In the case that you don't know, I have two strong lineages that I attempt to honour, when I am given the chance. On my father's side, I am EXTREMELY Scottish, even though I don't live in Scotland. On my mother's side, however, I am descended from the Cherokee, a Native American nation. According to their zodiac, I was born under the sign of the Owl, and it is my 'Birth Totem'.
Now, as anyone who has read the Religion threads knows, I am a devout Christian. Among other things, I believe that God sends His angels into our lives to serve as guardians, guides, and messengers. I believe also that sometimes these angels manifest as animals or even as inanimate objects, so that we can occasionally recognise them and (hopefully) understand what they are trying to tell us.
1. Every morning, I walk my dog and feed my outdoor cats, and every time I take the same path through my garden to do this.
2. Last night before bed, I spent some time to meditate on certain things (don't laugh, I take it seriously. It's like praying, but instead of TALKING to God, you LISTEN to him. No, I don't say 'ohmmm', and I don't sit cross-legged, either. It's just a matter of emptying the mind enough to allow something new to come in.), and the concept of totems as angels was one of them. I asked if they could perhaps be the same thing, and, if so, 'was mine truly the Owl?'.
3. The only owl common to my city is the Barn Owl, because it is good at inhabiting human-made buildings.
4. This morning, I found a primary flight feather from a Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus, and I knew beyond ALL doubt that that was the correct species) lying across my path, where I could not help but notice it. There had been a heavy gale that night (BIG HUMUNGOUS WIND), and the ground of my garden was littered with debris and coated with water, silt, and muck, but my path was completely dry and clear of EVERYTHING, except for that one, perfectly formed owl feather.
5. I do not believe in coincidences. Thus, this poem.
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Totem Owl
Winged Messenger
on silent wings,
fly like a shadow to my side.
Wise One,
Hunter,
Night-Glider,
do not hide from this little one
who walks in the sun
and stumbles blindly in the darkness.
I would dance in the shadow of your wings.
Inquisitor and Judge,
Moon-Singer,
Guardian and Guide,
Golden Eyes,
share with me your sight.
Teach me to listen
in silence.
Lend me patience and stillness.
Drive away the terror of nightfall,
and help me again to see
the glory of this indigo world.
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