BIRTH TOTEMS

I have been researching totems lately (oh, I am such a beginner on this spiritual quest of mine.) One type of totem is the birth totem. Mine is the woodpecker, or flicker, for people born June 21-July 21, according to Native American spirituality. Flickers such as the one I have shown above live in our neighborhood, and I absolutely love their song. Is that a coincidence? I don't think so.

I was amazed how well the flicker totem fits my personality and how its symbols appeal to me. The totem's flower is the wild rose. Now, I have written about the North Dakota wild prairie rose more than once in this blog. In fact, I have a pressed prairie rose that my mother preserved in a little transparent envelope. On it she wrote, "Julie just brought me this rose. She sure loves flowers! June 1959" The color aspect of my totem is rose. Not to brag, but I absolutely look my best when wearing a rose-colored blouse. My totem's musical vibration is the F natural note. Not being musical, I don't have a clue if this is right, but I bet if someone played me some music that was full of F naturals, I would love it.

My element is water, which I already knew because I am a Cancer, a water sign. My mineral totem is a rose quartz. So that explains why, in the crystal shop the other day, I was drawn to a wonderful, polished, rose quartz, and had to buy it. Robyn has been tutoring me in crystals, and I hadn't planned to buy any until she advised me on the basic (starter) ones to buy, but I was incredibly drawn to this one. (P.S. Robyn says that is okay. More than okay, it is what one should do - respond to a crystal that is calling to you.)

My totem's personality? Emotional, vulnerable but protective. Spot on! My weaknesses: self pity, envy and relying too heavily on others. Oh, my husband can tell you about relying too much on him. But that was early in our courtship/marriage. Now, I am not that way, and I have been trying so hard to conquer those other demons of self pity and envy.

My strengths? Resourcefulness (hmm, dunno), self-acceptance (yes!) and forgiveness. Oh, no! That's where I don't fit the profile. But I am mystified because one of my negative traits is "often unforgiving." Oh, yes, that has been me. So there's a contradiction. My other negative trait, supposedly? Moodiness. I don't really think so. My positive traits? Tender and sympathetic (Certainly, I'd like to think.)

My conscious desire? Emotional stability. Too right. Since my mother was emotionally unstable I look for signs of instability in myself all the time. My subconscious desire? Accomplishment. (I'll have to think about that one.) My spiritual path is "fitting in with the greater good." (I can relate to that.)

Some of the totem traits had no meaning for me, such as "my moon, seasonal aspect and wind direction." I'll have to study such items further. But when I found out that my flicker totem is a member of the frog clan, I quickly googled it and found that there, too, were many, many traits that fit me.

Next, I will write about an animal totem that I have chosen to be my spirit guide.