What is your totem?

[KinkyVixen]

Originally Posted by Kitsune

Totems and animism exist in the world in many different forms to fulfill many different niches and a variety of spiritual/religious purposes. Are you asking about a specific culture or totem?

Just in general I guess. Maybe I should do some research. I'm not very diversified or cultured (obviously) and I just didn't wanna be out of the loop !
I mean, I figure I could say I'm like this animal, or whatever...but what fun is if there's no signifigance behind it?
What purposes do totems fulfill?

[Kitsune]

Originally Posted by KinkyVixen

I mean, I figure I could say I'm like this animal, or whatever...but what fun is if there's no signifigance behind it?
What purposes do totems fulfill?

Totems were often just identifying features of a group or clan of people that distinguished them from another, but often at a personal level, they provide direction and insight in times of uncertainty. The significance (spiritual or not) comes from whatever you or your culture assigns to it. The last anthropology book I read even went as far as to draw the parallel between totems and sports teams mascots by showing that even in modern, western culture it is still accepted to rally identify a group of people with an animal and rally around it.

[bluecuracao]

In some cultures, your surname may give a clue as to what your clan totem may be or may have been.