[Vilturj] Totem popularity contests

[moonvoice]

Why some totems are more popular than others
Firstly, I don’t actually believe we choose our totem animal, but I do think that one of the reasons some animals are more popular than others is very much because people are trying to choose the animals which are most culturally or physiologically impressive. Those reasons are incorporated into this article, even though I don’t believe that chosen or hand-picked totem animals are as valid as those who choose you.

1. Cultural Prevalence.

Some cultures placed huge emphasis on a core set of animals that were to be available as totems, or that were sought after as the most powerful totem animals. Jaguar in South America is an example, as is bear in Northern Russia (which has higher status in some cultures than wolf or raven totem). Additionally, some cultures do not recognise the potential of insects, most fish and ‘smaller’ creatures as being totem material.

I personally think this is one example where the rigidity present in some older shamanic traditions has let the practice of totemism down. My perspective is that all animals have the ability to be valid and powerful totems, regardless of whether there is a great deal of cosmology already available for them (like coyote and raven), or whether there is almost none at all (like marsupial mole or tree kangaroo).

2. Cultural cross-pollination.

The more culturally popular animals tend to be more popular in neo-shamanism, especially if individuals have borrowed (or stolen) cosmologies from traditional cultures. For this reason, popular totems from the North American peoples have been further popularised by those people who wish to appropriate other cosmologies and pathways on their search for wisdom.

Consider how many more stories there are out there about raven, than about the red cardinal. While lesser known animals do have their own cosmologies, they don’t have the same big spiritual personalities as characters like the trickster coyote, or the more sombre teacher wolf.

3. It’s big and impressive!

Apex predators are – let’s face it – mighty impressive! Bear, wolf, jaguar, tiger, lion, lynx, eagle and many other peak predators have all earnt their place in many shamanic cultures because they are powerful animals and often successful hunters. This was extremely important from a functional perspective to warriors and people of power in hunter-gatherer communities, and so these animals were celebrated.

In contemporary times, people who choose their totems, tend to choose the animals which are either the biggest, the smartest, the baddest etc. It’s less functional these days than it was in the past, and tends to show that people aren’t choosing totems based on their functional relevance, but are instead choosing or selecting totems based on what will earn them status, appreciation or approval from others. It’s reflective of our modern culture’s trend of individualisation over community focus. The functionality of a totem is less relevant than how ‘showy’ it is in a pagan community.

4. Limited resources, low research.

The fact is, it’s easier to have a totem – if you’re choosing for yourself – if you’ve heard of it before. It once took me more than two months of fairly intensive research to figure out what an animal was that I saw in a journey. It was in a shamanic journey, and it may not have even been a real animal, but after enough research, I learnt that it was. But if I was lazier, or less experienced, I could have just accepted ‘mongoose-like creature,’ and assumed that it was ‘mongoose,’ (which it wasn’t).

It is difficult and not easy to identify some animals, especially if they are rare, endangered, not in your locality, unidentified, extinct etc. Dhole may have been trying to contact you for years, and for years you may have found it easier to just assume that the totem contacting you is ‘dog,’ or ‘dog-like thing,’ or another species of dog.

Even with great websites at your fingertips, good animal reference books, and other resources, it can still be a difficult and long journey to actually identify a totem animal or animal guide. For that reason, animals that are more well-known in our society are more often identified as totems.

5. Some animals are popularity-contest winners.

No, really. I firmly believe that some animals are popular totems not just because people have chosen them for their impressiveness, but because the animal energy itself is inclined to stretch a wide net over people.

Take wolf for example, wolf is a ridiculously, and I mean ridiculously common totem (especially when you consider that in some traditional cultures, wolf was popular in myths, but conferred 'lesser' status to a shaman or spiritual elder than some other animals). Wolf is so common now, that... it easily forms the bulk of most 'animal totems' for people that I know. It also seems to be the most common animal in therianthropy, and one of the most common animal guides in general. I think some people have chosen wolf because of its romanticised mysticism or alternatively ferocity. But I also genuinely believe that wolf energy just calls to more people than the very reclusive but powerful energy of wombat.

