FAQ from paganwiccan.about.com

[ulbh]

From @paganwiccan (paganwiccan.about.com) on twitter:

Power animals - why is no one ever a wombat? See
here.

I haven't been able to read the article yet, so I may do an ETA on this post when I do1, but I have seen this question many times without a sensible answer, so:

First off, I do know people who work with totally obscure animals (think lupabitch,

Comments

[martinhesselius]

As a tangent --
You can find Bear across almost all cultural matrices.

[lupagreenwolf]

Course, that depends on the Bear. In my own work, Black Bear is not the same as Polar Bear, who is not the same as Spectacled Bear. In the same way, Grey Wolf is distinct from Red Wolf, and so forth.

[lupagreenwolf]

Heh--I actually know someone online who's very strongly tied to Wombat. But it is tough to find people who work with totems other than the Big, Impressive, North American Birds and mammals. And I've seen a lot of reasons for why some totems are more common than others; this is a good essay on the topic that mostly sums up what I've seen myself.

[ulbh]

That essay spent a lot of its energy on why people who choose their power animals choose the ones they do, which I don't see as a very interesting topic. One can consciously try to connect with a particular animal for a specific purpose, as you have done many times, but I thought we were talking mainly about primary "totems" (I know you use that word, but I don't like it. I'm Cherokee, not Algonquian :-); those are almost always the ones that show themselves spontaneously.

I can't help it if the animal that was waiting for me the first time I got "out there" was a timber wolf. I wasn't even looking for an animal!

I think between some mentions in your book, the web sites mentioned in this thread, and my insights in the original post, we would have the makings of one good essay on the topic. I have just enough experience to provide marginal notes and to call bullshit when I see it, but not enough to speak as an expert. The main purpose has been accomplished for me, though: I have what I need to be able to answer this FAQ when it comes

[chaospearl]

I have a lot of squirrels show up when I meditate, depending on how far I go. I really don't think they're my "power" animal. I've never felt a connection (then again I've never tried to reach out), I just see them a lot. I think they're naturally curious.

[chaospearl]

Err, just to be clear, I don't mean physical squirrels. LOL.

[chaospearl]

Okay, I feel like I need to clarify myself because I'm anal like that

[ulbh]

Maybe you're putting out busybusybusy energy that calls up squirrels :-)

[vovinoiad]

Personally, I'm all about the rat. And the Rat, upper case intended. I've also had good and bad run-ins with Copperhead, 'Gator, Rattler, and Buzzard.

Which just goes to show my redneck roots, I think.

[ulbh]

Redneck roots, I'se got them too. Still looking for the right shade of dye to cover them up …

[chronarchy]

My own totem animal is a cockroach. I intend to write a book one day called "Power Animals That Suck."

[ulbh]

Yeah, but yours will be around when all of the others are dead.