I have found over the past few years & more often than not, my totem animal changes from a fox to that of a wolf. She's a big gal, she stands easily up to my thigh, with a dark grey coat & the most intense golden eyes. Intense but caring. She's strong & strict but not in an intimidating way....she has the air of "This is who I am & if you don't like is. Deal with it".
I do a lot of walking (due to trying to save money & to increase my physical activity to try & keep my Depression leashed), & she walks along with me. Fox used to run round me, never slowing for a second, he has SO much energy, but Wolf stays right by my side. It feels quite empowering.
Fox still pops up from time to time, but I feel he is stepping back to allow Wolf to have a stronger influence.
Anyway I went back to the links in my Fox Totem post, to try & find some more info....
Intuition, Learning, Spirit
This totem brings faithfulness, inner strength and intuition when he enters our lives.
But he also brings learning to live with one's self.
The wolf teaches us to learn about our inner self and to find our inner power and strength.
But to achieve this, we must take risks and face our deepest fears.
A wolf totem demands sincerity.
This totem demands a lot of us but gives us much in return;
a spirit helper that is always there to help and gives us extraordinary powers of endurance.
He reminds us to listen to our inner thoughts and trust our insights.
They remind us not to waste resources and to learn how to avoid trouble and confrontations.
People with Wolf totems have the capacity to make quick and firm emotional attachments.
Trust your insights about these attachments. Wolf will guide you.
Take control of your life with Wolf’s help and do so with harmony and discipline.
Loyalty, success, perseverance, stability and thought. Wolves are also regarded as path finders and teachers. Wolf is represented by the constellation Sirius , the Dog. In the Zuni tradition the Wolf symbolizes the direction East.
The wolf has been much misunderstood and maligned in history and is not the vicious intruder of western fairy tales. The wolf is a shy, yet very sociable creature with strong rules of behavior. Fear of the wolf is perhaps born when its eerie howl raises the hackles on our neck and in our souls. Maybe we do not fear the wolf at all, but only the wild nature within ourselves.
To American Indians , the wolf is said to be "teacher" medicine. We study wolfs ways of hunting and their social structure. The wolf is associated with the Dog Star , Sirus and some cultures belief humans came from this distant star. Wolf populations are threatened in the lower 48 states, but abundant in Alaska and Canada. Wolf has much to teach us, if only we will listen. `WOLF MEDICINE Wolves live in a communal structure like humans. The Alpha male and female lead a strict social order. Next in the order are Beta wolves who do not breed and serve as nursemaids for pups of the pack. The Omega wolf is at the bottom rung and is the 'scapegoat' in situations when the pack is being attacked. Often the Omega wolf is forced not to eat when food is scarce.
If wolf has entered the forest of your mind, it may be to teach you that all things in nature have order amid chaos and to accept your duties in life, whether they be leadership roles or otherwise, with humility and strength. `The wolf spirit teaches us to have balance between your personal needs and those of the family and community. Wolves are absolutely committed and loyal to the pack and find their place within the group. If wolf exhibits these traits, it may mean that you must examine your function within the community and loyalty.
It may also be a sign to bring better balance to the varied interests of self, family and community. `The hunting techniques of wolves served as an example for many tribes who copied them. Members of the pack form 'tag teams' who take turns chasing prey to exhaust the prey before themselves. Packs are known to have run over thirty miles a day in pursuit. Cooperation in achieving a common goal is the message conveyed here.
Wolves have developed many ways to communicate by body language and vocally. Facial ex-pressions, tail and ear movements, body posture, teeth bearing, eye squinting and scratching are part of their vocabulary. Vocally, a wide variety of growls, yelps, whines and howls make up a sophisticated system of communication. Wolf language helps the pack to identify and locate its members, establish territorial boundaries, give instruction, request assistance, sound warnings, teach the young, and generally to bring cohesion and unity to the pack.
If a wolf or wolves have entered your physic, you are fortunate to have an animal spirit to knows the importance of communication and one that will find many ways to make their messages know to you. This ability to communicate may be a sign to hone your own speaking skills to effectively relate your feelings and ideas in a good way - to pray, sing and dance in praise of the blessings of the Creator./p>
When a lone wolf is seen the wild it symbolizes freedom. When seen in a pack it represents community. If wolf appears to you alone or in a pack it is asking you to acquire the same within your own life. `The primal and piercing howl of the wolf sometimes is marking their territory boundaries. If you hear a wolf howl it might be telling you to stand your ground and defend your boundaries.
