Totems & Tattoos
A good, relatively brief summary of the meaning of my totem, Badger--
Badger
Badgers are muscular, powerful animals. They are great diggers, are active both day and night and are rather unsociable, solitary loners. They are comfortable within themselves and are self-reliant. They have often been used in stories as animals who tell stories which may be symbolic of it’s need to use stories to communicate rather than dealing with others directly. The badger is bold and ferocious and never surrenders. If one has come into your life it is time to do some examination. It may be indicating a need to do some digging yourself, to get beneath the surface of things. It may be telling you to draw on the stories of your childhood for wisdom, there may be symbols there that you will soon be able to use in your life. Badgers indicated a time of opportunities to develop self expression and self reliance. Maybe it’s a time to begin a new story in your life.
Badger has been an important influence in my life since long before I knew what totems were. I have a badger's print tattooed on my left forearm, just above my wrist, as a reminder to always follow my path and act with strength and self-assurance (the tattoo is on my left forearm because I am left-handed. The position of the claws looks identical to the shape my fingers make when my hand rests. My power-symbol on my dominant hand.)
There have been a few new people who've added me since I last talked about this. I'll say again that if anyone is curious to learn more about my spiritual practice -- new age totemic shamanism -- or wishes to find out what their own totem might be, I am always happy to explain and assist. Feel free to comment here or contact me on Skype or Email (friarsghost@gmail.com).
And also, about tattoos -- "They" always tell you don't get a tattoo, you'll regret it when you're older! Well you know what? I have two tats now. For one thing, I can't imagine ever becoming a person who does not value the things my two tats symbolize. The first is my spiritual practice, as detailed above, plus three stars representing my siblings and in a broader sense, loyalty to family. My second tat is very simple, black, a treble and bass cleff arranged in the pattern of a spiraling galaxy, tattooed approximately over my heart.
These stand for things that will always be part of me, or have been part of me for so long that it would be madness to decide to divorce myself from them when I get older. But also, I find it immensely fascinating that I have the ability to alter the color of my skin however I wish, wherever I wish. My body is a canvas and even if someday I no longer feel so connected to the things I write on it, how can I ever stop being fascinated by the fact that I can change the color of my skin in an organized, artistic way, anywhere on my body? There is now a patch of skin on my arm that is black and red and yellow and blue. And always will be. How can that not fascinate me?
Badger
Badgers are muscular, powerful animals. They are great diggers, are active both day and night and are rather unsociable, solitary loners. They are comfortable within themselves and are self-reliant. They have often been used in stories as animals who tell stories which may be symbolic of it’s need to use stories to communicate rather than dealing with others directly. The badger is bold and ferocious and never surrenders. If one has come into your life it is time to do some examination. It may be indicating a need to do some digging yourself, to get beneath the surface of things. It may be telling you to draw on the stories of your childhood for wisdom, there may be symbols there that you will soon be able to use in your life. Badgers indicated a time of opportunities to develop self expression and self reliance. Maybe it’s a time to begin a new story in your life.
Badger has been an important influence in my life since long before I knew what totems were. I have a badger's print tattooed on my left forearm, just above my wrist, as a reminder to always follow my path and act with strength and self-assurance (the tattoo is on my left forearm because I am left-handed. The position of the claws looks identical to the shape my fingers make when my hand rests. My power-symbol on my dominant hand.)
There have been a few new people who've added me since I last talked about this. I'll say again that if anyone is curious to learn more about my spiritual practice -- new age totemic shamanism -- or wishes to find out what their own totem might be, I am always happy to explain and assist. Feel free to comment here or contact me on Skype or Email (friarsghost@gmail.com).
And also, about tattoos -- "They" always tell you don't get a tattoo, you'll regret it when you're older! Well you know what? I have two tats now. For one thing, I can't imagine ever becoming a person who does not value the things my two tats symbolize. The first is my spiritual practice, as detailed above, plus three stars representing my siblings and in a broader sense, loyalty to family. My second tat is very simple, black, a treble and bass cleff arranged in the pattern of a spiraling galaxy, tattooed approximately over my heart.
These stand for things that will always be part of me, or have been part of me for so long that it would be madness to decide to divorce myself from them when I get older. But also, I find it immensely fascinating that I have the ability to alter the color of my skin however I wish, wherever I wish. My body is a canvas and even if someday I no longer feel so connected to the things I write on it, how can I ever stop being fascinated by the fact that I can change the color of my skin in an organized, artistic way, anywhere on my body? There is now a patch of skin on my arm that is black and red and yellow and blue. And always will be. How can that not fascinate me?