Birth Totems

Birth totems, unlike Power totems, are only with us in our present incarnation. They do not travel with us from one life to the next. They are the animals that we choose to be born under in order to learn a certain life lesson. The closer we align and integrate our life's lessons, the more we tend to exhibit the higher vibrations of that particular birth totem.

Birth totems are equivalent to the sun signs that we are born under in exoteric Astrology. And are easily broken down in month intervals. Unlike power totems which may take months or even years to discover through meditation and shamanic journeys; birth totems are as easy to figure out as reading the chart below, which I found at http://wolfs_moon.tripod.com/birthtotmain.html and highly recommend as a good totem reference.

Falcon March 21st - April 19th
Beaver April 20th - May 20th
Deer May 21st - June 20th
Woodpecker June 21st - July 21st
Salmon July 22nd - August 21st
Bear August 22nd - September 21st
Crow September 22nd - October 22nd
Snake October 23rd - November 23rd
Owl - November 24th - December 21st
Goose - December 22nd - January 19th
Otter - January 20th - February 18th
Wolf - February 19th - March 20th

My birth totem is the snake. It falls under the element water. Which is a heavy theme in my current incarnation being that I'm also a double scorpio.

Birth Totem Snake
Birth dates: October 23 - Novermber22
Birth Totem: Snake
Clan of: Frog (Water Chief)
Wind is: West
Directional Totem is: Bear
Conscious intent is: Physical Fulfillment
Motive of Higher Self is: Spiritual Union.
Plant/Flower: Thistle
Mineral: Amethyst

Keywords: Intense, Regenerative, Penetrating, Passionate, Scornful

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Birth Totem Snake is an individual whose outer personality is driven by desires of both the physical body and the emotional heart.In Nature, the snake is in a constant state of transformation, regeneration and renewal as he sheds his old skin, revealing a healthy, new skin to begin the next cycle of his Life.

Like their Birth Totem, individuals born under the Totem of Snake are souls compelled toward continual evolution and transformation, driven to discard the past and emerge with the new “flesh” and sight of the dawn now before them. Yet the process is often a challenging one as in order to step into the brilliant Light of Self Acknowledgment, these individuals must first face,
and then release, the painful moments of their ~past.~Many such lessons for Birth Totem Snake, will come in the guise of physical desires as they are very sensual individuals that consciously seek to bond with another on a physical level. These strong urges can be nearly overwhelming at times and may often lead one who has not integrated the Physical Self to the Spiritual, Mental and Emotional, into painful situations in which they may either unintentionally hurt
another, or become hurt themselves.

The reason for this often is because there is a deeper calling that arises from the Soul of Birth Snake, the call to Spiritual Union with another. Yet this call, when one is operating from
Personality, is heard as a call to join only in physical union. Those times when the Snake individual joins with another in an act of physical passion, yet the spiritual union is not achieved, is ultimately left with a sense of dissatisfaction. Whether verbally expressed to their partner or not, this dissatisfaction may ultimately lead to one or both partners becoming disillusioned and wanting “more” from the relationship.When Birth Totem Snake individual can understand the motives of the Higher Self and can attain true integration between the Physical, Emotional, Spiritual and Mental Self, then the Motive of the Higher Self for Spiritual Union will ultimately be attained, both in terms of Union with the Self, and the Union with an Other.

Messenger Totems

Messenger totems/animal spirits are messengers that come directly from the spirit world. Anytime the spirit world decides to send us a message it usually comes in the form of an animal. These animal spirits are not meant to walk with us throughout our life like a birth totem or a power totem. They are here to deliver a message. They may appear throughout a certain period of our life or they may come to drop one message. With these messengers we must be intune with nature as well as the animal that is bringing the message. If your intune - you will know which animals are here to send us a message and which ones are just frolicking. Listen to your own inner intution - you will know. Trust me - you will.

There are a few key things to note when you do come across a messenger, that may help in determining the message being sent. Noting the color, species, the direction it is traveling - are all helpful in figuring out what the animal is trying to forewarn or advise. For instance, the direction the animal is traveling will help the individual decide what direction to take in a current situation. The species of the animal points to the message being delivered from the spirit world and this is incorporated with the direction. There is an additional 'silent message' that the animal delivers. Listen to what your instincts are telling you and you will hear the message. Of course, with all messages from the spirit world we must also use common sense. While some may come with great wisdom, we have to remember that just because they are dead does not mean that they are right.

I have had a few messenger totems. Some have been with me for a period of time and some only a day. The crow has been with me for a couple of years. I know that when I see 2 crows it is time for me to do a reading. They make it painfully obvious that they are not 'frolicking'. They have dropped feathers in front of me. Dove in front of my car, etc... Coincidently, the crow is my spirit guide that helps me with my Oracle readings. And the crow represents 2 goddesses that I do honor. *Note honor, not worship. When I see 2 crows, I take this as a very serious sign. And I try to heed the warnings that come with the reading. I have failed with this before and it was a big mistake.

