The Butterfly
Throughout history the butterfly has been admired for their delicate beauty. Most adult butterflies live just one or two weeks except for the monarch and angel wing which can live for six months or more. This is very symbolic. It suggests that a person with this medicine will experience tremendous soul growth in their earlier years. A difficult childhood is common. Life lessons are revealed to the consciousness while in the womb of the mother - the cocoon stage - and are completed when the caterpillar emerges into the butterfly and takes flight. Butterflies are symbols of freedom and creativity. They hold the gift of transformation and soul evolution.

Butterflies have a pair of large compound oval eyes made up of thousands of individual lenses. They can see a single image clearly and are able to perceive ultraviolet wavelengths of light. This suggests clairvoyant abilities for those that hold this totem.

The antennae of the butterfly has small knobs on each end which is said to play a role in orientation. When one antennae is missing the butterfly will fly in circles unable to find its way. Those with this medicine need to stay consciously connected to spirit at all times in order to arrive at their desired destination.

The butterfly represents the process of transformation and shape shifting. When butterfly shows up, make note of the most important issues confronting you at the moment. What state of change are you at in regard to them?

To the Native Americans the butterfly is a symbol of joy. They remind us not to take life so seriously. They feed on flowers that they help pollinate, thereby further spreading beauty. They represent the element of air, quickly changing and ever moving, so gracefully. Butterflies are messengers of the moment. They come in a variety of colors. To understand the message that the butterfly holds for you a study of its colors can be helpful.

Whenever an eco system is damaged, butterfly is usually the first to leave. They are especially sensitive to the harmony of earth. If butterfly comes to you in a hurt, trapped or ill way, you are being asked to stop disturbing the natural design of life and to flow with events in a more gentle, natural way.

The Cougar
The cougar also known as the mountain lion and the puma is very illusive and hard to find in the wild. Because of its illusive quality it is often noted as an animal that is independent, shy and withdrawn. The same characteristics are often found in people with this medicine.

The adult males weigh around one hundred seventy five pounds and are one of the fastest known animals, although it does tire quickly. This is partly due to the cougars sporadic energy. When it pounces on its prey it moves with short strong bursts of energy.

Cougar is associated with leadership and teaches decisiveness in the use of personal power. They are powerful and agile and can leap over forty feet. They kill their prey with their bite of their claws. When it attacks it does not hesitate. When threatened it goes for the most vulnerable place.

Those with cougar medicine should pay attention to how their speech and their actions affect others. Make sure you are not speaking too sharply or holding on to something too tightly. Cougar is a difficult totem to have because it continually places you in a position to be a target for the problems of others. Its power, strength and assertiveness are often misunderstood. You would be wise to listen to cougar and let it teach you how to balance intention, power and strength in everything you do.

Cougars are very territorial. The mother will stay with her cubs for a year and teach them to hunt, first by bringing them a kill and then bringing her prey back alive so that they can kill it. Cougars brings the power of balanced leadership. In the way cougar teachers her young, in the balance that she has with her environment and in her quiet power, she shows this gift. Cougar medicine people make excellent teachers, leaders and facilitators.

The other side of cougar is its illusive quality. It can appear without being noticed and quietly take control of a situation. Sometimes this can lead to conflict with others over territory.

Those with cougar medicine have past life connections relating to power and leadership. When the cougar selects you as its student be prepared for the ride of your life. It can shred you into little pieces (dissolve karma and identity) then put you back together again with a pure heart and purpose. True leadership through gentle assertiveness is what cougar teaches those with this totem.

The Coyote
For a long time humans have been attempting to shoot, poison and trap coyote into non-exsistence. Instead, birds like the Condor have been nearly wiped out with poisoned meat, and the clever coyote may be more numerous today than ever. Despite humanities encroachment and aggression, coyote has found a way to walk its walk and survive.

Coyotes usually mate for life. They live in the sides of hills or in underground dens where the family unit is well protected. They prefer open grassland and thinly wooded brush, but can adapt to almost any environment. Because of this they have been able to survive and grow in numbers.

I once heard a story about a female Coyote who got caught in a trap and gnawed off her own paw---twice. At last report she was doing fine, hobbling around on her two front stumps, and she had borne a healthy litter. Coyotes hunt small game not with speed, but by pouncing and snapping with their jaws. She was able to do this quite well and was fulfilling her role as a mother. Those with this medicine will go to extreme measures to protect and nurture family members. Words that rip and tear another to shreds should be avoided. Sporadic bursts of energy are common and balanced action is required for ones overall well being. Excellent caretakers coyote medicine people put other peoples needs before their own. Care is advised however to give to yourself equally.

In some native tribes the coyote is referred to as the trickster. I prefer to see the coyote as cunning and clever. There are many stories about the coyote. He is known as the great one and the foolish one. Coyote does not consciously try to trick us, he mirrors our own human capacity for displaying cleverness and stupidity.

