There are some totems that are with us before birth; these are our soul totems.
There are others that agree to join us at birth and walk with us throughout this lifetime; they are Life Totems, and pith become "Themes" throughout our lives.
Either of the above two can be Power Totems, or not.
There are others that come to us for many years while we need them or while we're learning certain lessons, which is why I consider them to be "Teaching Totems".
Then there are others who come only briefly. T could be just a few times every few months, or a few times in a week, or even just for a single sighting; brief enough to make you wonder if it was really a messenger or just a coincidental occurrance. These are "Messenger Totems".
These thoughts have come to me after a chance encounter with a brief messenger totem known as a Woolly Bear Caterpillar.
It was such a brief encounter, that I almost thought nothing of it.
I pulled into my gravel driveway, got out and directly in my foot path, was this little black and red being, attempting to cross what I'm sure felt like a barren and treacherous desert between lawns.
I picked it up and put it in our lawn, hoping I didn't just send it backwards on it's journey, just to protect it from being squished by people's or vehicles or picked up by a hungry predator.
Upon thinking about it, there's very little chance it was coincidence, even if I did believe in coincidences.
These little Woolly Bears are not commonly seen so far down from the mountains. I've only seen one before, two years ago now.
In my experience, messenger totems are often distinct in that they appear directly in your path unexpectedly, they haven't been in your conscious awareness at the time, and they stick out in some way.
An example: My family likes to attract humming birds with feeders. If I go onto the porch during the day, I know I'm going to see humming birds. There's a certain energy granted in being around them so often, but not any "messages".
They are expected, they're in my conscious awareness a lot, and I often end up in their path, not the other way around.
Now, if I'm in my car at the end of the driveway or I'm at the park, away from the trees and feeders and minding my own business, and one or several hummingbirds dive bomb past my ears with their helicopter sounding wings, or one perches on my car door and calls at me, then I know Hummingbird is demanding my attention and has a message for me.
Or, with Crows, a strong ally; I know if I go to a junk food establishment, they'll likely be in the parking lot. Same with going to popular parks where food and shiny objects get left out often.
Though when they come and sit near my rv, and caw and call at my house, where the neighbors and my family often scare them away because of various incorrect superstitions about them, I know it's significant. Same with when I'll pull up somewhere I wasn't thinking about them at all, and find a near perfect black feather. At those times, I know they are 'speaking' directly to me, offering their deep wisdom.
Things like Snakes, Mice, Spiders & Raccoons are a more obvious messengers, because they are intentional hidders. They go out of their way to avoid being seen as much as possible. So when you see one in your path, or one comes to you directly, it is very likely they are bringing you messages, or even offering their allyship.
I'll share some more thoughts about this at another time.
Until then, I very much appreciate your comments, thoughts, and shared experiences.