I've written about this trend in my totem file on wolf in general:

A lot of the students that choose or are chosen by wolf, will fail. By fail, I mean they will lose their way spiritually, fall off the path, ignore lessons, and superficially celebrate their connections until they eventually fade away. This is the choice of wolf, to teach a great deal in order to break through and share the true mysteries with a few who persevere and move past the beginning stages of their path. This is where wolf becomes a truly valuable teacher. Wolf as guide can be found here.

Some animals just seem to have a very accessible and open energy. And some animals don’t seem to mind being voluntarily chosen as ‘totem animals,’ (though whether they actually become totems over time – as opposed to a showy ‘badge’ to tell others about – remains to be seen).


x-posted to the_animist, I'm too lazy to x-post it anywhere else, but if you want to, go ahead. :)

ETA: Fixed wolf link, it's official, I am a sillyhead.

Comments

[greenforest-elf.livejournal.com]

>The more culturally popular animals tend to be more popular >in neo-shamanism, especially if individuals have borrowed (or >stolen) cosmologies from traditional cultures.

Several of my guide animals / totems come from previous lives, I wasnt always in this place or apart of this culture and some are little bits of my past influences come thru to me now. So while some of mine seem odd to me, I know where they have come from.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Oooo past life connections! Awesome! :D

My totem, oh who knows where he came from, he's a ratbag and that's all I need to know. ;) I'm pretty sure he didn't come from a past life though.

As for my guides, they've come from all over. Though these days I'm getting far more Australian guides, perhaps because I'm working more intensively with the land and so it's opening itself up to me.

[grondfic.livejournal.com]

Your animal totem and tarot essays are becoming more and more intriguing. I DO hope you pull it all together and publish sometime (soon?? pretty please).

I expect you have views on choosing (or acquiring) animal totems "outside one's locality". I find myself torn over this, as two of my Guides (Middle and Upper Worlds) are from very far away from where I'm located physically. There are reasons for both of them; but there's no denying that the only way I get to see their physical representations in the flesh is by visiting zoos ... which is not an ideal situation.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Your animal totem and tarot essays are becoming more and more intriguing. I DO hope you pull it all together and publish sometime (soon?? pretty please).

I don't know if I'll ever publish this kind of stuff. I don't know, maybe I'll be weird and do it on Lulu.com or something, but I am still so loathe to take this stuff offline so that a publisher can get maximum profits for it. I empathise with the publisher's need to get max profits (especially if they are a small publishing house), but I also remember that I started this website and articles with the intent that they would be freely available.

Still, book format would be lovely.

I expect you have views on choosing (or acquiring) animal totems "outside one's locality".

It happens, but it can be difficult to deal with sometimes. I find people who are having a totem or guides or whatever from radically different places either have a strong connection to the cultures there, or a strong connection to the landscape (I have a friend who loves cold places, is saving up to move to a cold place, and her totem is definitely a 'cold place' to totem - it's Reindeer, yet she lives in one of the hottest places in the state).

In those situations, sometimes using pictures or effigies as active ways of connecting to those animals can really help. :)

[sannion.livejournal.com]

This is a great post, and something that's amused and intrigued me about the whole phenomenon as a relative outsider. (Until Spider popped up, I was never into the whole idea.) Good work!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Eheh. Thank you! :)

Yes, spider definitely showed Herself into your life didn't She? Which I think is just awesome, actually. I want to do some more files on spider, because we have so many here in Australia.

[sannion.livejournal.com]

I can't wait to read it!

[freyaw.livejournal.com]

we have so many here in Australia

And she/they is/are beautiful :D

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

I agree with a lot of this and would like to add to wolf. I think it is very common in therianthropy because you often have people wanting to connect with something other than humans. Wolf behavior and society is very close to our own, plus the presence of dogs in our everyday lives, that they are truly just being human and attributing it to a different species. Wolves are like people and I think that's why it's so easy for people to mistake that. There's a reason dogs were so easy to domesticate!

As far as the other stuff goes...yes. I think there can be a lot more added, but you certainly got the major aspects of it. I sometimes feel very awkward saying that raven is my main totem, but I've never been so sure in my life that it has chosen me. It honestly (as I'm sure you feel the same way) insanely annoying when people tell me that raven is their totem and they know next to nothing about them and think they are death-birds. I only learned about the cultural stories after raven came to me.

