Walking with Totems: Deepening the Sacred Connection Between Human and Spirit Animal

After emerging from our powerful Module 2 retreat, many in our community have been stirred by a deeper awareness of the unseen forces that guide us—especially through the work we’ve done around totems. This blog offers a deeper look into what totems are, why they matter, and how they support and challenge us on the shamanic path.

Totems, often referred to as ‘spirit animals’ or ‘animal allies’, are spiritual guides that reflect aspects of our inner world, support our growth, and walk beside us throughout different seasons of life. In shamanic traditions, totems are not just symbolic representations or archetypes. They are living, breathing energies from the spirit world—woven into the fabric of nature’s intelligence and deeply connected to the soul of the Earth. To engage with totem work is to return to a more ancient way of knowing, to reawaken the original connection we have with the animal kingdom and the ancestral energies that move through all life.

We engage in totem work because totems mirror parts of us that we may not yet fully understand, embody, or accept. Each totem carries medicine—unique teachings that support our healing, illuminate our inner power, and call us into deeper alignment with our life’s purpose. Totem work supports us in becoming more self-aware. It invites us to strengthen our instincts, gain energetic guidance and protection, and attune to the rhythms of the natural world. Totems do not speak through language, but through sensation, synchronicity, and presence. Working with them can be both grounding and mystical, providing a bridge between the physical and spiritual dimensions of our lives.

Meeting your totem is a felt experience, not something that happens in the mind. In our shamanic practices at Ankara, we help students meet their totems through journeying, guided meditation, and dreamwork. Often, your totem has already been trying to connect with you—appearing in your dreams, showing up in your surroundings, or making itself known during times of change or crisis. Through ritual, intention, and deep listening, we travel into the unseen realms to meet our totems, allowing them to come forward in their own time and form.

Each totem serves a sacred purpose. It acts as a mirror, revealing hidden truths and innate qualities within us. It becomes a teacher, offering lessons through its behaviours, instincts, and natural wisdom. It walks as a protector, showing up during times of challenge or spiritual growth. It becomes a companion on our soul’s path, reminding us that we are not alone in our journey. We all walk with a birth totem—an animal guide that stays with us across our lifetime. We also work with seasonal or situational animal guides that appear for a time to help with specific initiations or challenges.

There are many well-known totems, each carrying their own deep symbolism. The wolf often represents intuition, loyalty, and the call to leadership. The owl is a keeper of deep wisdom and truth, often guiding us through mystery, transitions, or shadow work. The bear holds the medicine of strength and introspection, while the snake represents transformation, healing, and the life force energy of kundalini. The deer brings softness, innocence, and connection to the inner child. The eagle teaches us about vision, spiritual power, and soaring above limitations. The fox carries adaptability, cleverness, and feminine magic. These totems often find us when we most need them—and they always come bearing lessons that go beyond their appearance.

It’s important to understand that every totem also has a shadow aspect. These are not negative traits, but rather the parts of the animal’s medicine that become distorted, misaligned, or unintegrated within us. The wolf, for example, may become overly controlling or isolated when out of balance. The owl’s wisdom can become secrecy or detachment. The bear’s strength can show up as aggression or resistance to change. Shadow work is essential in totem practice because it teaches us how to walk with the full spectrum of the totem’s energy. By embracing the shadow, we come into wholeness. We learn to recognize our patterns, triggers, and tendencies, not to shame them, but to understand them. Through this process, we reclaim lost power, uncover buried wisdom, and grow in compassion for ourselves and others.

At Ankara, we connect with our totems in a number of sacred ways. Journeywork is a central practice, allowing us to travel between worlds to meet our animal allies. Many students also discover their totems through dreams, intuitive visions, time in nature, or embodied movement practices such as dance or creative expression. Ceremony, intention, and sacred space all play a role in this process. We don’t choose our totems—they choose us. They reveal themselves when the timing is right, often when we are ready to step into a new phase of healing or empowerment.

Totem work is not about collecting knowledge—it’s about relationship. It is a practice of deep listening, humility, and reverence. As we integrate the teachings from Module 2, may we continue to ask: What is my totem showing me right now? How can I honour its wisdom—not only its beauty and strength, but also its shadow? What would it mean to truly walk beside my totem, not just when it's easy, but when it asks me to grow?

This is the heart of totem work. It’s a sacred path of remembrance, reconnection, and returning to the wild belonging that lives within us all.