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Native American
Birth Totems
The Red Hawk
March 21 - April 19
Moon: Budding Trees Moon
Season: The
Awakening Time
Wind: East Winds
Direction: North-East
Element: Fire
Elemental Clan: Hawk Clan
Plant:
Dandelion
Mineral: Opal
Polarity With: Falcon
Color: Yellow/Green
Musical Vibration: C Sharp
Personality:
Active.
Spiritual Energy: Feminine energies
Emotions: Quickly aroused
Positive Traits: Pioneering spirit
Negative
Traits: Impatient, selfish and often times egotistical.
Compatibilities: Salmon and Owls
Conscious Desire: To lead,
manage head the adventure.
Subconscious Desire: Learning through experience.
Spiritual Path: Expanding the individual
through discernment
Strengths: Persistence and patience with others
Weakness: Conceit and intolerance.
Beaver
April 20 - May 20
Moon: Frogs Return Moon
Season: The Growing Time
Wind: East Winds
Direction: East
Element: Earth with Fire
Elemental Clan: Turtle Clan
Plant: Wild clover
Mineral: Bloodstone
Polarity
With: Snake
Color: Yellow
Musical Vibration: D Sharp
Personality: Resourceful and methodical
Spiritual
Energy: Masculine energies
Emotions: High strung
Positive Traits: Persistent and often strong-willed.
Negative
Traits: Inflexible, possessive and often times self involved
Compatibilities: Woodpeckers, Brown Bears and Geese
Conscious
Desire: Security through abundance
Subconscious Desire: Freedom from attachments
Spiritual Path: To discover that
which has lasting value
Strengths: Accepting change, compassion, inner security and confidence
Weakness: Possessiveness
and inflexibility
Deer
May 21 - June 20
Moon: Corn Planting Moon
Season: The Flowering Time
Wind:
East Winds
Direction: South-east
Element: Air with fire
Elemental Clan: Butterfly Clan
Plant: Lily of
the Valley
Mineral: Agate
Polarity With: Owl
Color: Green
Musical Vibration: E natural
Personality:
Talkative, congenial, moody.
Spiritual Energy: Feminine energies
Emotions: Sensitive
Positive Traits: Friendly,
intellectual and quick witted
Negative Traits: Restless, yet insecure
Compatibilities: Crows and otters
Conscious
Desire: Bridging gaps
Subconscious Desire: Mastery of the mind
Spiritual Path: Sharing what one has learned or experienced
for growth
Strengths: Persistence and concentration
Weakness: Moodiness, "day dreaming"
Woodpecker
(Flicker)
June 21 - July 21
Moon: Strong Sun Moon
Season: Long Days Time
Wind: South winds
Direction:
South-south-east
Element: Water
Elemental Clan: Frog Clan
Plant: Wild rose
Mineral: Rose quartz
Polarity
With: Goose
Color: Rose
Musical Vibration: F natural
Personality: Emotional, vulnerable but protective
Spiritual
Energy: Masculine energy
Emotions: Protective, wanting to protect
Positive Traits: Tender and sympathetic.
Negative
Traits: Moody, often unforgiving
Compatibilities: Snakes, Wolves, Beavers
Conscious Desire: Emotional stability
Subconscious Desire: Accomplishment
Spiritual Path: Fitting in with the greater good
Strengths: Resourcefulness,
self acceptance and forgiveness.
Weakness: Self-pity, Envy and relying to heavily on others.
