Animal Totems Prompt

Today’s pagan blog prompt comes to us from the LiveJournal community pagan_prompt.

Do you include animal totems in your pagan practice? If so, how?
I sometimes include animals in my pagan practise. I believe that harnessing the power of animals is one of the first things humans really learned how to do, be it through domestication or through religion. When I use the power of the animals, I tend to treat them like a deity and pray or petition to the animal spirit to grace me with whatever trait I’m after.

1. Since we are drawn to that which resonates with us, what animal, bird, or insect are you drawn to?
I’m really drawn to cats, particularly the small wild cats like ocelots and jaguarundis. Of the big cats, I really like jaguars and panthers. I’m not a big “fan” of the more well-known big cats like lions, tigers, and cheetahs.
Animals that aren’t cats that I like include coatis, which are like aardvarks.
Funny thing happened last night. It was dark and we were at Costco, it was about seven. I’m getting in the car, and out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn I saw a yellow jaguar or leopard.

2. When you go to the park, forest, or zoo what animal are you most interested in seeing?
At the zoo, I like seeing the jaguars. Our zoo in Toronto has a pair of them, a black one and a yellow one, and I swear to God, all they do is lay on their big Toltec reproduction head, sleeping. I think only once I’ve seen them awake. They are so cute!

3. What animal do you most frequently see when you're out in nature or in the city?
We have a lot of squirrels around here, so that’s mostly what I see. We have a chipmunk that lives in one of our flower beds as well, which Leiko (a purple flower fairy who has taken a liking to me) insists should become a totem for me.

4. What animals are you currently interested in learning about?
Right now I’m learning about coatis, jaguars, and ocelots for a story I’m working on.

5. Which animal do you find most frightening or intriguing?
I really am a little afraid of dogs, but I’m not really sure why. I find most insects to be frightening, so the less that I know about, the better.

6. Have you ever been bitten or attacked by an animal?
No

7. Is there a recurring animal in your dreams or do you have one you have never forgotten?
Most of my dreams don’t involve animals, but the one that did included two little black kittens.

Pictures in order
Ocelot, Coati, Jaguar, Jaguarundi