability to take time to reach your goals
- Importance of private space and personal boundaries
The panda spirit animal and emotional personality
From the Alive Poster Series by Andreas Preis
Those who have the panda as spirit animal can be very sensitive and easily prone to emotional ups and downs. This animal is characterized by its very high sensitivity to its surroundings and can quickly become stressed when there is too much movement or noise around. If you identify with the panda totem, you’re likely very aware of your environment and the energies around you. While this is a useful quality, make sure your learn how to keep your emotional balance.
The panda totem, a teacher about the importance of personal boundaries
The panda spirit animal reminds us of the importance of establishing healthy personal boundaries to feel at ease and safe in the world. This animal lives a solitary life during its most of its existence. By affinity with this spirit animal, you may feel you need to keep your distance in order to feel comfortable in social settings or in relationship. The message of wisdom of the panda also emphasizes the importance of feeling at ease with ourselves, whether we are alone or with other people.
Panda lifestyle and material comfort
The panda had to adapt its food intake to its particularly short digestive system by eating during most of the day large amount of bamboo. It is known for its high consumption of bamboo, up to 40 pounds per day. By affinity with this animal, you may be inclined to rely on the accumulation of material sources for comfort.
If the panda is your spirit animal, you may find that you put a lot of importance on your material comfort, whether by making sure you have enough to meet your immediate needs or by ensuring your long term sustenance. Be mindful of the tendency to accumulate for the sake of accumulating.
The spirit of the Panda and the art of nurturing
When the panda shows up in your life, it may be time to nurture yourself or others more carefully. What are the sources of nourishment and nurturance in your everyday life? Do you cultivate what makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside? Do you give or receive enough nurturing?
The panda is symbolic of heart-centered energy and its spirit attends to the aspects of our life associated with cherishing and cultivating gentleness and loving care.
The Panda, a symbol of gentle strength
The totem of the panda has affinities with bear energy. Despite its gentle appearances, it is a strong animal with an unstoppable determination. Like the bear, it provides powerful support for those who need courage and steadiness in their endeavors. Those with the panda totem tend to be able to be firm and gentle at the same time and demonstrate a gentle strength in any circumstance.
Wisdom of the Panda: Be calm and steady
The wisdom of the panda teaches us to move through life calmly and with determination. You can call this spirit animal to help you maintain a steady pace and direction. In the Eastern culture, this animal is symbol of peace and harmonious resolution of conflict. The panda is of great support to get out of tricky situations peacefully.
I want to explore the roles of the animals in my life - the real ones, those that tend to appear as signs often, those of my dreams, my pets, etc. and delve further into the ideas behind totem animals, animal spirits, animal guides. And I know that this education needs to be a priority in my process of defining my spirituality.
And I have this shirt...
Lovely blog post as usual. This is a question I've had too. As one who always says, "Why can't I do it my own way?" I've not gone seeking an animal totem formally either. I can tell you I've had experiences throughout my life that touch on one animal or another. I love bats, for instance, and got to care for a baby bat for a week until I could get him to the zoo and proper care. Owls seem to fly into my life at different significant times. Hawks are always on my driving trips to keep me safe. Bears and wolves show up in my dreams to nudge me this way and that.
ReplyDeleteMy oldest son got his totem animal early, the turtle. It's something that's always fit with him. Maybe it's because I was open to it as his parent that it was so easy. :) Luc would be eagle, because I saw several while I was pregnant with him (and an elk!) and Miguel fell in love with owls right away.
Reading through the panda info made me really nod and go, "Yeah. From your posts and what I know of you, the panda does sound very fitting."
Thanks again for sharing such close things. (if that makes sense.) I cherish them!
That is cool about the boys. I wonder how often a child has a totem animal very early in life. It makes sense that one would appear during that time to protect and guide such a new life. It could be interesting to see if a favorite story or toy are more subconscious in selection by the child or even the parent.
DeleteI'm also a "do it my own way" gal. Even if I would go a formal route to discover my spirit animal, I would take it with a grain of salt. I know my brain and heart would guide me in the right direction with a vision quest or meditating, but other methods would definitely be considered but with caution.
And thanks for thinking the panda is a good fit for me. I do think I know what you mean about sharing close things. You are welcome and I'm glad that you cherish them.
Never thought of a panda as a totem. I haven't formally found my spirit animal either, but I am am pretty positive I have three: the fox, the raven, and the raccoon. Funny how they are all considered "tricky."
ReplyDeleteMaybe "tricky" is just some of those things that really encompass aspects of who you are or are meant to be. So many people think tricky is a negative thing. I don't see it that way, at least not all the time.
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