Totem Tuesday: Turtle/Tortoise Medicine

Turtle/Tortoise Medicine

by Felina Lune Kavi

“Try to be like the turtle—at ease in your own shell.” – Bill Copeland

Keywords:  Mother Earth Energy, Ancient Wisdom, Healing, Protection, Psychic Shielding, Grounding, Stability, Dependability, Practical Expression of Creativity, Productivity, Steady Effort, Cautiousness, Deliberateness, Patience, Planning, Determination, Stubbornness, Self-Reliance, Completion, Peace, Luck, Longevity, Endurance, Opportunism, Adaptability, Listening, Non-violent Defense, Emotional Strength, Long Cycles of Transformation, Balance, Sacred Breath, Grace Under Pressure, Navigation, Going Within, Connection with the Center, Doorways to New Dimensions

In Native American folklore, North America is referred to as ‘Turtle Island’.  Turtle is said to have carried the weight of this land on her back and is known as the Peace-Maker.  In Hindu and Chinese cultures, Turtle is also known as carrying Mother Earth and holding the world in balance.  Those with this totem have a strong connection to the Earth as well as to water.  They carry a sense of ‘home’ with them wherever they go and appreciate our planet and all life upon it.  They have a strong connection to their own center and learn from Turtle to live in balance with our planet, giving as much back as we receive.  They try to strive for harmony with all things and try to keep the peace in their relationships.

Turtle is a shore creature, living between land and water.  As shore areas are associated with doorways to other dimensions and realms, Turtle helps us to navigate between worlds.  The females of the aquatic varieties journey out of the water to bury their eggs in the sand, which is symbolic of creative ideas being brought from the collective unconscious and being ‘planted’ in the conscious realm to manifest in a deliberate and practical manner.  Turtles lay many eggs, with only a few surviving the first trek through the sand and into the water.  

People with this totem may feel ‘pregnant’ with multiple creative ideas…but with the wisdom to discern the best survivors and bring one or two of them to completion at a time.  In this way, they become very productive people…seeing many projects to completion throughout their lifetimes with the ability to apply patient focus at a steady pace. Just as baby turtles rely on themselves immediately after hatching, Turtle teaches self-reliance and emotional strength to endure the struggles of the journeys ahead of us.  People with this totem learn to be their own protectors, as well as to rely on Mother Earth to provide for them what they need outside of themselves.

Because of their long life expectancy and their slow metabolism, turtles are associated with longevity and ancient wisdom.  Turtles and Tortoises are very slow animals on land (though aquatic turtles, with their webbed feet or flippers, and more stream-lined shells, are faster and more agile in water).  Those with Turtle as a totem are usually healthy, live long lives, and work through things slowly and methodically.  They inherently understand that they have all the time in the world and don’t need to rush through life to make the most of it.  

Turtle medicine teaches new perceptions about time and our relationship to it.  People with this totem learn not to push things, though they are determined to see things through to completion and develop the patience to go the long haul with their endeavors.  Though they are peaceful people, they can be quite stubborn, and they may also give a ‘warning snap’ when pushed too far.

When turtles molt, they only slough off a little bit of skin at a time.  Their process of transformation, both in the evolutionary sense as well as individually, is very slow.  The first known turtles lived around 220 million years ago and their shell, which has remained a remarkably stable body plan, is thought to have evolved from bony extensions of their backbones and broad ribs that expanded and grew together to completion…offering protection throughout every stage of its evolution, even when the shell was not complete.  Because of their evolution, turtles are also symbols of endurance and stability.  In Feng Shui, turtles and tortoises are often used as symbols in the career/journey sector of the home as well as in the prosperity sector to encourage steady growth in both areas of the lives of the inhabitants.

Turtles breathe less often than humans and eat and drink very little in comparison.  Teachers of Qi-Gong breathing techniques use the turtle as a symbol to teach their students the sacredness of breath. Even in kung-fu stories, heroes escape danger using ‘turtle breathing’ to play dead.  Turtles do not take more than they need, and they teach us to appreciate all life has to offer…stopping to ‘smell the roses’ from time to time and understanding that the race is already won.  Slow and steady finds the clearest path…directing us toward our goal with planning and determination.

Turtles have excellent hearing, and teach clairaudience and how to listen well to those around us.  People with this totem are also good listeners and are the type of people that others seek out when they need someone they can trust to confide in and listen to them.  Because of their ability to really listen to what others want to say to them, they also tend to have the ability to hear what is not being said at the same time.  They can detect subtleties of the voice that can clue them in on who people really are.  Sometimes they may learn more about a person than that person knows about themselves. 