Pronghorn is another certainty of mine. For one, it's not that common as a totem...and I've found maybe one native story about them (which is actually really cute and a just-so story). Of course it's a certainty for other reasons, but I just thought I'd share that :P

Muntjac is a big one (came to me when I was visiting Scotland of all places).

I think it's sad that people choose animals for vanity, but hopefully it will lead them to their "true" totem.


On a random note, is it common in Australia to say "learnt" and "earnt" instead of "learned" and "earned"? Just interested because I know that there are obvious dialect differences.

Good Book about Antelope Medicine

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

I've got an old (well, sorta old, pub 1981) and well-written & well-researched book called Hanta Yo by Ruth Beebe Hill. It's about a young Lakota man growing up at the turn-of-the-century. He has a vision of Antelope during his 'vision quest' & learns to embody the symbolism that Antelope represents to his people - which ends with personal sacrifice. It's thick, but totally worth the read.

Re: Good Book about Antelope Medicine

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

Awesome! Thanks ^^ I'll check that out.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

On a random note, is it common in Australia to say "learnt" and "earnt" instead of "learned" and "earned"?

*nods* Yup. It is probably completely wrong grammatically, but I don't think I've met any Australian - including lecturers at university level - who didn't use 'learnt' / 'earnt.' Perhaps we're crazy? :)

That's a really interesting point regarding wolf behaviour / society. In that sense, why don't you think that extremely social animals like the African Painted Dog aren't just as popular, or even close to being as popular as wolf?

Is it because they are from Africa, and most neoshamans tend to popularise and privilege North American cultures first and foremost? (Just thinking out loud here).

I sometimes feel very awkward saying that raven is my main totem, but I've never been so sure in my life that it has chosen me.

*nods* Me too. It's somewhat ameliorated by the fact that it is Australian Raven, but not much! Raven is just very popular, not just in contemporary shamanism, but also it seems in global cultures worldwide. Even in Indigenous Australian cultures the raven is something of a hero / naughty mischief-maker.

I think it's sad that people choose animals for vanity, but hopefully it will lead them to their "true" totem.

I agree. I hope that there is enough... need for growth behind the ego which asks for and demands persistence. Otherwise you get people who go through phases of just saying 'this awesome animal is my totem,' which leads to no self-understanding or growth at all.

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

No, learnt and earnt are valid in the dictionary, I was just all curious and stuff :P That's interesting!

In that sense, why don't you think that extremely social animals like the African Painted Dog aren't just as popular, or even close to being as popular as wolf?

Is it because they are from Africa, and most neoshamans tend to popularise and privilege North American cultures first and foremost? (Just thinking out loud here).

I also think it's because wolves are just so darn common in our everyday lives...sayings, anecdotes, advertisements, etc. But I also think you are right about popularizing N.A. cultures first...they've received the largest amount of "press" as far as nature beliefs go (at least here in the US).

Again, I think it has a lot to do with our closeness to dogs. For all intents and purposes, they are the same species as wolves. I think people bridge dog to wolf and thus bridge self to wolf, rather than "lowly dog"....wolf is more wild than dog and appeals to the person's wish to break away from human society...does that make sense?

I also don't think many people know about or understand Cape Dog biology, behavior, or natural history.

On a side note, it also bugs me when people pick an animal for unique sake. You might want to add something about that to this article. Such as "I feel wolf, but I pick dingo! because it's more unique!" when they really should be listening to wolf...

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

I'm also wondering too if a lot of the mega-totems take on a role of guiding-to-your-guide. Like *sigh* let me show you to the RIGHT room....

When I was young, I certainly identified with wolves (thus my out-dated DA name). Wolf led me to Coyote who went WHAP! DUMBASS! listen to the damn Raven croaking in your ear! ;)

[makhsihed.livejournal.com]

*grins* It's like in the House of Netjer (Kemetic Orthodoxy), where Yinepu (Anubis) and Bast tend to guide a lot of people to KO and their actual Parent(s). */random*

[nicanthiel.livejournal.com]

On a random note, is it common in Australia to say "learnt" and "earnt" instead of "learned" and "earned"?

*nods* Yup. It is probably completely wrong grammatically, but I don't think I've met any Australian - including lecturers at university level - who didn't use 'learnt' / 'earnt.' Perhaps we're crazy? :)

It's actually grammatically perfect. For 19th century England ;) I've noticed that Australia tends to retain older forms longer than England (and most certainly longer than us here in the US. We've pretty much dropped -t endings altogether in common speech, though I'll always prefer leapt over leaped.)