Wolves have great stamina and strength. They do not fight needlessly and often avoid fighting whenever possible. Wolf teaches to know who you are and to develop strength and confidence. `Wolf is associated with the lunar influences and energies that rule psychic perception. They teach us to respect our emotions and face the darkness within. `The wolf is ritualistic. It knows the importance of regular lunar howling ceremonies and daily social rituals designed to communicate needs and express feelings. The message of your wolf spirit may be to honour the forces of spirituality and connect with the life forces of Mother Earth.
Wolf is the pathfinder, the forerunner of new ideas who returns to the clan to teach and share medicine. Wolf takes one mate for life and is loyal like Dog. If you were to keep company with Wolves, you would find an enormous sense of family within the pack, as well as a strong individualistic urge, and they live by carefully defined rules and rituals. They are friendly, social, and highly intelligent.
Wolves are the epitome of the wild spirit. Their positive characteristics are numerous. Many believe that the true test of America’s sincerity about protecting the environment will revolve around whether or not the wolf remains protected and is allowed to be reintroduced into areas of the country where it has heretofore been eliminated. The wolf is the true spirit of the free and unspoiled wilderness.
The senses of Wolf are very keen, and the moon is its power ally. The moon is the symbol for psychic energy, or the unconscious that holds the secrets of knowledge and wisdom. Baying at the moon may be an indication of Wolf’s desire to connect with new ideas which are just below the surface of consciousness.
Wolf would not come to you unless you requested the appearance of the tribe’s greatest teacher. The wolf teaches you to know who you are and to develop strength, confidence and surety in that so that you do not have to demonstrate and prove yourself at all.
Wolves have a complex communication system - using body language. Usually those with wolf totems are very expressive with hands, posture, face or in some other manner. If you have difficulty conveying your moods and ideas to others, meditate and study the wolf. It will teach you how to empower your verbal communications with appropriate body language.
Wolf medicine empowers the teacher within us all to come forth and aid the children of Earth in understanding the Great Mystery and life. As you feel Wolf coming alive within you, you may wish to share your knowledge by writing or lecturing on information that will help others better understand their uniqueness or path in life. It is in the sharing of great truths that the consciousness of humanity will attain new heights.
Traditionally, someone with Wolf Medicine has a strong sense of self, and communicates well through subtle changes in voice inflection and body movements. They often find new solutions to problems while providing stability and support that one normally associates with a family structure.
The wolf has a capacity for making quick and firm emotional attachments. Learning to trust your own insights and to secure your attachments accordingly is part of what wolf medicine teaches. The wolf can help you to hear the inner and guard you from inappropriate actions. It will guard you as it teaches you – sometimes strongly, sometimes gently – but always with love. When wolf shows up, it is time to breathe new life into your life and rituals. Find a new path, take a new journey, take control of your life. You are the governor of your life. You create it and direct it. Do so with harmony and discipline, and then you will know the true spirit of freedom.
Wolves are the epitome of stamina, known to run 35 miles a day in pursuit of prey. They are highly misunderstood animals, who have gained the reputation of being cold blooded. In reality wolves are friendly and social creatures. Aggression is something they avoid, preferring rather to growl or create a posture to show dominance. Even though living in close knit packs provide wolves with a strong sense of family, they are still able to maintain their individuality. Wolves represent the spirit of freedom, but they realize that having individual freedom requires having responsibilities.
Because wolf is a teacher and pathfinder, he comes when we need guidance in our lives. Those who have a Wolf Totem will move on to teach others about sacredness and spirituality. Wolf can also teach how to balance the responsibility of family needs and not to lose one's personal identity.
Wolf teaches us to develop strength and confidence in our decisions. He shows we will learn to trust our insights once we learn how to value our inner voice. This wisdom keeps us from inappropriate action. If wolf appears in your life examine where you need to develop more confidence and if you need more balance between friends, family, and yourself.
Wolf Meaning and Totem Symbolism of the Wolf
To understand totem wolf symbols, one must first understand the heart of the Wolf. This takes time because the Wolf has had to endure many false stereotypes, misconceptions and misunderstandings.
Not at all the picture of ferocity or terror, the Wolf is a creature with a high sense of loyalty and strength. Another misconception is that of the “lone wolf.” To the contrary, the Wolf is actually a socialcreature, friendly, and gregarious with its counterparts.
