Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 135 -RACCOON

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Bear Medicine	Birth Totems	Coyote Medicine	Dragon Ranks	Dragonfly Medicine	Eagle Medicine	Four Animal Helpers	Grey Wolf Medicine	Hawk
Heron Medicine	Horse	Magpie	Raccoon	Salmon Medicine	Spider Medicine	Swan Medicine	Thunder Being Medicine	Totem Loss Disc

RACCOON
By CinnamonMoon

Raccoon represents creativity, dexterity, and adaptability; thievery, curiosity, and protection;
shapeshifting and discovering secrets. Raccoon is a problem solver from way back. He has an
innate curiosity about how things work and will encourage you to discover new ideas and
methods of achieving your goals. Intelligence is one of his strong points; combined with
adaptability and a playful nature he becomes quite an interesting teacher. Raccoon can show you
how to live in the Now to take full advantage of the spirit worlds. His sense of family and
hunting will serve you well in providing for your own needs. Raccoon is a healer and uses the
qualities of water to increase sensitivity, cleanse, purify, and soothe.

This creature-teacher will teach you to find what you are looking for and take it. his association
to thievery or stealth is quite common because of this. His digging for food is the same method
you can apply to digging for knowledge. The mask he wears will teach you by utilizing the
power of masks...of shapeshifting. By shapeshifting and becoming what you want to know more
about, you can discover the secrets hidden behind others and their ways. This leads to exciting
adventures and explorations of the dimensional realms and altered states of consciousness.

Raccoon is a ferocious fighter and highly temperamental. He leaves little room for those who
would challenge his right to pursue his path. he will teach you to find your way and stick to it.

*Ted Andrews/Animal-Speak:
Keynote: Dexterity and Disguise
Cycle of Power: spring and Summer--Nocturnal

Raccoons are fascinating animals. They are distantly related to the bear, and thus it should be
studied as well by anyone with this totem. The raccoon is one of the most adaptable animals, and
in spite of encroachment on its natural habitat, it is even able to live within the city.
The name raccoon is believed by some to come from the Algonquin Indian word "arckunem,"
meaning "hand scratcher." The paws are very dexterous. Raccoons can be expert at opening lids,
latches, doorknobs, and such. Because of this they often have the reputation for thievery--of
being able to get into things they are not supposed to. It would not be surprising to find that
individuals who are thieves and burglars have raccoon medicine, even though it is not being used positively.

Raccoons are fascinated by water. They like to slosh their hands and their food in it. This has
given rise to the belief they never eat anything without washing it first. Actually, water increases
the sensitivity of the raccoon's hands, and they can feel their food better.

The raccoon will eat almost anything available. It will capture small prey but it usually eats
mostly vegetables and fruit. This is something that those with this totem should keep in mind.
Raccoons are extremely curious, which is partly why they often get into things they shouldn't.
They love to explore. Their nocturnal excursions can be likened to mini-adventures. They can be
very curious about new realms and will examine anything that fascinates them.

One of the most striking features of the raccoon is the mask that it wears. Although some
associate this with thievery, it actually gives the raccoon a very powerful mystical symbolism.
The use of masks to achieve altered states and for other healing and ritual purposes has been a
part of every society. Mask making is an ancient art employed all over the world for ceremony,
celebration, and in magical practices. Concealed behind a mask, people could become something
or someone else. We can become whatever we want by wearing masks. Masks are invested with
mystery. They are tools for transformation. The hidden aspect, the secrecy, helps promote the
transformation. It helps us to change what we are to what we want to be, giving us magic.

Just as there is with the raccoon, with masks there is ambiguity and equivocation. When we wear
a mask we are no longer who we thought. We make ourselves one with some other force. We
create a doorway in the mind and in the physical world a threshold that we can cross to new
dimensions and new beingness. This is the magic of raccoon. it is an expert of disguise and
secrecy. It knows how to wear masks for a variety of purposes. It can teach you how to mask and
disguise and transform yourself. Each must develop their relationship with the raccoon in their
own unique way, but raccoon medicine can teach you how to become dexterous in the masks you
wear. It can show you how to wear a healing mask or show you the face you shall become. The
raccoon holds the knowledge of how to change our faces.