When feeling threatened or uncomfortable in their surroundings, Turtle will withdraw into its shell.  Their medicine offers a similar protection from some of the harshness of the outside world and people with this totem often have a rich inner life in which they make time to withdraw and recharge. Often, they need to take this time to develop ideas, coming out of their shell again when those ideas are ready to be expressed and manifested.  

Also, if a turtle is flipped onto its back, it can flip upright again by using its strong neck and head to right itself.  Those with this totem learn to use their head and knowledge to right themselves when they are feeling like their world is turned upside down. 

Turtle medicine teaches the necessity of grounding yourself and being one with the earth.  Through planning, steady effort, and patience, those with this totem can be very productive in achieving goals throughout their lives.  They are also very adaptable people in many types of surroundings and they are skilled at waiting for the best opportunities to arise before taking action.  Turtle medicine helps to navigate the world with deliberate and cautious steps, always directing us toward peace and prosperity.

Turtle reminds us that all that we need is in Mother Earth.  She will care for us, protect us, and nurture us as long as we do the same for her.  To do this, we must slow down and appreciate all that we have been given on this planet while taking measured steps to ensure that we are giving back.  Turtle urges us to realize that we are all connected.  Just as it cannot separate from its shell, neither can we live separately from the Earth or what we do to her.  Turtle shares the wisdom that how we treat our planet is how we treat ourselves…so we must take care of her as she takes care of us.

If Turtle is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Turtle will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a turtle, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  With the wisdom Turtle brings, you may want to ask yourself if things are getting too hectic and you need to slow your pace and breathe.  It could be that you need to ground yourself or go within to come up with new ideas and solutions.  Turtle is a patient creature teacher.  Its medicine, when applied over long periods of time, gives us the ability to make our dreams come true through steady effort and always walk the peaceful path, honoring the life within all things.

Totem Tuesday: Spider Medicine

Spider Medicine

by Felina Lune Kavi

“When spider webs unite, they can tie up a lion.” –Ethiopian Proverb

Keywords: Creativity, Receptivity, Patience, Storyteller Archetype, Shadow Self, Integration, Perspective, Adaptability, Feminine Wisdom, Intricacy, Patterns, Weaving, Engineering, Illusion, Entanglements

Of all our creature teachers, Spider connects with the most fear and aversion from humans.  Even as it is a personal totem for me (my above totem), and I respect it as an amazing creature, there is still a part of me that is that little girl calling for her dad when she sees a spider.  To my surprise, while picking cherries in my parents’ backyard on Father’s Day, my dad admitted that if he had a phobia it would be being in a room full of spiders.  IF he HAD one, that is…because I think he’d still like to be considered fearless.  But it made me realize that even while he was the one his wife and kids would call to swoop in and ‘save the day’ when we would see a spider, he was, in a way, facing his own shadow fears at the same time.

There are some totems that serve as shadow totems, and they represent those parts of ourselves that we repress or deny.  Though one of the most common shadow totems is Spider, for some people it is snakes, wasps, bats, etc.  Or, sometimes the shadow totem is an animal that we have had a traumatic experience with in our past…such as being bit by a dog or, in my case, attacked by a rooster.  With a shadow totem, the medicine of that totem is inherent in us, but we have a much harder time embracing it and utilizing it to our best advantage.  The Shadow Spider is there to teach us how to conquer our own fears and accept those parts of ourselves that we might rather eliminate than openly allow others to see.

Like many things that illicit fear from humans, Spider represents feminine wisdom.  As is the trend in a patriarchal society, the wisdom of the Feminine Mysteries is often repressed and we are taught to fear it or discount it in some way…much like the way we have been taught as a society, over time, to fear witches.  But spider is a very useful creature to have around us as it preys upon many of the insects that are not as beneficial to have around us. 

Spider Medicine has a lot to do with the creative skill they use to weave their intricate webs, the receptivity to any changes in their environment, and the patience they employ in catching their prey.  A spider’s web is a symbol of the balance between being delicate and being strong, and it is also a symbol of the story of creation and fate…weaving past, present and future events together with deliberate links and the ability to quickly adapt the ‘story’ to sudden changes.  Spider provides the wisdom to see from different perspectives the many possibilities our lives hold, and how certain patterns of behavior might get us tangled up in illusions. 

