This week is the first Dear Fae and I have some excellent questions to answer for you guys! So let’s dive in and get started!
I want to be more courageous in my life – what totem do I need to call?
I bet you just thought of Lion – I know that’s what came to my mind. But Lion is only appropriate for some fears, not all of them. When it comes to facing your fears, it’s important to know where your fear is coming from so you can more directly address it. However, there are two totems I find that help a lot with fear and these both help address confidence issues as well.
The first one is Tiger. The mighty Tiger is a totem that brings us fully into ourselves – it is about personal power and sensuality. In this context, sensuality means validating and using all your senses, not the act of being seductive. Tiger helps us to connect with our personal source of power, whatever that may be, and teaches us that we all bring something unique to the table. Trusting in your own power and worthiness and being fully present in your body increases your confidence which can lead to less feelings of fear.
The other totem I would recommend is Badger. I know, I know – a video about honey badger has just become an internet meme and I’m going to go ahead and embed it in this post because, as funny as it is, it is SO accurate. Badger medicine is all about being bold and self reliant. Badger teaches us not to be shy about what we think or feel and to express ourselves freely. This can be done in a non-confrontational way, though those using Badger medicine may have trouble managing that aspect of it, so if you call Badger spirit to you, be wary of confrontational tendencies. But the reason confrontation becomes an issue is because Badger is so self-assured and so confident in who he is and what he feels that he has no doubts as to it’s validity. Also because Badger is a ferocious fighter. He has been seen chasing Bear away from Bear’s meals and has sometimes been called “Little Bear.”
My personal totem is Fox, but I found my totem-friend and he had passed on. What does that mean?
As you know, Fox’s medicine is about invisibility. That you made a totem-friend (an individual of the species who chooses to co-exist with you in some way) of Fox is very significant – as you know, Fox only lets people who he trusts to see him. So to have one as a frequent visitor is quite the honor. I’m sorry to hear, though, that your totem-friend passed on. That he did so in a place that you could find him (animals tend to hide when they are sick or dying) means that his passing is part of his message to you.
It is not uncommon for our Animal Spirit Guides to have multiple medicines, and so it is true with Fox as well. The passing of the totem is usually an indication that we need to graduate from one aspect of the totem’s medicine to another. As we’ve mentioned before, Fox is the solution to Fox medicine because he also teaches us about functional playfulness. This doesn’t mean that you need to be silly or whimsical, but it does mean that you need to approach things with a feeling of joy and excitement. You’ve mastered the art of invisibility but now it’s time to master the art of being seen through the spirit of playfulness.
I’ve developed a relationship with a very special Wren who visits whenever I think he’s finally moved on. What does our relationship mean?
This is another example of a totem-friend. As Wren’s tells us about resourcefulness and boldness, he is showing up when you have forgotten these things. Maybe you are feeling stuck or unable to shine. Wren is telling you to open your eyes to the treasures around you and to sing of them loudly. This can range from using something unconventional as a planter (and painting it bright colors) to using your own ‘flaws’ as advantages and telling potential employers of their value. In any case, Wren is telling you to work with what you’ve got and to not be shy about it. Because Wren keeps visiting you, you probably learned this lesson in the past – but keep forgetting to apply it. So Wren will keep coming back to remind you.
I can’t find any information on the Indigo Bunting – can you help?
I can help! There are few resources as bountiful as the internet, although sometimes it doesn’t contain the information we want as directly as we would like it. The Indigo Bunting is not as common a bird as many others, so a search for it’s medicine is likely to lead to dead ends. However, with a little research I discovered that the Indigo Bunting (not all buntings) is a member of the Cardinalidae family of birds, making it a type of cardinal. Cardinals teach us to express our own importance into the world. Their bright colors speak to drawing in our attention and their whistles and chirps are varied with different messages. However, unlike the rest of the Cardinals, Indigo Bunting changes it’s colors with the seasons. During mating season, it is a beautiful blue color, but once it has mated, the blue feathers are replaced with brown ones so as to provide camouflage. This tells us that when we are in the creative stages of a project or plan, we need to tell those around us about what we’re doing and sing it’s praises. But once the real work has begun and before the project is finished, it’s time for us to work more quietly, drawing as little attention to ourselves as possible.
The Indigo Bunting migrates April-May and September-October, so those working with this energy may find themselves restless during this time. Physical movement will often ease this feeling. If an Indigo Bunting is in captivity and can’t see the stars by which it navigates its migration, it becomes confused and disoriented. So be sure to engage in physical movement and being out of doors during these months.
Honey Badger
Okay, here it is. Not suitable for all audiences as there is some swearing and a little nature-channel style violence.