An animal that appeared only once was a rabbit. This past summer, I was on a walk when I looked up and saw a wild rabbit. When he saw me, he began hopping towards me at a quick pace. He came to the edge of the road and sat up. I looked at him and thought to myself - "Hmmm... I could touch him if I wanted." I talked to him for a couple of moments and then walked on. I took note that when I got home I would have to look up the meaning of the rabbit. About that moment, I looked up and another rabbit was sitting on the side of the road. She was watching me intently and didn't seem to be frightened of me. I thought "That's odd. Its definitely a message." I walked to the end of the dead end and started walking back down the other side of the road. I looked for her and she was gone and then I realised she was ahead of me and she had crossed the road to meet me on my path again. When I got home, I discovered that rabbits are definitely key messengers. They were definitely there with some sort of message. That's when a friend suggested that the rabbit brings news of fertility and birth. A couple of days later my best friend had her baby - early.

Fire Dragon ~ Druid Animal Oracle Part IV

Note ~ The Druid Animal Oracle by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gromm is a tarot that works with the sacred animals of the Druid tradition. The Druids were very early psychologists whom used animal behavior to try and understand the human psyche. By understanding and making a connection with our animal brothers and sisters, we can use these animals as guides, and by doing so we can better understand ourselves.

I have broken the four Druid Dragons (which represent the elements of earth, fire, air, and water) into four blogs. It is much easier to digest these four elemental dragons one at a time. Although dragons can be divided into four elements, most partake in all four elements – originating from water, circling and living around the hills, flying through the air, and/or breathing fire.
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It is he who, blazing, seeks burial mounds,
He, the smooth, spiteful dragon that flies throught the night,
Enveloped in flame; all men fear him greatly
~Beowulf

Fire Dragon (Gaelic name ~ Draig-teine)
The name Pendragon brings to the imagination stories of heroic kings of Britain and probably the most famous of them all ~ King Arthur. My heart skips a beat at the mention of King Arthur, Sir Lancelot and Lady Gwenivere and the adventures my mind takes them on. The name Pendragon however did not start with King Arthur, it began with his father. Uther, the future king of sub-Roman Britain and the father of King Arthur, saw an image of a fire-breathing dragon in the sky (most believe the dragon to have been a fiery comet). Uther, in his excitement, immediately went to the Druid Merlin to decipher the meaning of the fire dragon he had witnessed. Merlin explained that the fire dragon was a two-fold symbol of his ill brother’s coming death, King Aurelius, and his own future kinghood. This symbol came at a time when Uther was trying to force Paschent and the Saxons out of Britain. **Backing up a bit, Paschent’s father, Vortigem, had previously taken the throne of Britain by murdering Uther’s brother Constans.** By this point in the story Uther and his other brother Aurelius had retaken the throne and killed Vortigem, but still had Paschent and the invading Saxon army to deal with. Uther did win the battle against Paschent and the Saxons at which point he assumed the name “Pendragon”, which literally means “Head of the Dragon”, and took the dragon as his totem beast. When returning to Britain he discovered his brother was poisoned by an assassin and immediately is crowned king. He then proceeded to have two dragon statues constructed, one of which becomes his insignia. He also secured Britain and stomped out the Saxon invasion. King Arthur and later kings continued the Pendragon name and the dragon symbol became a heraldic emblem to stand behind.

Story of the Wales Dragon

The legend of the dragon on the Welsh flag is a very interesting tale, one that dates back to the time when Vortigem had taken the throne after killing King Constans. Votigem was trying to build his fortress at Dinas Emrys, but failed due to the continual collapse of its foundation. A young boy named Emrys, whom would later become known as Merlin, was brought forth to use his ‘mystical visions’ to explain why the foundation was so unstable. Emrys explained that there were two dragons below the ground in a lake in an eternal struggle, one which shook the ground in which the foundation stood. One dragon was red and represented the Britons, the other was white and represented the Saxons. Vortigem did not believe this tale and immediately had the ground excavated. The two dragons were found and began fighting immeditately. The red dragon defeated the white dragon and became the emblem of Whales.

Nwyvre ~ The Dragon’s Fire
Each of the four dragons I have explained thus far ~ Earth, Air, Water, and Fire ~ represent power and energy. Each dragon mediates this power or energy in a different way and we must learn how to weave all 4 “dragon energies” into our being, the key being balance. The Druids believed that the Fire Dragon represented kingship, leadership, rulership and mastery. For this reason, Merlin was able to predict Uther’s vision, as well as, his future accurately.

As I noted above, the Druids were very early psychologists whom used animal behavior to try and understand the human psyche. The Druids believed the Fire Dragon guards the ‘Inner Fire’ that burns inside our being which is called Nwyvre in Druidry. While Earth Dragons are seen as passive - coiling around hillsides and lying dormant for the most part, the Fire Dragon in mythology is seen mostly as a malignant force destroying all that lies before it. But the Druids did not see the Fire Dragon as only malignant. They believed the Fire Dragon to be neutral or having a mirror effect - being malignant or benign based on how ready we are to take on the ‘Inner Fire’ of our being. The Fire Dragon reminds us that not all power is for everyone. The Fire Dragon only becomes malignant when we take on too much. When the energies we surround ourselves with consume us and send us into “burn-out” and nervous exhaustion. One such energy is anger. Anger can erupt without warning or remain scattered making every effort to succeed fail. Anger can cause exhaustion and keep us unmotivated, therefore the goal we strive for is never reached. As with anything balance is a must physically and psychologically. The Fire Dragon can also become malignant during drug abuse, which causes the mind to become muddled and in time permanently damaged - creating an imbalance. In this case the unity of Mind, Body, and Soul is completely broken – I know this from experience. Abusing your “Inner Fire” and the Fire Dragon’s power can only create a dangerous situation and can most certainly become fatal, creating a fierce and ‘fiery’ situation.

However, learning to befriend the Fire Dragon can promote vitality, enthusiasm, and courage that will help one overcome obstacles in life. By befriending the Fire Dragon, what I mean to say is that we learn where our limitations are and how to work around them or with these limitations creating a positive spin. Once we learn how to balance stressful situations the Fire Dragon begins to “fuel” our “Inner Fires” allowing us to master leadership situations and to accomplish objectives.

Water Dragon ~ Druid Animal Oracle Part I

Note ~ The Druid Animal Oracle by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm is a tarot that works with the sacred animals of the Druid tradition. The Druids were very early psychologists whom used animal behavior to try and understand the human psyche. By understanding and making a connection with our animal brothers and sisters, we can use these animals as guides, and by doing so we can better understand ourselves.

I have broken the four Elemental Druid Dragons (which represent earth, fire, air, and water) into four blogs. It is much easier to digest these four elemental dragons one at a time.

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One Sunday morning Lambton went
A-fishing in the Wear,
And catched a fish upon his hook
He thought looked verry queer,
But whatten a kind of fish it was
Young Lambton couldn’t tell;
He wouldn’t fash to carry it home,
So he hoyed it in a well
~From “The Lambton Worm”

Water Dragon (gaelic name – Draig-uisge)

The dragon began its life as a Worm – a large snake or eel-like creature, sometimes with horns, that lived in the wells, lochs, or the sea. During its mythological development, the Worm grew small wings and two feet and became known as the Wyvern. In its final development, into a mythological creature, the Worm became a Dragon with four feet, larger ribbed wings, and a barbed tail.

These dragons were said to sometimes leave the water and terrorize the hills and country they settled in. The ones that remained in the water were depicted as sea monsters, the most famous living in Loch Ness. The first recorded sighting of the Loch Ness Monster tells of St. Columba saving a friend who was crossing Ness. The monster broke the water behind the swimmer and opened its mouth with a mighty roar. It was stopped when Columba declared, “Go thou no further nor touch the man. Go back at once.” The creature obeyed.

The water dragon has been sighted in the whirlpool of the River Taff at Cardiff, located in the capital city of Whales, and Llyn-y-Gader Lake in Snowdonia, located in the National Park of Whales. Legend states, that anyone whom is unlucky enough to fall into either body of water is quickly consumed by the water dragon leaving nothing but swirls of blood (EGAD).

Gateways to the Otherworld

In most all dragon stories, the dragon originates from a body of water whether it be river, well, pool, lake, marsh, bog, and/or sea. Water sources were considered sacred to the Druids whom believed it a gateway to the Underworld or Otherworld. The Otherworld is the Celtic version of heaven where the domain of the Celtic deities and mythological creatures such as the Fae Folk and Dragons exist. Since the dragon is an Otherworldly creature it is fitting that it would come from the water or gateway of the Otherworld.

As I noted above, Druids were early psychologist whom linked the sacred animals to the human psyche. Monsters of the sea and their emergence can represent the Unconscious realm of the human psyche. Breaking this down further, the sea represented unresolved desires, repressed and distorted drives that well up into awareness. The destructive water dragon symbolized the damaging nature of certain contents of the mind. To heal one’s self, these hidden drives must be brought to the light and dealt with. These hidden drives may at times overwhelm an individual with emotion, but in time the individual can achieve a sense of balance as the desire is integrated from the unconscious to the conscious. By doing this a metamorphosis of the psyche is required that can be seen as a symbolic death.

Earth and air dragons are rarely destructive if left undisturbed. But the elements of fire and water can be dangerous, the water dragon can overwhelm one with emotion and drown one is self-pity. If befriended the water dragon can invoke compassion, passion, depth of feeling and a connectedness with life. Basically, the Druid believed that instead of burying our hidden desires and allowing these desires to overcome us; we should confront them immediately and deal with the desire to create a balance. Further more, I believe this interpretation of the water dragon could be used in times of depression by making the water dragon a totem or spirit guide.