In India, Spider is associated with Maya, the Weaver of Illusions.  Spider is Grandmother, however, to the Native Americans and is in many of their creation stories as the weaver of the threads of life.  Or, to the Lakota, Spider is a trickster and shapeshifter who teaches, through our trial and error, the best way to walk along our journey.  Spider Medicine inspires us to weave our dreams into our own destiny and use our creativity to come up with solutions to our problems.  Spider’s Medicine also gives us the ability to see the patterns of good and bad fortune that entangle us in illusions so that we realize we can change our own fate.  Essentially, you can choose to be like the spider, or you can choose to be like the prey caught in her web.

Spider holds the archetypal energy of the Engineer, the Storyteller, and the Creatrix.  Depending upon the type of spider, other archetypal energies may color your medicine with specific gifts (such as the Weaver energy of the orb-weavers, the Caretaker energy of the Wolf Spider, the Networker of the more social spiders, or the Writer energy for those that scribble their stabilimentum across their web like the Garden Spider).

Spider also holds the energy of the number 8 as its body is in the shape of an 8, it has 8 legs, it has up to 8 eyes, and it has up to 8 spinnerettes.  In numerology, the number 8 is on the soul plane and represents wisdom and prosperity.  The shape of the number represents an infinite balance of giving and receiving.  As with the spider in the house who receives shelter and warmth while ridding the house of pests…Spider aims to live in a balance of reciprocity with its environment, and teaches us the wisdom of giving as equally as we receive.

If Spider is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Spider will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a spider, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  Spider may be contacting you to show how patience is key in trying to manifest something in your life, and reminding you to take action when opportunities arise.  Or perhaps you are getting too close to a situation of entanglement and must retrace a few steps and take an alternative route.  For many, Spider appears to face us with our fears, reminding us to embrace our shadow self.  However Spider chooses to share its medicine, it is an intricate web of wisdom that connects us to all things.

Totem Tuesday: Deer Medicine

Deer Medicine

by Felina Lune Kavi

“A wounded deer leaps the highest.” –Emily Dickinson

Keywords:  Pathfinder, Gentleness, Purity of Purpose, Humility, Sensitivity, Intuition, Grace, Determination, Sure-footedness, Alertness, Focus, Swift Action, Vigilance, Innocence, Inner Child, Regeneration, Cautiousness, Silence, Peace, Kindness, Listening, Gratitude, Giving, Sacrifice, Independence, Protection, Survival, Unconditional Love, Clairvoyance, Clairaudience

Though there are many types of deer, and the behavior of deer is much different depending on the gender, Deer medicine teaches the lessons of sacrificing for the greater good, sure-footedness along your path, the necessity of being alert and aware of danger or obstacles along your path, and taking swift action when a change is needed.  

Deer Medicine holds the energy of the Pathfinder Archetype.  In the Celtic tradition, Deer is connected to Elen (the Reindeer Goddess of Sacred Pathways) and Cernunnos (the Horned God of Fertility and Wild Animals).  Both are depicted with antlers (reindeer are the only female deer to grow antlers), representing the power of regeneration and renewal as well as fertility.  The antlers are also symbolic of antennae that connect to higher energies.  Deer is the original pathfinder of the ley lines on land, or the magical grid of pathways throughout the land that link sacred sites, and guide those with this totem along the straight-and-narrow paths that…while not always the easiest ways…illuminate the soul’s journey.

Those with this totem are very sensitive and intuitive, and often have latent clairvoyant and clairaudient abilities that Deer gently nudges them to cultivate…sending subtle signals and moments of heightened sensory awareness as lessons in honing their skills.  Though Deer have been hunted by man and other predators since ancient times, their energy links the hunter with the hunted.  Both the Celtic and Native American hunters prayed to Deer to give them a good hunt, and in return they promised to take no more than was essential for the survival of the tribe.  

The power of gratitude in the reciprocal cycle of giving and receiving is a large part of this medicine, and Deer teaches the balance between pride and humility with its power and grace.  Those with this totem learn to reflect this message with kindness and, often, self-sacrifice to those that cross their path. 

Deer are a uniparental species where the doe (also called a hind or cow) cares for the fawn (or calf), while the stag (also called the hart, buck or bull) is mainly present only during mating season.  In the first 20 minutes of a fawn’s life, it begins to take its first steps.  Its mother licks it clean until it is almost free of scent, so predators will not find it. For the first week of its life, the fawn lies hidden while the doe grazes for food.  Later, the fawn is strong enough to join her and the doe is tenderly protective of the fawn…using her heightened senses to be cautious of any changes along the path and keeping them from danger.  