The Wolf is an incredible communicator. By using touch, body movements, eye contactas well as many complex vocal expressions – the wolf makes his point understood. Those with totem wolf symbols are of the same inclination – they are expressive both vocally and physically. Those who have the wolf as their totem animal are naturally eloquent in speech, and also have knack for creative writing. A quick-list of totem wolf symbolic attributes include:
- Intelligence
- Cunning
- Communication
- Friendliness
- Loyalty
- Generosity
- Compassionate
Totem wolf symbols belong to those who truly understand the depth of passion that belong to this noble creature. The Wolf is a representative of deep faith, and profound understanding.
Further, the Wolf possess a high intellect, and have been observed using strategies about hunting, habitat and migration.
In history, the totem Wolf symbol appears with the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. Legend has it that the two founding brothers were raised and suckled by a she-wolf.
In Norse mythology, the Wolf is a symbol for victory when ridden by Odin and the Valkyries upon the battlefield.
As a Celtic symbol, the Wolf was a source of lunar power. Celtic lore states that the Wolf would hunt down the sun and devour it at each dusk so as to allow the power of the moon to come forth. In Asia, the wolf guards the doors that allow entrance to heavenly, celestial realms. The Wolf is also said to be among the ancestry of Genghis Khan.
When this gracious creature appears to us, and serves as a totem in our lives, the Wolf beckons us to ask these questions:
- Are you thinking about a different form of education?
- Are you being a true friend, and are your friends being true to you?
- Are you communicating yourself clearly to others?
- Are you being loyal to yourself?
- Are you incorporating strategies and planning to achieve your goals?
- Are you spending enough quality time with yourself, friends and family?
Teacher
The Wolf is the Soul that leaves the comfort and familiarity of the Pack, to travel out into the world of the unknown.
In her Quest for Knowledge, she begins her journey by setting off South, and it is here that she is schooled in the classroom of trial and error as she dances her way through the flames of experience.
This is the Direction of the ~Personality Center,~ learning to trust herself and her own keen intuition which has been forged through confronting both external obstacles, and her own fears. Thus, a sense of self-reliance is cultivated as she puts to test the lessons she has learned.
Then, from deep within, comes the stirring recognition that there must be more, and she is once again off on her journey, headed this time toward the West. Here, she embarks on the Journey ~Within~ as this is the Direction of the ~Great Mystery,~ or the ~Spirit Center.~
In the West she finds that the labor of her actions have borne fruit as she strives to integrate the ~Personality Center~ with the ~Spirit Center.~ She contemplates here, in silent revery, on all that has gone before. This is the time of moonlight, and as she gazes at the image of herself in the shimmering water of her soul`s reflection, her whole being is awash in the glow of joy that comes from the recognition that life is magical and that, having absorbed her lessons, she has received a Spiritual Rebirth. She then arises from the ashes of the old, as a new and enlightened being.
Then, she turns her face toward the North and when she arrives there discovers a sense of new found courage gained through resolve and determination.
She reawakens to the physical state of her being in the process of integrating ~Physical~ with ~Personality~ and ~Spirit.~ The recognition is made that one is also a physical creature, though the Spirit is the force that sustains the physical life. It is here that a time of thanksgiving and celebration is had for all that the ~Great Spirit~ has given, and for the experiences which have gone before.
Yet the East now beckons her as she listens to the haunting cries of her Pack and turns her noble head toward Home.
When she returns to the Pack, the Knowledge gained from her journey, ignites her Being, as a lantern from within. The Pack draws near to her listening for the Wisdom she will impart, as her destiny is to share what she has learned with the rest of the Pack so that the leap across the planes can be made by All. This is the ~Path of the Teacher.~
Individual, Group Consciousness
Wolf Totem understands that the unity of the Pack is crucial to his survival, yet the Pack likewise recognizes the vital contribution that each Wolf makes.
Wolves live in highly complex social structures called "Packs" with a dominant Male and Female pair, or the Alpha Male and Female, leading the Pack. Every other member not only has a "ranking" within the pack, from Beta through Omega, they also have a unique role. It is this very structure which may have been behind Rudyard Kipling`s eloquent quote:
"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf,
and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."
***The two legged with the Wolf as his/her Totem has an inner need to be of service for the "greater good." Although the individual with Wolf Totem enjoys the company of others, there exists as well, the need for time alone. This "lone wolf" time will be spent in quiet contemplation and reflection upon the experiences of life before translating these ~thoughts to form~ and rejoining the "Pack" once more***
