Asking the Raven Community near my home what they felt about the significance humans place on their species when seeing and interacting with them, they shared what being labelled as Totems meant to them:

“You humans are a funny bunch.  Getting so hung up on how we look rather than who we are.  Yes, we do choose to approach you as a certain ‘type’ if we know that is how we can reach you, but not all humans connect like that, just as we don’t all connect with you as simply ‘a Raven’.

Our ultimate goal is to connect one-on-one, as all species do, to live like that.

For now, we will meet you as it suits you, for humans have many fears towards us, other species and each other.

What is unknown can be seen as a threat in the minds of humans. You have forgotten to feel before you think.  Rather, you have forgotten to connect with that feeling.  It is still there but is easily, and often, buried.  You have decided logical thought is more necessary to survival than instinct.  Please reconsider this. Instinct is your connection with all.  Your connection with the energy we all are, are a part of, and exist within.

The two aspects, and qualities, of logic and instinct can co-exist.  They are here so that they can.

Depending on what you are experiencing depends on what aspect/quality you require the most, but combine them to ‘get’ the whole situation.

Never allow yourself to ‘think away’ instinct.

What we mean is:  If you have considered a situation in your life, logically, and it feels good, accept it as part of your path.  If you consider the same situation logically but something unsettles you without explanation, don’t think those feelings away or bury them with thought processes.  Follow the feeling.  The reasons will become clear once you acknowledge and honour your instinct and decision.

We are all given little ‘quizzes’ by those who guide us.  They are not really tests, but more a means to allow our guides to see how we are travelling with trusting our intuition/connection/gut (whatever you recognise it as).  If we are challenged with trusting that, and rarely follow those feelings and signs, we will be offered assistance to encourage that, which can come in the form of ‘totems’, ‘signs’ and ‘coincidences’.

One of many reasons other animals connect with humans as a particular species is to resonate with your heart centre.  When you see an animal you are fond of, or drawn to, you understand that species to hold certain characteristics which will reconnect and realign you with your energetic connection to all which comes from your heart centre.  It’s a bit like a reset.

Many years back, when we all lived with respect for each other and understood what each being brought to another, we lived in harmony.

Animals acknowledged and recognised the benefits, gifts and offerings to humanity and existence that sharing our knowledge and insight brought.

Humans, and other animals, connected one-on-one to communicate their needs and knowledge while also working species-with-species to achieve growth and unity.  There were still challenges but they were existential concerns.

The connections and recognition created between beings at that time still vibrate through existence today.

You still know of the insight brought to humans by particular species from those times, it’s just many now carry that in their subconscious.

When a need arises, now, you search for and find solace, comfort, knowledge and validation through that same species-to-species connection your ancestors experienced.

It is a long-forgotten remembering of bonds formed and forged by older generations which continue to exist on the consistent, eternal web for future generations to utilise.

So, how do we feel about humans labelling our species for Totem use?  They are the qualities of our species for humans to seek guidance with, not characteristics.  Characteristics are a personal concept.  Do not rely on what you see in us, as Totems, to ‘fix’ you but instead allow the qualities of our species to guide you.

We will offer ourselves, as a species and individuals, to help humans connect with what they are needing to, just as our ancestors helped yours.

Also please remember, and connect with us on, the one-on-one level our ancestors enjoyed.  You will learn much from that experience, too.  Just as your ancestors did.

We are grateful for the work they did, all those who came before us.  It is now our time to recreate that balance of species-with-species and one-on-one connections for future generations, as our ancestors did, so that harmony can be fully restored.”