Fawns stay with their mother for about a year.  The males leave and often form bachelor herds while females often return with their own fawns to form small herds.  Females with this totem are also very protective of their children and extra cautious about others where their child is concerned.  They teach their children early on about the dangers they may encounter away from the safety of home and often take on the role of the primary guide for their children throughout their early years.  Males with this totem have an independent streak and will learn, even from their mother’s over-protectiveness, to survive on their own and forge new paths for their future.  Even still, there is always a strong bond to the mother with those who have this totem as she was their first and ever-attentive teacher.

The Fawn represents innocence, purity of purpose, and a connection to the Inner Child. The Doe represents unconditional love, peace, subtlety, grace, and gentleness.  And the Stag represents power, fertility, and independence.  The whole of Deer Medicine, though, is about protection, determination, focus, vigilance, and swift action.  Gentleness and kindness in word, thought, and touch is integral to the proper use of this medicine.  People with this totem are great listeners and give sage advice about alternative paths to a goal when their loved ones feel stuck.  Their hearts are open to all, especially the wounded or endangered, and they feel very strongly that respect for all living creatures is important to living in a peaceful, balanced world. 

If Deer is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Deer will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a deer, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  Deer may be awakening us to our soul path or teaching us the power of gratitude.  It may be that Deer is showing us how to gently nudge others in the right direction rather than pushing them to change.  Whatever the lesson Deer means to teach us, it always urges us to love and accept ourselves and others as we are and to let go of negative emotions.  Deer guides us in this way to leap into new adventures with a gentle and loving approach.

Totem Tuesday: Dolphin Medicine

Dolphin Medicine

by Felina Lune Kavi

“Man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time.  But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.” –Douglas Adams

Keywords:  Playfulness, Spontaneity, Spiritual Enlightenment, Prana (Sacred Breath), Sound, Articulation, Sociability, Intelligence, Self-Awareness, Change, Revitalization, Limitlessness, Dreams, Intuition, Altruism, Compassion, Salvation, Unconditional Love, Trust, Peace, Harmony, Inner Child, Natural Rhythms, Reception, Emotional and Psychic Sensitivity, Detachment, Progress, Soul Communication, Healing

Dolphin is a very intelligent animal that dwells simultaneously within two realms:  Water (emotions) and Air (intellect).  Not only are they one of the smartest animals, but they also have compassion for other beings.  They are especially drawn to children, and awaken a sense of playfulness and spontaneity that speaks to the Inner Child within us all.  They are known for helping those in need and being very receptive to those specific needs.

In one recent story, a local dolphin named Moko saved two beached Pygmy Sperm Whales in New Zealand.  The whales had been stranded for hours when Moko showed up and led them through the sand bars to safety.  There have also been many accounts of pods of dolphins circling people shipwrecked in shark-infested waters, leading them to shore.  

Dolphins’ compassion and receptivity to children, especially those with special needs, has proven beneficial as a type of therapy for children with autism or mental/physical challenges.  Dolphins are innate healers, not only caring for the sick or injured among their own pods, but also for those of other species.  

In these therapeutic interactions, the dolphins react instinctively to children immediately after they enter the water with them.  They swarm to them in a nurturing impulse, especially when the children are challenged.  Studies show them drawn to those children with special needs more than others.  They blast them with sonar, reading from the information that travels back to them that the child has special needs, and they are very gentle with these children.  Autistic children blossom after their interactions with these creatures.  Studies with terminally ill children receiving Dolphin Therapy have shown the Dolphins blasting cancerous cells, glands or tumors with sonar.  These children appear to receive a deep soul healing and are often more at peace with their own eventual transition as a result. 

Dolphin medicine is powerful because it comes from a place of unconditional love.  People with this totem are often drawn to helping and healing others, particularly those who need it most.  They have the Soul of a Healer, and are often drawn to careers that provide healing assistance to others in need.  Like the Dolphin, they understand that love is one of the strongest forces in the universe; its energy capable of transcending all barriers.  

Their unconditional love of all is inherent, though sometimes lost in the lessons of adulthood.  But it is ultimately rediscovered to direct their soul to where their medicine is most useful.  Dolphin awakens the ‘Christ Consciousness’ or the ‘Divine Within’, yet those with this totem will encounter many situations in their lives that will challenge this ability to give unconditional love.  These lessons are to hone and perfect this ability, not to weaken it.  Though some may become lost and mistrusting of others as a result of these challenges…not recognizing them as opportunities for growth. 

