First of all, if you're unfamiliar with neopagan animal totemism, read this: http://www.xomba.com/neopagan_animal_totemism_part_1

Now, one of the most common questions I hear is, how do I find my totem?

There are a number of ways in which this can be accomplished. The most reliable method is the guided meditation. Essentially, this is a visualization that follows a basic structure popularized by Michael Harner's "core shamanism" (see his book "The Way of the Shaman" for more details). However, the details of the meditations are left up to the subconscious/intuition of the individual. Generally speaking, the visualization starts with the person going into a tunnel in the ground, which leads to a natural place. This can be a field, a foret, an ocean--anything, really. In this natural setting the person is approached by hir totem animal. This is just one example of a meditation that follows the typical structure many totemists use: http://www.serioussilver.com/totemenergy/thejourney.html.

Of course, this is an ideal situation. Sometimes, if the totem doesn't feel ready to start working with the person or feels the person isn't ready for that sort of interaction, no animal may appear. Other times, the person may not be good enough at visualization, and the journey may either be incomplete, confusing, or nonexistent. In this case, take a few months off from this particular goal, work on your meditation, and don't worry too much. Things will happen when the time is right.

Another popular method is totem cards. These are similar to tarot cards except that each one features an animal, and the number of cards usually varies beyond the traditional 78. Some decks are designed to help you find your totems (assuming you have more than one). The problem with this is that the decks are necessarily limited in how many animals they feature; the majority usually have lots of big, impressive North American mammals and raptors, and a handful of others. However, as I discussed previously, any animal can be a totem. If your totem is, say, the wombat, and there's no wombat card in your deck, how are you supposed to know what your totem is? Additionally, some people attempt to have others read their totem cards for them; the problem with this is that it filters the result through the bias of the reader. I once had a friend that I swore was a Horse person; yet when I asked her what her totem was, she replied "Oh, it's Swan".

Dreaming about animals or seeing them a lot in real life doesn't necessarily make a totem, either. Most elements of reams are highly abstract symbols, the way that our kinds process the events of the day or issues we've been thinking of a lot lately. And as far as living animals, remember Occam's Razor--the simplest answer is the most likely. If you have a hawk that flies around your home a lot, don't assume it's your totem. Hawks are territorial creatures, and if you have a pair you have twice the chance of a sighting. Additionally, thanks to the ban on DDT and the various federal laws protecting raptors, the hawk population has bounced back significantly in the past couple of decades.

The reason I prefer the guided meditation over other methods is because it allows for the least biased interpretation of the connection you have to your subconscious, and thereby to other levels of reality wherein dwell totems and other spirits. You're deliberately interacting with your subconscious mind and the spirit world for the specific purpose of communicating with your totem. If you stay focused on that goal, chances are better that you'll get good results.

Next time, I'll discuss how to establish and maintain a good relationship with your totem.