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

Yup, same page as I'm on with the BINABM (Big, Impressive North American Birds and Mammals). So glad to know I'm not alone in this *grin*

One thing on Wolf--I've seen the idea that Wolf is popular because the lupine pack structure is similar to human structure. I'm not sure how much I agree with that, especially in postmodern societies. Wolves are no more like humans than, say, baboons (other than, perhaps, the tendency of wolves to pair up for the most part). While some groups of humans may have learned hunting techniques from wolves (or other wild canids in other areas of the world) we're not that identical.

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

We are close though. The reason wolves were so easy to domesticate is because we were able to break into their social structure and recreate pack mentality, just with humans instead of fellow wolves.

I think a lot of people mistake human qualities for "wolf" qualities in themselves. A lot of people forget that we are animals too and a lot of mannerisms a lot of wolf people attribute to the "inner wolf" are things that the human animal naturally does.

[lupabitch.livejournal.com]

*nods* One theory I keep in mind for my therianthropy is that social structure. Not sure how I would have figured it out at the of 2 or 3, but it's still a possibility.

Still, "likes rare steak" and "mates for life" do not a wolf therian make, to besure!

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

Exactly ^^

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Wolves are no more like humans than, say, baboons (other than, perhaps, the tendency of wolves to pair up for the most part).

The thing I found interesting about corvus_animus's comment was that we have domesticated the dog/wolf, its energy is all around us.

So unlike social animals like the baboon, dog energy is actively in our lives, which is why we may relate to their social framework first, rather than other equally social animals.

But the flaw in that, is that we (some of us, anyway) have consciously chosen to neglect popular food totems even though we have domesticated those too; reindeer, cattle etc.

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

But people rarely make emotional connections to cattle, reindeer (which I LOVE, omg)...etc, like they do with dogs. Dogs, for the most part, are not food animals and are companions.

I love chickens so much by the way XD

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

But people rarely make emotional connections to cattle, reindeer (which I LOVE, omg)...etc, like they do with dogs.

Not anymore, but in older cultures, cattle, reindeer etc. were highly venerated and Reindeer are even quite central to the cosmology of the Saami, for example.

So while people no longer make such connections (because, I believe, these animals have been consigned to 'food' categories), connections were certainly made with these animals in the past in a way that many people have lost now.

I think perhaps in the past, working with smaller herds more intensively, people also had the opportunity to have close relationships with their cattle / reindeer and other livestock, so even though they slaughtered them when necessary, a closer relationship was necessary than what we possess now.

[corvus-animus.livejournal.com]

*nods* It's hard for people to make a connection to something they only see chopped up in the grocery store. Not to mention the disconnect that comes with that.

I honestly think many totemists/shamanists would benefit from participating in a hunt...even if it's something small like rabbits. There is an extremely powerful sense of respect and sense of fulfillment from hunting and eating your own meal. I respect rabbits, A LOT...especially after catching one with my bare hands.

I think it took a tremendous amount of respect and gratitude for early nomads with livestock to kill them.

Deer tracks

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

Deer themselves are linked to peyote in Mexican shamanism, much like the reindeer are connected to the red and white mushrooms.

It's also how the link between a certain jolly man in a red & white suit may have gotten linked to magical flying reindeer...

[wordslinger.livejournal.com]

Superb analysis (and I say this as an anthropologist who admires pithy cultural topics.)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Wow, thank you! It means a lot that you'd say that, as I've done no study in anthropology (just a lot of at home reading, lol) and mostly write these for myself and my website, and then Livejournal as an afterthought.

Sometimes I just need to collate my own thoughts on the matter, as well. I needed to get the idea of Bear wearing a tiara and a sash saying 'Miss Global Totem' out of my head.

[poetrywolf.livejournal.com]

I admit that I only recently came across your LJ via makhsihed's, but after reading through a few of your essays I find myself quite impressed (and have certainly learned a fair bit as well.) This, in particular, was a wonderful read.

As a side note: I would love to be able to friend you, if you wouldn't mind, and read more of what you have to say on a regular basis?

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

As a side note: I would love to be able to friend you, if you wouldn't mind, and read more of what you have to say on a regular basis?

