The four tribes/ kingdoms and Totems....

[winyanstaz]

Our spirit helpers come from any one of the four kingdoms/tribes which are represented by the coiled loops in the Tree of Life/Healing staff.
Those kingdoms/tribes are as follows..
The Kingdom/tribe of mineral
The Kingdom/tribe of vegetable
The Kingdom/tribe of animal
and the Kingdom/tribe of man.
You could also add that each of these kingdoms is connected to a level of consciousness.
A shaman/psychic/put your favorite label here...can have one spirit-helper Totem that stays forever...or One that comes and goes...or..they can have more than one that come and go or maybe one that stays and others come and go..
They can come from one of the Kingdoms/Tribes...or from all of them.
In other words..it is up to our Totem/spirit helpers to decide.
So yes, you can have a tree as a Spirit helper/Totem or an insect or a fish or etc...it is up to the Totem.
Here is a picture of the Healing Staff/Tree of life that I drew many years ago back when I was having a lot of visions. At the time, this was the first on line paint program and so this picture is made up of a bazzillion tiny dots. :P
I am inclosing it so you can see the four loops of the Four Kingdoms/Tribes.
You may use this picture for private use only please. thanks :)

<img src="" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/><br/>By <a target="_new" href="http://profile.imageshack.us/user/wakien">wakien</a> at 2009-11-07

[Kind of Blue]

1. Your painting is beautiful with a lot of movement

even though the symbols are static. The hand cupping the bottom symbol is very nice touch.

Winyanstaz, how does one find their totem?

[winyanstaz]

3. If you enlarge the picture and each symbol you will find that they speak to you...

in the language of the subconscious.
This was given to me in a vision..along with the symbols etc.
For example..the base chakra is a square. It is also the chakra that is connected to earth as well as the Element earth.
When the sub-conscious sees a square it sees stability.
All power begins in the Spirit and ends on Earth. The earth grounds out all energy. That is why we use lightening rods..to send excess energy into the earth to be grounded. We use these elements when we are working with energy. The quality of earth is stability.
Within the square is a triangle/energy symbol on its point..showing the kundilini energy is unstable and can move either way.
Same way when you look at the air symbol in the throat..you see movement as the symbol of air/movement is a circle. The quality of air is motion.
Another example of this language of the subconscious would be to focus your eyes on the center of the air symbol mandala and relax the eyes..and it will move.
The heart chakra is not showing "the Star of David" as the Bible has it..but rather an ancient symbol of the energy of Heaven and Earth/Spirit and mankind... combined and in balance.
A triangle on its base is stable energy
The quality of fire is expansion. Fire purifies.
A triangle on its point is unstable energy and shows it can move in either direction.
A crescent moon is the symbol of the element water. The quality of Water is contraction. Water cleanses.
The five-pointed star shows that we are the five-elements...spirit, air, fire, water and earth and as we become aware of our true nature, we can begin to use the Third eye.
The egg-shape of the crown chakra is the symbol of Spirit that contains all possibilities..and all things start in the Spirit and end on Earth.
The two snakes not only represent the kundilini raising to the crown chakra and the third eye but also male and female energy=positive/electrical/male and negative/magnetic/female energy.
You will see that by following the energy loops that what was electric in spirit is negative energy on earth..and the opposite is true for the feminine magnetic energy as well.
The four loops formed by the channels/snakes show the four Kingdoms.
These symbols used in this glif are basic symbols given to us for the western mind.
The lotus patterns used by the eastern mind in their Tree of Life are actually the exact same patterns one will "see" in each individual energy center/chakra of how the energy given off by the light of the Soul as it moves in/through that chakra. They look like little bubbles (slightly flattened like cough drops) of light/chi/Prana that moves in those patterns.
By the way, this "Seeing" of energy patterns can only be done with the use of the Third-eye in conjunction with the physical eyes and is thereby seen "on" the physical plane as well as the energy plane when seen that way. These patterns can also be seen by some people by "seeing" in the mind's eye (inside your head)
Both set of symbols are correct.
The Healing Staff/The Tree of Life are both trying to teach us the same things..the center staff is of course your backbone and the spiraled energy forms a giant cosmic battery when the energy is running correctly.

