Totem Animals
I recently completed a guided meditation, wherein I was supposed to meet my totem animal/power animal. I was actually sort of surprised by both the success of the meditation (it was very short and sometimes I have trouble concentrating), and the results. People who know me are probably aware of how much I love cats and just felines in general. I assumed that my mind would naturally drift in that direction because of how often I think of cats and how much I enjoy being with my own cats.
The meditation asked that we begin in our own safe space (a place where we naturally feel comfortable) and relax. Then envision a door to an open meadow surrounded by trees. As we walked the path around the meadow, animals would meet us, and we should ask them if they were our totem animal. Within the first couple of minutes, I encountered a stag with large antlers, and almost without having to ask, it came up to me and we touched foreheads.
I recalled a memory from when I was in middle school. For a time I was a volunteer at a local nature center, doing things like cleaning exhibits and picking up trash along the trails. There was one really large trail that circled the grounds of the nature center, and I was walking along it. Near the end of the path I encountered a white-tailed deer doe and a fawn. It was one of those moments where I just stopped. I looked at them, they looked at me, and the two walked back into the brush. I had a similar feeling while doing the meditation, only this time, it was as if I was directly connecting to something rather than standing there in awe of it.
I spent some time looking up the symbolism of deer and the stag as totem animals. One thing I found interesting is that deer in general are seen to be symbolic of compassion, renewal (the male deer sheds and regrows his antlers during the year), an appreciation of balance, and sacrifice for the greater good (amongst other things). It can also represent problem solving, not through force but through compassion and love. The stag in particular (which is what I saw/interacted with during my meditation) is associated with the sacredness of the forest, pride and protectiveness. The deer's strong senses (sight and hearing) translate to an intuitiveness and ability to find alternate solutions to problems.
What struck me about this is that I don't necessarily see all of these qualities expressed within myself, but one thing I've had on the mind lately is how much I detest the kind of Machiavellian ambition that's almost a requirement to succeed in the average workplace (and in many other organizations), and how gentler, kinder alternatives to problem solving (you know, touchy-feely stuff and taking into account the personal well-being of people involved) are rarely rewarded and how frustrating that can be. I also tend to get really frustrated when I feel like other people are being rude (I just about raged at anime club the other night because some people couldn't keep their comments to themselves during the show); the deer teaches us that it's better to learn to let go, especially since it's unlikely for people to change (they have to realize how they're acting on their own and then want to change).
So yeah, this will certainly be an interesting thing to think about, going forward.
The meditation asked that we begin in our own safe space (a place where we naturally feel comfortable) and relax. Then envision a door to an open meadow surrounded by trees. As we walked the path around the meadow, animals would meet us, and we should ask them if they were our totem animal. Within the first couple of minutes, I encountered a stag with large antlers, and almost without having to ask, it came up to me and we touched foreheads.
I recalled a memory from when I was in middle school. For a time I was a volunteer at a local nature center, doing things like cleaning exhibits and picking up trash along the trails. There was one really large trail that circled the grounds of the nature center, and I was walking along it. Near the end of the path I encountered a white-tailed deer doe and a fawn. It was one of those moments where I just stopped. I looked at them, they looked at me, and the two walked back into the brush. I had a similar feeling while doing the meditation, only this time, it was as if I was directly connecting to something rather than standing there in awe of it.
I spent some time looking up the symbolism of deer and the stag as totem animals. One thing I found interesting is that deer in general are seen to be symbolic of compassion, renewal (the male deer sheds and regrows his antlers during the year), an appreciation of balance, and sacrifice for the greater good (amongst other things). It can also represent problem solving, not through force but through compassion and love. The stag in particular (which is what I saw/interacted with during my meditation) is associated with the sacredness of the forest, pride and protectiveness. The deer's strong senses (sight and hearing) translate to an intuitiveness and ability to find alternate solutions to problems.
What struck me about this is that I don't necessarily see all of these qualities expressed within myself, but one thing I've had on the mind lately is how much I detest the kind of Machiavellian ambition that's almost a requirement to succeed in the average workplace (and in many other organizations), and how gentler, kinder alternatives to problem solving (you know, touchy-feely stuff and taking into account the personal well-being of people involved) are rarely rewarded and how frustrating that can be. I also tend to get really frustrated when I feel like other people are being rude (I just about raged at anime club the other night because some people couldn't keep their comments to themselves during the show); the deer teaches us that it's better to learn to let go, especially since it's unlikely for people to change (they have to realize how they're acting on their own and then want to change).
So yeah, this will certainly be an interesting thing to think about, going forward.