One of these lessons must test their ability to learn the distinction between compassion that can genuinely assist another, and taking on another’s pain for them.  Those with this totem are so drawn to helping others who are underprivileged or otherwise in need, true champions of the underdog, that they are often drawn to those with issues (such as drug or alcohol dependency or other debilitating conditions)…believing that they can heal that wounded soul, sometimes to their own detriment.  

They often experience a sort of ‘Christ Complex’ because of their draw toward taking the burden of pain from others to save them from themselves.  They go through these lessons to learn that they must not take another’s lessons from them.  Therein lies the greatest challenge for those with a Dolphin totem.  A certain amount of detachment is necessary for the best use of this medicine, otherwise the emotional pain of these experiences can weaken their innate abilities to heal from a place of love.  This is the nature of the dolphin, which symbolically lives between the realm of emotional attachment (water) and intellectual detachment (air)…there must be a balance between.

Dolphin teaches the medicine of Prana, the ‘Chi’ or ‘Life Force’ that enters the body through breath.  People with this totem may find that focusing on their breathing will help them to balance in times of stress or anxiety.  Dolphin recognizes the ebb and flow rhythm of all life and teaches to become one with the environment.  Because of this connection, those with this totem may find that a strong spiritual foundation and connection is key to their progression in life. 

Those with a Dolphin Totem will have very deep emotions that will be predominant in their lives.  Dolphin teaches how to integrate them so they do not overwhelm.  Just as the Dolphin must surface for air, a person with this totem must learn how to balance with detachment from the pain and suffering of others so that they can assist others without being pulled under by tumultuous waters and drowned.  

In watching how dolphins within a pod take care of those who are sick or injured, you can see how those with this totem are often found caring for those in their family in a similar situation.  Emotions run high in these situations, and they must always remember to come up for air and allow themselves some breathing room every once in a while, to maintain their ability to take on that Caretaker role.

Except for their sense of smell, the senses of the dolphin are much more advanced than that of humans.  Their skin is also very sensitive, and though it is wounded easily…it also heals itself miraculously. Those with this totem are very sensitive souls.  And though they don’t necessarily have a ‘thick skin’ when it comes to being hurt by others…they can take a lot of abuse and recover from it better than most.  

However, this sometimes presents a very real problem for them because, since they are drawn to wounded individuals because they want to rescue them…they often find themselves in abusive situations and stay in them much longer than they should.  But just as the dolphin has been found to learn from previous experiences, so do the people with this totem.  

At some point in their life, the highest expression of all the lessons they’ve learned about love click into a certain balance and harmonious expression.  They become the healer who, like the Dolphin, teaches others to fish rather than only providing them with fish.  By their example, their love for all and their gift of understanding and compassion for all living beings on our living planet casts a wider net, rather than focusing that healing light on one or just a few others. 

If Dolphin is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Dolphin will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a dolphin, but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  You may find that your Inner Child is being awakened and your sense of joy and playfulness must be cultivated.  Or perhaps lessons of the Caretaker or Rescuer are coming into your awareness.  However these messages reach you, Dolphin urges you to balance, breathe, and let your love and compassion flow to where it is needed.

Totem Tuesday: Dragon Medicine

Dragon Medicine

by Felina Lune Kavi

"It does not do to leave a live dragon out of your calculations, if you live near him." -J.R.R. Tolkien

Keywords: Elemental Magic, Primal Forces of Nature, Protection, Power, Strength, Life Force, Potency, Longevity, Mastery of Self-Control, Battling Fears, Opportunity for Valor, Revealing Hidden Knowledge, Depth, Subconscious, Inner Voice, Inspiration, Luck, Material Gain, Prosperity, Wisdom

It is not uncommon to have a mythological creature as a totem animal, but it does mean that messages from this guide will come more creatively than sitting in a natural setting and observing the animals that appear.  Dragon is a powerful and unmistakable totem presence. In almost every culture and throughout history there are stories about these magical beasts.  As it evolved from the concept of the earth as a living being, Dragons are associated with the elements as well as with natural forces such as earthquakes, storms, and other weather phenomena. 