Sturgeon (salmon
relative)
July 22 - August 21
Moon: Ripe Berries Moon
Season: The Ripening Time
Wind: South winds
Direction:
South
Element: Water
Elemental Clan: Fish Clan
Plant: Raspberry
Mineral: Carnelian
Polarity With:
Otter
Color: Blue
Musical Vibration: F sharp
Personality: Confident and energetic
Spiritual Energy: Feminine
energies
Emotions: Passionate & intense
Positive Traits: Generous and Creativ
Negative Traits: Controlling,
often arrogant and intolerant
Compatibilities: Owl and Falcon
Conscious Desire: To rule
Subconscious Desire:
Emotional balance
Spiritual Path: To find the underlying purpose of life
Strengths: Tolerance, humbleness and letting
go
Weakness: Egotistical behavior and Controlling nature
Brown Bear
August 22 - September 21
Moon:
Harvest Moon
Season: Harvesting Time
Wind: South winds
Direction: South-south-west
Element: Earth
Elemental
Clan: Turtle Clan
Plant: Violets
Mineral: Topaz
Polarity With: Wolf
Color: Brown
Musical Vibration:
G natural
Personality: Practical and industrious
Spiritual Energy: Masculine energies
Emotions: Warm and thought
out
Positive Traits: Detailed, humble, trustworthy
Negative Traits: Finicky, judgmental and often times hypocritical
Compatibilities: Geese and Beavers
Conscious Desire: Reaching forth, aiming high
Subconscious Desire: Attaining
pure wisdom and truth
Spiritual Path: Understanding it all
Strengths: Optimism, tolerance and self acceptance
Weakness:
Fault finding, pessimism and putting things off
Raven/Crow
September 22 - October 22
Moon: Ducks Flying
Moon
Season: Falling Leaves Time
Wind: West winds
Direction: South-west
Element: Air
Elemental Clan:
Butterfly Clan
Plant: Ivy
Mineral: Azurite
Polarity With: Falcon
Color: Blue
Musical Vibration: A
natural
Personality: Tolerant and friendly
Spiritual Energy: Feminine energies
Emotions: Sensitive
Positive
Traits: Diplomatic, often romantic and overly optimistic
Negative Traits: Gullible, indecisive and often holds a grudge
Compatibilities: Otter and Deer
Conscious Desire: Partnership
Subconscious Desire: Balance and harmony
Spiritual
Path: Peace and balance
Strengths: Caution, making decisions and letting go
Weakness: Taking sides, indecision and
trusting to much
Snake
October 23 - November 21
Moon: Cold Winds Moon
Season: The Frosting Time
Wind: West Winds
Direction: West
Element: Water
Elemental Clan: Frog Clan
Plant: Mums
Mineral:
Amethyst
Polarity With: Beaver
Color: Lavender
Musical Vibration: B natural
Personality: Impulsive, ambitious
Spiritual Energy: Masculine energy
Emotions: Hidden, keeping things inside
Positive Traits: Discerning and imaginative
Negative Traits: Stubborn, mistrustful, often stubborn
Compatibilities: Woodpeckers and wolves
Conscious Desire:
Acceptance
Subconscious Desire: Spiritual balance
Spiritual Path: Expressing inner intuition
Strengths: Creativity,
ability to change and sensitive to others
Weakness: Egotistical, often aloof and distant
Elk
November
22 - December 21
Moon: Snowy Moon
Season: Starry Night Moon
Wind: West winds
Direction: North-west
Element:
Fire
Elemental Clan: Hawk Clan
Plant: Poinsettia
Mineral: Obsidian
Polarity With: Deer
Color: Gold
Musical Vibration: C sharp
Personality: Laugh-hearty, loving and independent
Spiritual Energy: Feminine energy
Emotions: Caring
Positive Traits: Adaptable, trustworthy
Negative Traits: Restless and loud
Compatibilities:
Falcons and Salmon
Conscious Desire: To understand the spirit and the human nature
Subconscious Desire: Applying
the spiritual to the physical to bring about healing
Spiritual Path: Spiritual evolution
Strengths: Optimistic,
happy and focused
Weakness: Often exaggerates, and is concerned with "status"
Snow Goose
December
22 - January 19
Moon: New Moon
Season: The Renewal Time
Wind: North wind
Direction: North-north-west
Element: Earth
Elemental Clan: Turtle Clan
Plant: Bramble
Mineral: Peridot
Polarity With: Woodpecker
Color: White
Musical Vibration: D sharp
Personality: Reliable, high standards of self
Spiritual Energy:
Masculine energy
Emotions: Self concerned
Positive Traits: Ambitious, never gives up
Negative Traits: Rigid,
driven, often too focused on succeeding
Compatibilities: Beavers, Bears and Crows
Conscious Desire: To succeed
Subconscious Desire: To rest and rejuvenate
Spiritual Path: To learn patience and the flow of life
Strengths:
Sociable, well spoken
Weakness: Self-doubt, can't see the forest for the trees.
Otter
January 20 - February
18
Moon: Cleansing Moon
Season: The Cleansing Time
Wind: North Winds
Direction: North
Element: Air
Elemental Clan: Butterfly clan
Plant: Fern
Mineral: Turquoise
Polarity With: Salmon
Color: Silver
Musical Vibration: E natural
Personality: Sociable, talkative and independent
Spiritual Energy: Masculine energy
Emotions: Creative, unconventional
Positive Traits: Inventive, soothing and very perceptive
Negative Traits:
Nosy, unpredictable, often times too blunt
Compatibilities: Crows, Falcons and Deer
Conscious Desire: To gain knowledge
Subconscious Desire: To attain wisdom
Spiritual Path: Applying spiritual knowledge to daily life
Strengths:
Tolerance, courage, is often an original thinker
Weakness: Considered to be rebellious, and often times eccentric.
Wolf
February 19 - March 20
Earth Influence: The Blustery Winds of Time
Wind: The North Winds
Direction:
North-north-east
Elements: Water with Air
Elemental Clan: Frog (Water) clan.