Like the coyote we can work with others to get what we want in life, or we can dive into a lake to catch a reflection. We can send troubles away or invite them carelessly. When coyote wanders into your life you are being asked to look at something you have been avoiding. Coyote is our mirror for the lessons we need to learn in order to walk a good sacred road. It will hold up the mirror relentlessly until we finally get the picture.

Call on coyote as an ally for negotiating a difficult situation. Or thank him for coming and showing you a trap that you are caught in, or a way that you are fooling yourself. Coyote is an especially powerful teacher with regard to relationships because it is when we are in a relationship that we can fool ourselves the most. Coyote is not out there to get us, but to teach us, whether we want to learn or not.

The Cricket
Crickets are scavengers and feed on organic and decaying plant material. They live under rocks, logs, in meadows, pastures and along roadsides. Because they are active at night, ancient myth associates the cricket with the lunar energies of intuition and sensitivity. When this medicine is fully developed in man logic is balanced with intuition. If underdeveloped the individual takes everything that happens around them to heart and sets them self up to become a victim of circumstance. Emotional discord follows. If the later is true pull in your energy field and do some form of aerobic exercise. This will help strengthen your emotional core and ground your physical body.

Known as natures musicians, crickets can be heard chirping loudly especially during mating season. Their chirping sounds are made by rubbing together their 2 front wings. Attracting a mate with only a chirp can be tricky especially if the females are far away. The cricket not only joins in unison with other males trying to be as loud as possible, but it is also uses its ingenuity to find a mate.

In Africa the tree cricket uses leaves growing on plants to make a megaphone. The cricket chews a pear shaped hole in the leaf and sticks his head through the hold, the leaf bends around his head in a bowl shape like a speaker baffle. Then the cricket presses his sound making wings against the leaf and chirps. These leaf amplifiers increase their sound by up to 10 decibels.

Not only do crickets teach us how to be resourceful and use our ingenuity to acquire a desired outcome they also serve as a weather barometer. Crickets are cold blooded. As the temperature rises on a summer day their metabolism and behavior speed up. The hotter the temperature gets the faster they chirp. When they stop singing altogether it means a storm is approaching. Those with this totem should heed the crickets warning. Storms are symbolic and can indicate that an emotional, mental or physical challenge is coming your way.

The crickets hind legs are modified for jumping. They leap over difficult situations effortlessly always choosing to land in a more pleasing environment and can teach us how to do the same. A powerful ally that embodies the qualities of faith and trust the cricket serves us well. All we need to do is follow its lead.

The Dragonfly
No bird or insect has the flight maneuverability of the Dragonfly. They can twist, turn, change directions in an instant, hover, move up or down, and even fly backwards. The power that dragonfly brings to the tapestry of life is skill. They are experts at what they do and do it relentlessly.

Dragonflies spectacular colors sparkle with iridescence in the sunlight. These colors take time to develop reflecting the idea that with maturity our own true colors come forth.

As newly hatched nymphs, dragonflies live on the bottom of ponds and streams. As they mature and go through metamorphosis they move to the realm of air. Since water represents the emotional body and air represents the mental, those with this medicine will often find themselves trying to maintain balance between their thoughts and emotions.

Children with dragonfly medicine are often very emotional. They feel things deeply and respond to situations with great passion. As they reach adulthood, and through experience, they learn how to balance their emotions with greater mental clarity and control. This gives them the compassionate quality necessary for any type of work relating to healing or counseling.

Dragonfly has the ability to reflect and refract light and colors and is often associated with magic and mysticism. Just as light can bend and shift and be adapted in a variety of ways, so can the archetypal forces associated with dragonfly. It conveys the message that life is never what it appears to be.

By helping a person see through illusion dragonfly awakens ones true vision. Flying at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour they can spot movement forty feet away. Flying into and around things from different angles, they challenge rigid awareness and prompt the energy of change for anyone who holds this medicine.

The Jay
The blue jay and the stellar jay have a reputation of being a robber of campers food and of nesting materials. They wait until other birds have gathered the necessary essentials for the nest building and then rob them of it. Although jays do posses these tendencies it has other qualities that are far more important. Jays carry the power of presence. They are confident and fearless.

Both the blue jay and the stellar jay create a tremendous amount of noise when engaged in a robbery. This noise works to the jays advantage. The more noise they make the more chaotic the situation appears. This distortion of energy becomes the jays victory song.

The jay reflects lessons in how to use personal power correctly and efficiently. They remind you to pay attention and not allow yourself to be placed in a position in which power is misused against you. Those with jay as a totem need to heed this warning.

The bright blue crest on the top of a blue jays head links it to father sky, reminding those with this totem that true power must be utilized with integrity and balance.

Jays are incredibly resourceful. This can represent a need within you to learn adaptability for survival with the least amount of effort. Since the jay doesn't usually migrate and stays around all winter, it serves as a teacher who will settle in and work with you as long as you need it.

Jays are fearless and have been known to gang up and drive away hawks and owls. They know how to play the game of life and succeed. Jays reflect great talent, but that talent must be developed and used properly. If the jay has flown into your life it indicates that you are moving into a time where you can begin to develop the innate wisdom that lies within you. Jay is willing to teach you fearlessness, adaptability and survival but you must be willing to follow its lead and become "power through presence."

