Animal totems

I've had some pretty significant animal sightings recently (i.e., the turkey and the spider), although I have to admit that the former was MUCH more welcome than the latter. Luckily my mom is much more in tune with nature than I am, so she was able to tell me about the sacred Cherokee meaning for these animals:


That is really amazing! Here's what I found for Turkey totem:
Turkey is quite a bit like buffalo. very sacred. it is one that gives unconditionally. If you follow a wild turkey and watch you will find other foods to eat. The feathers have been used to make caps for ceremony as well as to keep rain off. Almost every part of the turkey can be used for one thing or another and of course the bird is also a food source. To the Cherokee the turkey was as sacred as the eagle if not more so. Turkeys teach adaptivity for that is what has helped them survive the destruction of their forest. they are nest sharers with several hens keeping eggs in same nest and tending to them. This insures a greater survival for all the chicks. It teaches strength through being in the flock and allowing others to assist you in not only finding food but raising your young and being a part of the whole....

I guess that spider really needed to get your attention:
A spider totem teaches you balance -- between past and future, physical and spirit, male and female. She is strength and gentleness combined. She awakens creative sensibilities and reminds you that the past is always interwoven with the future. Spiders are the keepers of the primordial alphabet and can teach you how to write creatively.  Her body is shaped like the number 8 and she has 8 legs, which is symbol of infinite possibilities of creation. Her 8 legs represent the 4 winds of change and the 4 directions of the medicine wheel. Spider's message is that you are an infinite being who will continue to weave patterns of life and living throughout time. Do not fail to see the eternal plan of creation. Those who weave magic with the written word usually have this totem.


It makes me feel bad that I screamed so loud at the spider, since I really appreciate that meaning that she conveys!