Whether we live in a city or a more remote area, our lives our entwined with nature. Whether it’s a tree that grows in Brooklyn or the wide expanse of farm land in Montana, nature surrounds us. When we open our eyes to see what parts of nature show themselves to us regularly, whether it is a bird, an animal or an insect, we may find a message.
Have you ever repeatedly seen an animal appear in your life, keeping in mind the animal you may see a real one, a picture or another image? Often if something from nature reappears in your life it is considered a totem. Many believe understanding the characteristics of the specific totem can uncover a message of an area of your life worthy of reflection.
For example, many years ago rhinoceros kept showing up for me. No, I don’t live in the wild nor in a zoo, but I kept seeing images of rhinos. I would see them on t-shirts, on advertisements and then on a trip I got lost, found myself in a small town home to the Rhinoceros Pub. No actual rhinos were seen, but the recurring image of the rhino made me investigate what they represented and how it might relay to my life.
Totems may stay in your life or they may change with time, again often reflecting a message that is meant to serve you. In the last couple of weeks I have consistently been visited by woodpeckers, different places and different kinds. Woodpeckers are known for their drumming and pecking on trees. From a simplistic view, woodpeckers represent, “a need to drum some new changes and rhythms into your life.”
I also have had a strange number of crows show up each day; again making me take notice. Not being the most attractive birds, nor the most soft spoken, I used to not be a fan. Once I began to understand what they represent (they have shown up frequently in my life) I began to appreciate them in a new light.
In Animal Speak, Ted Andrews writes, “Wherever crows are there is magic. They are symbols of creation and spiritual strength. They remind us to look for opportunities to create and manifest the magic of life. They are messengers calling to us about the creation and magic that is alive within our world every day and available to us.”
One of my favorite references to look up the totems and their messages is the book I earlier mentioned, Animal Speak by Ted Andrews. He provides a good amount of information about the animal and its habits and then touches on what it could mean to you. So whether it is to uncover a message that may be waiting for you or just to better understand the totem that shows up it can be fun to acknowledge when nature reappears consistently in your life.
Share with me on my website if there are any animals, birds or insects that have frequently shown up in your life. Do they represent anything to you?