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[Crescendo]

Hey all! Anyways I decided to start a new post as I've been researching Shadow Totems recently. I used the search function and could not find anything on the forums, but what I have been able to find is that your Shadow Totem is essentially an animal that you fear, or the qualities that you fear about yourself. And once accepted, these qualities act as a new power like self enlightenment etc.

I apologize if I'm getting the idea wrong, but I just wanted to ask if any of you on the forum had any experience with Shadow Totems and if so, how'd it go? Like did you confront your fear?

The current idea I have now, based just on what I've read is that my Shadow Totem is the Spider. I've always had a fear of them, unexplainably and it was then reinforced by a traumatic event. I really just wanted to hear everybody's ideas on Shadow Totems, how they work, and how they have worked personally for them. So any advice would be greatly appreciated!

[Draco3Aero]

i think ill have to research it more, but i have an irrational fear of crows. ive never heard of shadow totems, but its intriguing.  every time i wander in the woods and find a crow i feel dark,scared and helpless. yet it does seem familiar. i also did research on this site for my elemental creatures and the crow was one of them, so i wonder whats going on?. i like this shadow totem explanation, though i wish to know more!

[dark magus]

Shadow Totems, Guardians of the paths of death.
I'm aware of them but never really gave them much thought

[Lenadi]

Mmmmm, death guardians are slightly different, methinks, but I may be wrong. While my natural reaction to a fear of crows is hilarity (no offense meant in any way, shape or form), that's simply because Crows are my sacred animal and I cannot conceive of anything even remotely scary about them. But they represent many different Goddess's of death and such, so I guess....
Anyway, my shadow totem, according to Cres' explanation, would be the mighty and fearsome....crab XD (If you do not laugh, something is wrong lol)

[Draco3Aero]

no harm done. i think the bird is beautiful, but my fear of it is something a little un-obvious even to me.

[Crescendo]

Lenadi: That is pretty funny when you put your Shadow Totem like that!

And yeah, sorry to let the topic slow down, I've had a couple of things come up. I'm at a bit of a loss of how I'm to confront my fear though? Either way I need to give this a lot of thought and do more research, it's just intrigued me is all. Does anyone have any links or information about Shadow Totems?

[Lenadi]

Nope. But remember that courage is not the absence of fear, but rather acting when fear holds you back

[Serpentium]

i think ill have to research it more, but i have an irrational fear of crows. ive never heard of shadow totems, but its intriguing.  every time i wander in the woods and find a crow i feel dark,scared and helpless. yet it does seem familiar. i also did research on this site for my elemental creatures and the crow was one of them, so i wonder whats going on?. i like this shadow totem explanation, though i wish to know more!

It could be an awareness thing. Corvids are extremely intelligent, far more intelligent than any other group of birds except Parrots. A Raven has the intelligence of a 7 year old child, can make and use tools, and figure out complex problems. Plus there's the old association with Battlefields and feeding on the dead. In all truth, they wouldn't even wait for you to be dead, just badly injured. So the Crows you see in the woods, are looking at you as moving food. Checking you out to see if you are likely to die soon, so they can feast on your eyes.
The feeling of being sized up by something intelligent, that wants to eat you, can be disconcerting. It probably goes back to when we were on the menu for so many of the animals that hunted us in the distant past. We're not used to hungry, intelligent animals looking at us as food, but we still have the "Prey" instinct inside us. This is why they make you feel strangely uncomfortable. If it was a Wolf, or a Tiger, it would be understandable. But a Bird? Never mind "Shadow Totems", just think what Birds evolved from.

Take away the feathers, and the wings, put some teeth in their mouths, instead of beaks, then think of an Ostrich, or a Cassowary sized bird, but predatory. Velociraptors! That's what happened to the surviving Dinosaurs. They grew feathers, and wings.

[Draco3Aero]

yes they are intelligent, that's probably my problem, but none the less now that i expressed my fear im willing to except them as what they are to me. ive yet to find what that is though!. in one of the Asiatic countries a corvid  utilizes the roadways at an intersection to crack nuts. red light place nut, green and yellow wait for it to be crushed, next red retrieve nut. brilliant and the more advanced part is that they they learn from watching each other, or even teach each other the tricks of the trade!

[Serpentium]

Have a look at the European Rook. They live in colonies, all year round. (Rare for Corvids, because they're nest robbers) Sometimes they have a "Parliament", where they all sit around in an inward facing circle. With one Rook in the middle. This usually happens in the middle of a field. Hours they sit, sometimes. Sometimes, one of them will Caw, or Click, but apart from that, they are quiet. Eventually, they will either allow the Rook in the middle to leave, or suddenly all start to peck him to death. If the latter is the case, the Rook in the middle doesn't make any attempt to escape. It's my opinion that they are Trying one of their own who may have been Nest robbing. It's the only Crime in Rook society, and one that cannot be tolerated in a community.
Do you find that creepy, or encouraging?

[Lenadi]

That is more awesome than a Psychic Octopus (his name was Paul the Octopus) 

[Draco3Aero]

more so creepy

[Serpentium]

Bruce Wayne adopted the Bat as his Totem because he was afraid of it. And became "The Batman".
Perhaps you could be "The Crowman".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8GOup-hZQE

[Draco3Aero]

i dont think i could, it would be ..... odd?

[Serpentium]

i dont think i could, it would be ..... odd?

What, and Batman isn't odd? Because he kinda is. What's wrong with odd anyway? Some of my best friends are even odder than Batman.