Raccoon holds the knowledge of transformation through masks and disguise. This knowledge
can be applied to religious and ritual practices or within normal everyday life. Do you need to
present a different face to people for greater success? Are you hiding your true self? Are others
hiding their true self? Raccoon can help you find the answers.

Raccoons do not hibernate, but they do go into a heavy sleep during the winter, living off their
body fat. This has connections to learning to use masks to put to sleep one aspect of yourself so
that another can be awakened. This is also part of raccoon medicine can teach. It will help you
develop dexterity in using masks to achieve new altered states and dimensions.

Raccoons are very courageous and they can be quite ferocious. Litters of raccoons are brought
into Bunker Nature Center every spring and early summer. Working and handling them has
taught me a great respect for their ferocity--even when young. When they get older, they can
become very surly. In the wild, raccoons are deceptive and agile. They are experts at selfdefense.

Raccoons enjoy hollow logs, especially for their dens. They will have one to two litters per year,
usually with 2-7 young. At about 20 weeks a raccoon can live on its own, but they are very
sociable, and where you find one raccoon, you will usually find another. They also live longer
than most animals in the wild--around 10 years.

If a raccoon has shown up, you may see its influence for an extended time. If you are trying to
make changes or endeavoring to hide changes you are making from others until you are in a
better position, plan on using about a 20-week cycle. You will find it more effective. For longer
and greater life transformations and such, when raccoon shows up you may want to make longer plans.

*Bobby Lake-Thom/Spirits of Earth:
Raccoon is a good sign. He is a good protector. He is intelligent, cunning, clean, and very
helpful. If you don't know how to do something, then make prayers and a wish to the Raccoon,
leave him some food, and he will show you how to resolve your problem. The Raccoon can also
be used as a doctor power, hunting power, and protection power. If you ever get lost in the
woods or out in Nature, just ask the Raccoon to help. He likes helping people.

*Patricia Telesco/The Language of Dreams:
Getting into things that you're not supposed to. Raccoons are notorious and rather adept thieves.
A curious demeanor, eager for exploration. These are common traits of the raccoon. The
raccoon's mask represents privacy, ambiguity, or secrecy of some type. What's being hidden and
from whom?

*D.J. Conway/Animal Magick:
This creature is strictly North American, ranging from the southern border of Canada all the way
down to Florida. The raccoon has a black facial mask running across its eyes, a bushy ringed tail,
and dense grayish fur. Large adult males can weigh up to 20# or more. The raccoon is a very
curious animal and an adept climber, making its home in hollow trees.

Native Americans called the raccoon the "black-masked little bear." It is ingenious, curious, and
playful. It's home is usually around water courses, lakes, and marshes where it hunts at night. It
likes to dip its food in water before eating it. It's long, extremely sensitive fingers make it
possible for the raccoon to work simple catches on doors or take lids off cans of food.

The Ainu of Japan have a story that says the raccoon was created as a servant to the bear. They
also have a raccoon deity called the Cook of the God of the Mountain. Raccoons adapt quite well
to city areas if they have a wooded place to which they can retreat.

Magickal Attributes: Creativeness when faced with new problems. Be curious about the world
around you. Seeking guidance and confidence for a new job or schooling. To be presented with
new ideas.

*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Raccoon illustrates an industrious personality.

*Timothy Roderick/The Once Unknown Familiar:
Key Words: Adaptable, sly, dexterous
Magical Influences: Physical or mental dexterity, skill with hands, makes one fastidious
Personality: Raccoons hate secrets; they want to know how and why everything works. They are
friendly people who have no fears about approaching strangers for conversation. They often live
for the moment and find time each day to celebrate life in their own way. Raccoons are tidy and
modest but can also become overly fastidious. They can be fussy about the food they eat.

*Lady Stearn Robinson & Tom Gorbett/The Dreamer's Dictionary:
Raccoon fur or articles made from it predict that you will find a new talent or hobby which will
prove profitable as well as enjoyable.