08 April 2004 
Naming conventions
I live a life in which I meet quite a few people with totem animal names. In fact, I've been in rooms full of people where I feel a bit awkward confessing that my name is simply "Jonathan," and the temptation to jazz that up as "Jonathan ben Ephraim" doesn't help a bit. So I was tickled by this article about people choosing silly "Raven" and "Wolf" names.
Update: Thorn just introduced me to Shaggy Manatee. Nothing beats the tale of Fly, but still cool.
Wolves are no more noble than scorpions. They'll happily rip your face off between munching on fluffy rabbits and sweet little mice. But wolves are furry and gorgeous and they look off into the distance as though they contain some unspoken wisdom. Bitch, please. They were thinking about how nice some noble caribou would taste right about now. But this seems to be the prerequisite for liking an animal enough to name yourself after it --- that the animal is adorable or fiercely beautiful, which reflects well on the namee. No one ever names themselves Salamander Mangymoose, or Swift Ostrich, or Starmanatee. Yet these are perfectly lovely animals --- they just don't make you look dark and cool, do they? Yeah. I'm onto you.Now for the record, I know a "Raven" who I figure gets a special pass because she's mostly a scientific rationalist and she chose it in spite of being blonde. And the mighty Joi Wolfwomyn also gets a special pass, in spite of her silly spelling, for going out of her way to observe in her Re/search: Modern Pagans interview that "you don't meet that many Pagans whose names are Aardvark, Piranha, or Snail." Plus, she has enough personal fortitude and presence that she has a genuine right to name herself whatever she pleases.
But really, if you're gonna go the totem animal route, you ought to do something distinctive and unique, with very personal symbolism. Isn't that the point?
I know a guy who has it right: his name is "Fly." He grew up as "Maggot," but then had a transformative experience one day. Now that is cool.
Update: Thorn just introduced me to Shaggy Manatee. Nothing beats the tale of Fly, but still cool.
Labels: freak nation
Comments
Clarification for you: You don't choose your totem animal. They choose you. You can either find it through shamanic journeying, or having a shamanic practitioner journey for you to find and reconnect you with your power animal. However, I think it may be strange to name yourself after it, once you know what it is, since you and your power animal are separate entities. But, to each one's own. (Your power animal is the same as your totem.)
I agree. Your totem chooses you. I call myself Raven I came to realize recently in studying totems that the reason for the name is that the raven truly is my totem. I have had it since I was about 9 years old and never knew why, but it chose me at that time. Looking back I also know how it chose me and why. Again, a long story and much too personal to share. I know you feel it strange to name myself after it, but at the time it came to me I did not fully understand what had happened. The only way I could put some meaning to it was to take on it's name. It is impossible to let go of that after all this time. I honor it when writing and sharing my poetry and give it credit for all of my work. I believe my totem is the source of my creativity.
I would gold für wow cultivate courage.buy wow gold “Nothing is so mild wow gold cheap and gentle as courage, nothing so cruel and pitiless as cowardice,” syas a wise author. We too often borrow trouble, and anticipate that may never appear.”wow gold kaufen The fear of ill exceeds the ill we fear.” Dangers will arise in any career, but presence of mind will often conquer the worst of them. Be prepared for any fate, and there is no harm to be freared. If I were a boy again, I would look on the cheerful side. life is very much like a mirror:sell wow gold if you smile upon it,maple mesos I smiles back upon you; but if you frown and look doubtful on it,cheap maplestory mesos you will get a similar look in return. Inner sunshine warms not only the heart of the owner,world of warcraft power leveling but of all that come in contact with it. “ who shuts love out ,in turn shall be shut out from love.” If I were a boy again, I would school myself to say no more often.billig wow gold I might cheap mesos write pages maple meso on the importance of learning very early in life to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect, and decline doing an unworthy act because it is unworthy.wow powerleveling If I were a boy again, I would demand of myself more courtesy towards my companions and friends,wow leveling and indeed towards strangers as well.Maple Story Account The smallest courtesies along the rough roads of life are wow powerleveln like the little birds that sing to us all winter long, and make that season of ice and snow more endurable. Finally,maple story powerleveling instead of trying hard to be happy,archlord online gold as if that were the sole purpose of life, I would , if I were a boy again, I would still try harder to make others happy.
Blogger backlinks