As to knowing your Totems, different tribes and paths have different ideas of that.
I was taught that a Totem only comes through a vision in a wide awake conscious state or by a Dream vision/Lucid Dreaming vision. Do not worry..you will KNOW in every cell of your body when you have a vision. There is no mistaking it.
I was also taught that your Totem will also show itself to you by revealing itself in 4 ways...sometimes they also show up a lot on the physical plane long before you actually have a vision.
ie: close up..far away...from the side..or maybe a close up of a body part like the eyes.
Sometimes on the physical plane they just show up so often its impossible not to realize they are showing themselves to you.
You do not always have to do a vision quest to get a Totem, but it is a good idea if you are trying to actively pursue finding your Totem and your path. Going on a vision quest will, like ALL tools do..help you focus your Intent.
Sometimes if you meet them on the inner planes they will let you ride back to your physical body or shape shift into their form to return to your body or then you can also shape shift on the inner planes at times during lucid dreaming if you so desire.
A Totem will always do something to show itself to you and it may also do something to show you it is not an ordinary animal..such as speak to you/share consciousness, or a land animal might fly/levitate , or your Totem might shape shift not only itself at time..but sometimes it will help you shift. If you are lucky it will give you a Power Song/chant.
If you are given a Power Song, you can use it in times of need to call upon the Spirit of that Totem.
A Totem/Spirit helper often gives you advanced lessons on the inner-planes.
You may get many or perhaps only one...some may stay..some may go..or you may have many.....again..it is up to the Spirit and not us.
Learning the language of the sub-conscious is a big part of inner-work.
We can also however work on our own individual selves at the rate we want to and that will also help open the way.
Working on our individual selves is up to us to decide when and what we work on.
It will help if we do not judge other's rate of growth as they have their own issues..same as each of us do. :) It's all good and it's all beautiful :)
Blessed Be..

[Kind of Blue]

10. Wow, Winyanstaz. Thank you very much

for the time and energy you put into writing this process. It surely makes Totems understandable. Definitely understand more, in conjunction with the painting, the kingdom and the totem.

[winyanstaz]

16. That is kind of you to say Blue :)....

This kind of stuff is easy to write about as I have been teaching it since 1982 and it something I am very interested in.
I did the pictures ages ago as well :)...but it is very nice to be able to communicate with others that are also on a path and can understand and share their experiences as well with these kinds of things. There are a lot of talented and spiritual people that come to this site.

[I Have A Dream]

2. Thank you again for sharing your wisdom with us, winyanstaz.

The image is lovely. I can really feel something deep inside when I look at it. It feels as though it is healing me. (I'm sick today.)

[winyanstaz]

4. If you would like a zap...I am here for you ;)

[I Have A Dream]

5. Oh, that would be wonderful! I think that I may have the flu.

:(

Thank you again! :hug:

[winyanstaz]

6. k..here goes...

It will work best if you try to feel out and open up to your own highest ideals of Spirit helping you.
Sometimes a long distance zap as I like to call it :P..will simply speed up the problem and fast forward it out of the body.
Other times..depending on how good both you and I can get out of the way and let Spirit do the job...it can be instantanious and total healing.
We shall aim for that. :)
Let me know how it goes.. smiles....staz...

[winyanstaz]

7. k well my goodness...you sure were buzzy :)....

I am sorry you felt so bad.
The sinuses, your lungs and tummy were all bad but feel much better now in your energy field. :)
Get some rest and let us know how you do. :)

[I Have A Dream]

8. Well THAT was painless!

;)

Thank you! :hug:

[winyanstaz]

9. Anytime Dream...

Let us know how you do :)
blessed be....

[I Have A Dream]

11. winyanstaz posted a corrected image (and explanation) here...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=245&topic_id=105497&mesg_id=105497

[winyanstaz]

12. ty for adding that link dream :)

yes...I had originally drawn the picture with the positive and negative signs wrong at the top of the snakes crowns...and had made a correction but neglected to delete the one that was wrong...and uploaded the wrong one without looking at it closely..sheesh :P
I wont do that again...I deleted the messed-up one out of my folder :P
By the way..how are you feeling today? :)

[I Have A Dream]

13. I think that I was getting the flu, but it didn't get any worse...

after you zapped me! Thank you so much, winyanstaz! (Sorry -- I had meant to give you feedback, but it slipped my mind.)

:loveya:

[winyanstaz]

14. I will do it again...it should be about over as zaps usually speed things up...

:) unless it totally removes them all together.

[I Have A Dream]

15. Thank you!

I hope that I can someday return the kindness. :hug: