it is remarkable that your animal totem is a panther. when did that come to you? i've had that dream since i was a teen. i looked up the meaning of the panther totem and learned that it is, indeed, a protective symbol. it was also interesting to learn that individuals with a panther totem "are very intuitive, psychic, and many are artistically inclined" (interesting combination, in light of the occasional debate/debacle regarding the degree to which intuition and artistic sensibilities co-exist*).
there are a number of ways someone discovers his/her animal totem:
- having an animal totem bestowed upon them by someone they know and trust, who has experience in the matter. a totem-giver.
i once knew a native american healer who had some rather surprising things to say about me and i would have loved to consult him on this, but he's disappeared somewhere. so i took the (rather ridiculous) test and was told my animal totem is a
wolf or perhaps a
deer.
what do you think about my wolf or deer totem? we have only interacted a few times, but i'd be curious to know your opinion, and whether another might be more apt. the panther is an interesting one for you. did you choose it or was it given to you? i enjoyed the cat metaphor in your other post...
p.s. i was shocked by the limited number of choices. my true animal totem is something more like this:
*guess what i did today? i read
Drawing On The Right Side of The Brain. i only had time to analyze some of the techniques against a portrait i'm currently working on, but i loved what it had to say about drawing upside down, negative space and the beautiful mathematics and symmetry of the human form. and how our prejudices keep us from realizing our artistic potential. find and flip through this book next time you're at the library!