Earth Dragon

Wealth, Grounding Scattered Energies, Potential

Earth Dragon dwells within the belly of the earth.  This dragon is associated with natural forces such as earthquakes.  The man-made earthquakes associated with fracking in recent decades can be likened to awakening these dormant energies that protect the earth, resulting in earthquakes that would otherwise not happen. Known to hoard riches, Earth Dragon is symbolic of acquiring wealth and things associated with the material plane.  Those with this totem may find that they attract material abundance easily, but they are equally susceptible to hoarding material possessions.  To unlock the true power of this totem, they must learn to share their abundance with others…which, in turn, attracts more prosperity not only on the material plane but on the emotional, mental, soul and spiritual planes as well.  Because of the earth element, Earth Dragon Medicine grounds scattered energies.  It also unlocks the potential within those with this totem…as the Earth Dragon lives within the womb of the earth, awakening this energy awakens their greatest potential.

Air Dragon

Insight, Inspiration, Clear-Thinking

Air Dragon dwells in the sky among the clouds.  This dragon is associated with natural forces such as tornadoes, cyclones, hurricanes, blizzards, windstorms and thunderstorms.  Known to have the power to control the weather, Air Dragon is symbolic of the mental state.  A Dragon flying through clear skies gives the medicine of powerful insight, inspiration, and clear-thinking.  Stormy skies, especially when rain is present, represents the mental turbulence associated with heavy emotions clouding the thought process.  Those with this totem may find meditation to be particularly powerful in aiding them through anxieties and troubled times, unlocking the wisdom of this totem by clearing their mind of extraneous noise.  Because of the Air element, Air Dragon Medicine has much to do with controlling the mental state, the power of communication, and putting thought into action.

Fire Dragon

Energy, Creativity, Transmutation

Fire Dragon dwells within volcanoes.  This dragon is associated with natural forces such as volcanic activity, heat waves and wildfires.  Known to have the power of transmutation, Fire Dragon is symbolic of cycles of life and death and things associated with the soul plane.  Though in most myths, legends, and folklore many different types of dragons breathe fire…the Fire Dragon’s fire is not only for destruction but also for creation.  Those with this totem may have powerful energy that can either be used to create or destroy, and they must learn to harness this energy for its best use in their lives.  Because of the Fire element, Fire Dragon Medicine often comes along in our lives surrounding a significant death of someone or something…and a birth of someone or something else.

Water Dragon

Intuition, Memory, Feeling

Water Dragon dwells within the depths of the oceans.  This dragon is associated with natural forces such as floods and tsunamis.  Known to control the seas, Water Dragon is symbolic of the subconscious realm and the emotional plane.  In the days when people thought the world was flat, cartographers would inscribe maps with a warning that said ‘Dragons Be Here’ in the part of the ocean where they assumed was the edge of the world.  Accounts of different forms of Water Dragons are the earliest recorded in history, and this is likely because the seas were, and really still are, full of mysteries in their depths…much like the subconscious realm.  Those with this totem hold a great depth of feeling and are often empaths.  Their memory, especially for how things felt to them, is very strong…especially the memory stored in their subconscious mind.  Because of the Water Element, Water Dragon Medicine brings a heightened intuition and the ability to receive messages through dreams.

All of these elemental dragon energies combine into the quintessential dragon medicine of the fifth element…known as Aether in ancient Greece or Akasha in India.  This is the cosmic dragon energy alluded to in the astrological nodes of the moon which tell the story of what we have learned and what we are here to learn now.  While each person with a Dragon Totem may have a stronger influence of one or two of the elemental varieties each element is present within the whole of Dragon Medicine.  People with Dragon as their totem guide are often very wise and powerful guides themselves, possessing the ability to see beyond the mundane and into a person’s greatest potential. 

However, Dragon medicine is not easy to learn as it often seems quite foreign to us humans who are far removed from being at one with nature in a world that pulls us apart from that bond.  It may take a great deal of time and dedication to fully understand and utilize this medicine, but it is well worth the effort.  Dragon Medicine offers powerful protection and strength to withstand the most difficult of battles.  Most of us grow up with stories of dragons being slain by a hero.  Though in these stories Dragon is the adversary of man this totem is a great ally in your own 'hero’s journey'.  Dragon will face you with your fears…giving you opportunities for valor while teaching self-mastery along the way. 

If Dragon is one of your totems, these and many other lessons will be prevalent in your life.  Dragon will encourage you to refine your mastery of this medicine.  If you see a dragon (usually in dreams or journeys), but it is not one of your totems, respect it as a messenger for that time.  You may need its medicine for what is happening then or what is coming up in the near future.  It may be that you need to pay closer attention and give more care to the earth and what she is trying to communicate to us.  Or you could be presented with opportunities to use your skills for powerful effect in your life or in the lives of others.  In all cases, Dragon offers protection and the strength to face adversity.  Call upon Dragon to reveal hidden knowledge and provide you with great wisdom along your path.