Rejoining The Community Of Nature Through Personal Totems

Summary

Lupa is a strong advocate for connecting with animal or plant totems as allies to enhance our spiritual life and help us reconnect with nature. They can provide a “bridge” between us and the rest of the natural world. She cautions us to understand that totems, whether they be animal, plants, or fungi, are not simple one-dimensional helpers limited to stereotyped meanings from dictionaries. They are vibrant, intelligent, dynamic beings sharing the world with us as much as anyone else, and while we may have forgotten what it is to be in nature’s community, they have not.

She suggests that one of the best offerings we can make to any nature spirit is working toward the restoration of its landscape. She encourages us to volunteer for habitat restoration and join with others to remove invasive species, plant native ones, and remove pollutants. She describes the miracle of a cherry tree that takes in sunshine and turns it into food and says, “If we look at the world with wonder and awe it all becomes magic again.” (hosted by Justine Willis Toms)