Plant: Plantain
Mineral:
Jade
Polarity: Brown Bear
Color: Blue/Green
Musical Vibration: F sharp
Personality: Compassionate, Benevolent,
Generous, Artistic and Gentle.
Spiritual Alchemy: Yin predominates.
Starting Totems: Wolf, Buffalo, Frog, Plantain,
Jade and Brown Bear.
Feelings: Deep
Intention: Understanding
Nature: Trusting
Positive Traits: Sympathetic,
Adaptable, Impressionable and Sensitive.
Negative Traits: Impractical, vague, timid, indecisive.
Sex-drive: Tender
Compatibilities: Woodpeckers, Brown Bears and snakes.
Conscious Aim: Freedom
Subconscious Desire: Identity
Life-Path: Love
Must Cultivate: Intuition, Creativity and Understanding.
Must Avoid: Timidity, Indolence and
Impracticality
SHAMAN/ WITCH
There are many different theories on the origins of the word, "shaman." One of which, is
that "shaman" comes from the language of the Tungus reindeer herders of the Lake Baikal region of Russia. From
the Encyclopaedia Britannica it seems it is derived from the Tunguso-Manchurian word "saman" formed from the verb
"sa," meaning 'to know', as in the French word "savoir" and the Spanish "saber."
The
path of the shaman is the path of the Self in deepest connection to Nature. Shamanism deals with the purest forms of Nature
energies and elements. The shaman stands centered in balance at the core of all energies and all worlds. The relationship
that the shaman has to these worlds is the most sacred communion with Nature. It is a most personal connection.
The
shaman grasps at shadows in the darkness, hoping to catch a wisdom to share. And this the shaman knows all too well, what
he or she shares is no more or less than his or her own soul's journey. The shadows they grasp, like the shadows they cast,
are none other than their own. When they share their shadowy glimpses of the other worlds, they offer nothing less than a
part of their own soul's wisdom. This they do to mark the way for other soul's journeys. The shadow of the shaman is the
soul of the shaman. The soul of the shaman is the soul of Nature.
Everything in the shaman's world has its own
special vibration, unique energy and power. The quest of the shaman is to achieve attunements with these vibrations and familiarity
with Spirit. To accomplish this is to attain power. Still, the shaman knows that this cannot be pursued, only received.
Power is a gift. That is the first wisdom of shamanism.
All of the worlds of Nature spin like wheels for the shaman.
The world of animals, the world of plants, the world of minerals and the world of humans are all spinning wheels on the path
of the shaman. All worlds spin and vibrate for the shaman. To deal with these directly, the shaman must know each vibration.
He must ride the wheel of each world in order to feel its vibration and and direct its power. This is another wisdom of
the shaman. The shaman must experience the worlds by riding the wheels and their vibrations. This brings attunement with
the deep shamanic energies of Nature.
The shaman must walk clear of the opinions and influences of others to stay
centered amidst the direct energies of the shamanic path.
The word "witch" comes from the Indo-European
root meaning 'to see' or 'to know' as found in the French "voir" or the Latin "videre" meaning to see,
or the German "wissen" meaning to know. In the history of Britain, witchcraft was a shamanic way. Witchcraft in
particular has had many centuries of "bad press" and the word "witch" has come to mean something very
different from 'to know', 'wise one', or 'wise woman.' All this was part of the destruction of the ancient spiritual ways
wrought by Christianity to facilitate its imposition.
Witchcraft is now commonly used in Paganism - a belief system.
Witchcraft, in common with many other religions, recognizes Deity as dual. It reveres both the Goddess and the God. They
are equal, warm and loving, not distant or resident in "heaven" but omnipresent throughout the universe. Shamanism
is not a "belief system", but fits securely into the belief system of Paganism.
Shamanism has been defined
as the first religion. It existed prior to the earliest civilizations, before our ancestors took the first steps down the
long journey to the present. Prior to this time the shamans were the medicine people, the power wielders, male and female.
They wrought magic and spoke to the spirits of nature.
The shamans were the first humans with knowledge. They
created, discovered, nurtured and used it. Knowledge is power; women and men who possessed it in those far-flung days were
shamans.
How did shamans capture or discover this power? Through "ecstasy" - alternate states of consciousness
in which they communed with the forces of the universe.
From these primitive beginnings arose all magic and religion,
including Witchcraft. Despite current controversy as to the "antiquity" of Witchcraft, it is spiritually descended
from the shamans. Witchcraft touches our souls and causes ecstasy - awareness shifts - uniting us with Deity. Many of the
techniques of Witchcraft are shamanic in origin.
Therefore, Witchcraft can be described as a shamanic religion.
As with shamanism, only a select few feel compelled to enter its circle of light. --source unknown.
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