Sure thing! I've gone and friended you, I'm sneaksy that way. ;)

And thank you very much! *hugs*

[makhsihed.livejournal.com]

Bwahaha, I spread the awesomeness that is Pia! :D Go me!

[nicanthiel.livejournal.com]

And you've done it again! :P

[nwallopan.livejournal.com]

you're drawings are really cool.... i really like this koala. have you ever done snakes, or salamanders?

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I've done snake twice, and I have links... *goes on early morning link hunt* here:

http://www.piavanravestein.com/art/totems/commsnakela.jpg

Okay, I was too lazy to find the other one, but the other snake I've drawn is Stimson's Python, the above is the Diamond Back Python.

No salamanders yet though! I'm going to be re-doing Goanna though for the deck I'm working on.

[nwallopan.livejournal.com]

beautiful... though with my budget it probably won't be anytime soon... I predict I will eventually buy some of your work.

[zuki-san.livejournal.com]

...yeah, that just about boils it down.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Thank you. *blush* *hugs*

[zenosaur.livejournal.com]

I totally agree with you on this. The funny thing is that two of my life totems are BINABM (Big, Impressive North American Birds and Mammals, Orca, and Dall Sheep. Smaller animals, however seem to be trying to poke in, such animals might be shrew, frog, skua (or some other type of seagull, and swallow.

BINABM Support Group

[perzephone.livejournal.com]

:::Raises hand::: Hi, I'm Janelle & I'm a Pagan with Big Impressive North American Bird and Mammal Totems.

It's not all my fault, though. Both Bear & Coyote come from where I'm from. Bear is always strongest when I'm in California & Washington - and everywhere I've been to in Canada,(eh!), & Coyote is always strongest here in Las Vegas. Fox came to me in Tennessee and I could feel Her brushing around in N'Awlins... a swampy kitsune peeking from behind a Mardi Gras mask.

It's funny - most people I know seek Wolf, Raven, some kind of Cat or... er, Dragon energy. Almost like the rest of the animal kingdom doesn't even exist. It may be also that since so many people do try to embody the BINABMs that their energies are the ones most accessible to us because they're constantly being stirred up.

[dethas.livejournal.com]

Really enjoyed this article moonvoice, well done.
I'm still to find my totem or my animal guides for that matter!

Doesn't stop me from loving my Russian Wolf though!!

[skullfaced.livejournal.com]

Would you think it possible, though, for this to swing back in the opposite direction? For it to become a badge to have the most obscure totem a person can find? Although having people actually sit down and do research on uncommon animals could be beneficial...

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Oh definitely, I think that underdog totems are starting to grow in popularity... though they're still extremely uncommon (on pagan forums / therianthropy forums).

And hey, it never hurts to do extra research. Heh.

[scarletwildfire.livejournal.com]

I came here via lupabitch's journal.

I have to say: thanks! I'm impressed.


I'm also not particularly fond on the 'most popular' type totem labels. I feel that by having to pick something strong and powerful limits a person's contact with those that have small voices but possibly just as important stuff to say.

Heh. I've never followed the 'herd.' (Sorry dry humor - Cow is a totem I work with.)

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

Very awesome, hehehe (that you work with cow, who I think is an extremely awesome animal energy in turn).

And yeah, I definitely agree that the small animals have very important things to say. Even some of the big animals that get marginalised do. I like working with the underdogs of the animal kingdom. *g*

[shimmerhawk.livejournal.com]

Nicely written! I used to notice just the large or well known animals like Wolf and Raven and still find them important. But when I started paying more attention, other animals started popping up like Butterfly and Heron. And of course Moth. *shudders* I don't know which ones are totems and which ones are guides, but I try to learn from all of them.

[dibeartach.livejournal.com]

Oooo one thing I do agree with here (I'm waaaay too tired to take everything in) is the cultural emphasis. Animals that are of importance in the cultural psyche tend to grab those of that persuasion. I mean Salmon would be considered a lesser totem to, say, a Native American, conjuring images of great grizzly bears catching the fish mid-flight, whereas to the Irish, Salmon was the basis of wisdom, and the root of tradition.

xoxox

[techno-bunny04.livejournal.com]

Hey sweeti please keep me sorry i don't reply much *hugs*