“A totem is a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol of a tribe, clan, family or individual. Native American tradition provides that each person is connected with nine different animals that will accompany him or her through life, acting as guides.” legendsofamerica.com
9 different animals.
so far mine all seem to be birds.
feathered beautiful friends that continually seek me out, a game of hide and seek that i had either never take the time to notice before, or even more sadly, maybe never cared about.
Eagle, hawk, sparrow, robin, and most recently: my mourning dove.
i found the following:
“if dove has flown into your life, she may be reminding you that in order to soar, you must know when to move your wings and when to allow the wind to take you to new heights. if you were to sit on a branch looking to the sky and hoping the wind would simply pick you up, you would never move.
you must surrender and allow the wind to support your wings.
get moving…and experience the exhilaration of flying higher and higher.” (spiritanimals.com/dove)
two gorgeous shining grey mourning doves sit high upon the same tree branch most every morning a few homes behind ours, in a giant eucalyptus tree. making their daily voyage to this tree branch is comforting to me, and i can almost always count on them returning ritualistically morning upon morning. they seem to flit from the ether, as i have never actually seen them appear. from the other side of an ethereal veil they take form as the sun comes up, as if they have been waiting for me and me alone. i don’t know what time they appear or even what time they leave, but i catch them at the most beautiful window in time, where i am graced with their presence for awhile.
they sit facing the rising sun, obviously elated to have their faces illuminated with both warmth and perception. this reminds me of the power of renewal and hope as i rush headlong into this new year. the serve as both a reminder to take time to reflect daily, to have both my face and heart illuminated with energy, love and self forgiveness. it also serves as bold question of where to go, what heights am i made to soar to, and will i indeed let the wind pick me up off the ground?
the wind, metaphorically, has always been and will always be. it is not that the wind has not existed for me personally before or that i have just now discovered it, but rather it seems i have not leveraged it properly. i have not fully surrendered to it’s blustery power and given it permission to take me away. i feel the pull, love the rising of my toes, then quickly panic and tether myself back to the ground.
oh to be courageous enough to soar!
feeling exceedingly thankful dove has entered my life with a similar but slightly differing message from my other winged totems.
i honor you, appreciate you, and thank your presence in my life.
teach me to soar, be patient with me as i go, and grace my face with your feathered wing so that i might continue to believe…
image: useum.org/artwork/Woman-with-wings-Mazher-Nizar