WHAT IS A TOTEM?

The phenomenon of totems, is well-known to most of Scouts and Guides. Regardless of peoples specific knowledge about it, or interest into the subject, it's a phenomenon we are all familiar with. Let's have a look at what an "animal-totem" is. It's important to realize that besides animal-totems, there are also totem-plants and totem-objects. Although their appearances are different, their effects are basically the same.

To understand this phenomenon, it's important to realize to a certain extent, the totality, which we are all part of. Take a look at Creation, in the widest sense of the word. Not only the physical world around you, but also the furthermost 'corners' of the universe. Also, your fantasy, anything you can imagine and everything that exist is part of this totality. Here, it's not a question of being able to fully understand and handle the knowledge of the totality, what is important, is to realize what the totality is.

The phenomenon of enlightenment is known to us, through several disciplines (yoga, zen, etc.). Many people who have experienced this, will say: "I understand the Creation". In one way or the other, these people have been able to look through Creation and comprehend it. In other words, they have experienced the totality. The world of the subconscious and the superconscious also belong to this totality, as well as 'the land of the dead' and the ethereal world. These worlds I describe as the 'not everyday-reality'.

Basically, it is an everyday reality, but we have forgotten how to handle it as a daily world. Even if we're not able to experience this as a daily, normal world, this does not mean that we cannot enter it. This is where the animal-totem comes into the picture. To be able to place yourself in the 'not everyday reality', you have to make an energy-sphere, which is directed toward a particular purpose. In everyday reality it works in exactly the same way. If you want to go somewhere, you choose which way to get there. You take the push-bike, the car, you go walking or catch a train. Eventually, you will choose that which is most suitable for you. By entering the 'not everyday reality', you will make a choise as well. This choise is mostly done by intuition. In one way or another, there is a feeling of attraction toward a particular animal-totem. This could be because of size, strength, or other caracteristics. You can fully identify with your animal-totem, which is also part of the totality. The moment you become a wolf, you experience the totality, as a wolf would experience it. You look through the eyes of the wolf and react with a wolfs instinct. As a human beeing, you are able to take a certain distance from the phenomenon wolf. This is because you can understand the complete totality, while a wolf can only understand it from a wolfs point of view.

Our knowledge about the 'not everyday reality', is hidden deep in our minds, and it has to be awakened. An animal-totem, and especially one which 'belongs' to you, is a gate, through which you can set the first steps, into the 'not everyday reality'. The animal-totem will help you to integrate its way of experiencing the world, into your daily life. This is an enrichment, your practical knowledge has grown to include the phenomenon wolf. Since you can perceive the whole totality, this automatically means, that the wolf is a part of your perception, as a human beeing.

What is the use of all this? You can use the animal-totem to enter the 'not everyday reality'. There are indeed other possibilities, but the animal-totem is an easy way of doing it. The best way to explain this, is to look at the world we step inside, as a universal memory. All memories are stored in the universal memory. By tuning in on your animal-totem, you go through the gate to the 'not everyday reality'. You might want to know something about the sickness of your child, for instance. In fact you give yourself, in the form of your animal-totem, the task to look for the reason or a treatment. The animal-totem (a part of yourself), goes searching and comes back with the answer, sometimes clear, other times less clear.

To get a better understanding of your animal-totem, it's a good idea to study its surcumstances and habits in your daily life. Don't forget that you are learning all over again, just like a little child. Observe, but be critical. An animal-totem can fool you, just as easily as you can fool yourself. The solution to this problem, is to keep asking questions.

Whatever your animal-totem says or does, it has to answer you, besides it has no possibility of avoiding the right answer. Sometimes this requires a lot of willpower, but the result is great. In principal, you can give the animal-totem any task you like. If you can perceive in a pure way and remain honest toward yourself, you will get answers the right way. After some time, you will become more familiar with the 'not everyday reality', and more animal-totems will appear to you. Inbetween, there will be animal-totems, which can give you 'a slap in the face'.

This is not because there are certain things you are prevented from doing. What keeps the animal-totem from functioning properly, is the fact that something inside you has to be dealt with. Eventually a moment will come, when you don't need the animal-totem anymore. The use of an animal-totem, is actually a psychological tric to mislead your conscious mind. The conscious mind needs a familiar picture to prevent it from blocking itself, when entering an unknown territory. The tric is to use an animal-totem, which the daily consciousness can hold on to. This way, the consciousness gets accustomed to the new surcumstances and will eventually become freer, so that it no longer will be an obstacle on your journeys.

Call upon your animal-totem and travel and be amazed at the greatness of Creation.

Freelance

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