Totem – The Witchcraft

The word totem comes from Ojibwe. It derives from the Word dodaem ab meaning “brother/sister/relative” and refers to an ancestral or guardian spirit, usually in the form of a plant or animal, that protects a family, clan, or tribe. Anyone with the same totem is considered a family member with kinship obligations, and the animal or plant archetype that the totem represents is also a family with similar obligations. It is taboo to marry a person born under your totem and also to kill your totem animal.

The totem is an ancestral spirit usually associated with a mythical family history. It is literally part of the family and acts as a teacher and guardian for all members of the clan. They also serve as a reminder of an individual’s past, origins, and attachment to the community.

There are similar beliefs in other Native American cultures, as well as in Asia, Australia and Africa, and evidence that they existed in pre-Christian Europe.

The word “totem” can also refer to an artistic representation of the totem spirit.

This is very different from totem poles.

Modern use

In colloquial speech, the word totem is often used to refer to any object or person that represents an idea. For example, the American flag represents the United States and all ideas associated with it. The bald eagle is also a totem for the United States or the Office of the US President.

In the modern pagan community, the word totem is often used to describe an archetypal animal spirit guide who comes to a person on the astral plane to help a person learn important spiritual lessons and perform magic on the astral plane. This can also be referred to as a power animal or familiar. However, it is not always an animal. A plant spirit can also serve as a totem in this way.

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In some cases, a practitioner has only one spirit animal to stand by and help and guide them for life. But do practitioners need to claim more than one? Sometimes multiple spirit animals stay with the practitioner throughout their lives, but often they drift in and out, appearing at life stages when their energy is most helpful.

Some who have multiple totems profess the belief that each rules over a specific element or realm. For example, one may have four totems, one from each of the classic elements, with each animal somehow corresponding to that element. Others may have a totem for each realm or plane of existence.

These spirits can come uninvited or be summoned by the practitioner, depending on the tradition. In some cases, the totem spirit is assigned to a work group rather than an individual.

online resources

totemism 201; Why totem dictionaries can jeopardize your Green Wolf spiritual growth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Totem
http://patachu.com/totem/
http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/
http://www.native-languages.org/legends-animal.htm