The Lizard
The lizard is an expert at subtle perception. They are sensitive to vibrations in the ground. Their eyes are sharp and can detect the slightest movement. They also have excellent hearing. Those with this totem have the ability to utilize all aspects of psychic perception.

Through myth and legend the Lizard is associated with the Dream time. Dreams contain some of the subtlest perceptions of the mind of which we may not be conscious. The lizard reveals hidden messages through the dream state. If lizard is your totem pay attention to the symbolic messages received in your dreams.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the lizard is their ability to break off their tails to escape predators. The tail is left behind writhing to distract the predator while the lizard makes its escape. They can do this only once, however, since the replacement tail they grow is made of cartilage instead of vertebrae.

The power of lizard lies in its ability to save itself from danger by leaving a part of itself behind. When lizard appears in a persons life it suggests the need for immediate change in one or more areas of their life. This change represents letting go of outdated ideas, actions, or lifestyles because the old now endangers you in some way.

Since lizard can discard its tail only once it advises you to make decisions wisely for what you decide can follow you around for a very long time. If something isn't working for you it is time to let it go.

The psychic characteristics inherent in the lizard teaches those with this medicine how to awaken their own abilities by making choices that honor every part of ones life. When lizard appears it signifies a need to go within and analyze your present reality and once done, move with confidence and conviction out into the world of new beginnings. A powerful totem to have, lizard reveals your weaknesses, your strengths and prompts the energy of change.

The Raven
Ravens have a long history of myth and lore associated with them. In some native tribes they are known as the "keeper of secrets." They hold the teachings of mysticism and magic. Ravens are linked to the void, where universal secrets are stored. Their inky black color is the color associated with darkness. The darkness is a place where unconscious fears live. Raven, a master magician, embodies the energy of transformation and shows us how to eliminate our inner demons.

Ravens are the largest songbirds in North America. They are extremely intelligent and are clever mimics. They incorporate and mimic calls of other species and can teach us how to understand the language of animals. They have also been known to learn some human words.

The raven knows the mystery of life. They have an intimate association with death and rebirth. Because raven would feed on the corpses of the dead hanging on the gallons, early European settlers feared this bird and considered it to be an ill omen. In truth, however, raven should be respected not feared.

There are many stories in native cultures about this illusive black bird. Shamans know the power of an unexpected piercing sound in altering consciousness. Ravens exercise this power, emitting a variety of sounds and can aid us in shifting our consciousness into various dimensional realms. This is one reason why the raven is known as a shape shifter with magical powers. Anyone with raven as a totem can expect continual changes and spiritual awakenings throughout their life.

Raven picks its students according to their accumulated wisdom. It flies into a persons life carrying the energy of magic and healing. If it decides to settle in and take up residence, it will stay as long as necessary to aid you in transmuting your karma then return you to the light. It will push, prod, and lead you into the discovery of your multidimensional self and reunite you with the secrets of the multidimensional universe. Those with this totem should remember to meet raven, not with fear, but rather with an appreciation for the teachings that it holds.

The Spider
Many stories exist about the weaver, Grandmother spider. She carried on her back the gift of fire in a basket that she wove and presented it to the people. In another story it is said that her web bound all things together and formed the foundation of earth..

These legends give the spider a link to the past and the future, birth and creation. When the spider crawls into our awareness it is asking us to rebuild the web of our life in accordance with the design the creator gave us.

Spiders differ from insects in having eight legs rather than six and in having the body divided into two parts rather than three. The number eight laid on its side is the symbol for infinity. The number two implies the union of two forces joined together. Together they equal ten. Drop the zero and you are back to the starting point of one. The hidden message of spider is unity. The study of numerology is beneficial for those who hold this medicine.

The construction of a web is linked to the geometry of creation. In the construction of an orb web the spider releases a sticky silken thread into the wind. If the breeze carries the thread to a spot where it sticks the first bridge is formed. Spider cautiously crosses the line reinforcing it with a second. This process continues until a frame is constructed in which the web can secure itself. Bridges serve as a link tying all things together and remind us of our interconnectedness to all life.

The spider shows us that the past, the present and the future are all interwoven. It awakens our intuitive creative senses and encourages us to design the fabric of our lives from our souls original intention. If you see a spider in its web, or creating a new one, pay attention. It symbolizes where you are in the weaving of your own destiny. A study of the medicine wheel and the four directions is helpful.

Because spiders are actually very delicate they embody the energy of gentleness. Spiders are not usually aggressive unless they are defending their lives. Moving forward in all situations with a gentle strength is a skill that often needs to be learned for those with this totem. In man, the bite of a poisonous spider symbolizes a death, rebirth process. Poison enters the nervous system and the body either transmutes it or falls victim to its venom and dies.

The spider signifies the tapestry of life. The web we weave is the reality we experience. Choosing the appropriate path is one of the lessons associated with this medicine.

Found all this info on groups.msn.com/Walkgently...page37.msnw