If you have reached a point in your life where you need to make a decision, and you are struggling to find guidance, it might be time to discover your totem animal, and let it show you what to do.
Native American people had a culture that was based solely on the world around them natural imagery, Mother Earth, and the importance of animals in everyday life. They had a respect for the Earth that seems unparalleled even to this day, and one of the most iconic ways they showed this respect was through carving totem poles.
Significance of Totem Poles
The meanings behind the totem poles themselves are as varied and interesting as the cultures that carved them. Some totem poles represent stories or important events in the history of the particular tribe that carved it recording these for future generations.
Each figure on the totem pole represents certain traits and characteristics that the people of the tribe embody. Native American lore says that all individuals have animals that will accompany them through life, acting as guides, and it is these that commonly appear on totems as well.
Modern Iterations
Although this is where they get their namesake, not all totem animals have appeared on totem poles, or even in Native American stories, but their significance to the individual is undeniable.
Modern manifestations of totems might appear in trinkets, charms, or other small objects that individuals hold dear and use as guidance. The totem animal will provide an unbreakable strength and comfort fo
r any individual who welcomes it into their life.
How to Find Your Animal Through Meditation
This incredibly rewarding experience does take a little patience and endurance. For many, it can take multiple sessions before their totem animal reveals itself, but it is very rewarding when it happens!
First, you should find a relaxed and distraction free area, then sit comfortably and focus on your breathing. Inhale positivity, and exhale negativity. Once you are totally relaxed, visualize yourself in a forest, the largest you have ever seen!
Listen for sounds, and inhale the smells. You will eventually come upon a long, winding path, down which you might see an animal. This is your totem animal. You might be surprised by which animal it is, as it must find you itself, rather than you choosing it. Forget any fears you may have of the animal, for the lessons it could teach could help you conquer even greater fears!
Usually, these animals manifest themselves to take you on a new path in life, one that you may have been unsure about in the past. At different points in your life, you may be greeted by different animals, and this is completely normal, for as we grow in age, we grow as people too, however, many people report being guided by a solitary animal for much of their life.
What do they Mean?
Each animal has a unique and important sacred significance that you can apply to your life. Just as there are millions of species of animals that inhabit the Earth, totems have appeared in the forms of hundreds of animals through time. A full list would take days to read through, so we’ve compiled a list of the most common and the most symbolically interesting.
Bear
The Bear lives in a cave, which has strong associations with the womb of Mother Earth, to which the bear returns for safety during the Winter months.
This suggests a strong feminine aspect to one’s personality one of nurturing and protection.
Bears are self sufficient, and have a talent for visualization, but they are usually considered dreamers, getting carried away with their ideas. They are introspective, solitary, wise, and have connections to the stars.
Buffalo
These creatures were considered by many tribes to be symbols of endurance.
Their meat fed the people, their skins clothed the people, and their bones were used for tools, so they provided a lot.
Those whose totem animals reveal themselves as buffalo have honor, reverence, and love for the things that Mother Earth offers to them.
His presence offers a moment to reconnect with the meaning of life and the value of peace, and should remind you to praise the gifts you already have rather than chasing new ones.
Butterfly
Metamorphosis and transformation are signified by the butterfly. It further represents a need for change and freedom. If a butterfly appeared to you, you are ready for that change!
Deer
Deer are swift, alert, and intuitive. They tend to have thoughts that race ahead, so many not always appear to be listening. They are incredibly gentle individuals, full of grace and beauty, and have a lot of gratitude for the world around them.
Eagle
Eagle feathers are used all over the world as ceremonial instruments and are considered to be the most sacred healing tools. Eagles symbolize power, healing, and wisdom.
They show great tenacity and remind you to practice patience to wait for the right moment to make a move in something in your life.
If an eagle appears as your totem animal, it is the world’s way of showing you that you can soar above the shadows of past realities.
Perhaps most importantly, Eagle asks you to grant yourself permission to be free, so that you can reach the joy your heart desires.
Horse
Horses appear in mythical writing over and over again across many cultures. There are no other animals like it that have given humans such physical freedom!
If a horse visited you in your totem meditation, you might feel within you a power that can be hard to control.
Horses are loyal and have unquestioning love and faith. You are brave and will have the endurance to realize your goals.
Owl
Owls are certainly curious creatures, and if your totem takes the form of an owl, it might be a sign that you are seeing the world from behind a mask.
Owls are silent and swift, and are messengers of secrets and omens.
Owls, being nocturnal, are understood as the link between the dark, unseen world and the world of the light.
You’ll find power in the moon, and come to realizations about your life best at nighttime.
Turtle
This creature is central to many Native American stories of how the Earth came to be, saying that the world sits on the back of a turtle.
Turtle is at home anywhere he goes he carries his home on his back!
Turtles are free to search for new opportunities wherever they may be and have good navigational skills.
The turtle will withdraw into his shell if he feels threatened or uncomfortable, and his skills include patience, self reliance, and non-violent defense.
Wolf
In Native American lore, wolves are recognized as teachers or pathfinders. Fiercely loyal to friends, they have a strong sense 
of family, while maintaining independence. They are actually pretty misunderstood going out of their way to avoid fighting.
People with a wolf totem tend to be able to communicate incredibly well, even through non verbal communication, or subtly shifting the tone of their voice.
They are fantastic problem solvers, taking advantage of change when it happens. Make a decision If you have arrived at a point in your life and you are not sure what is supposed to come next, or if you have started to doubt who you are at your core, why not turn to your totem animal?
They will rarely outright tell you the right path, but they will reveal to you through their traits who you are deep inside. Then the right path will begin to pave its way right in front of you.
Sources:
http://psychiclibrary.com/beyondBooks/animaltotemmeditation/
http://www.crystalinks.com/totemanimals.html
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/natotems.html
http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/whatisatotempole/