Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 60

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Totem Animals

Page 60

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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

FIREFLY MEDICINE
By CinnamonMoon

*Ted Andrews/Animal-Wise
Keynote: Spiritual inspirations and hope.
Fireflies, often called lightning bugs, are magical symbols of inspiration and hope. They are the
promise of accomplishment through hope and efforts. They remind us that we have laid the
appropriate groundwork and from it will spring great reward. In the traditional tarot, they would
be associated with the Star card.

Fireflies are small beetles that give off light, usually from the hind end. They may light up while
flying or while resting in vegetation.

The blinking or flashing of the lights is performed for short
periods, and each species has a distinct rhythm. For the most part, the flashing rhythm is
performed to attract a mate, who responds with a corresponding rhythm. It is part of the mating
ritual that will extend the life of the species. The males perform aerobatics, making light patterns
that are answered by the females, each species producing its own characteristic recognition
patterns. These patterns are remarkably precise. A male emits a pulse of light that, after an exact
interval, is answered by a female of the same species. Only if the timing and response are correct
will a male fly over to visit a female.

The larvae of the firefly are flattened, luminous, and segmented. They are usually called glowworms.
They are often a reminder of the inner star we are developing or the promise of the star
that is on the horizon for us.

For those to whom the firefly appears, it is time to trust in your own rhythms--physical and
spiritual. Our hopes will begin to manifest, and our ability o inspire will grow. Fireflies remind
us that there are others who will respond to us and who are like us. They flash with similar
creative rhythms. They will make their presence known soon, and they will make our life more
creative and healthier.

Fireflies generate light without heat, a process of chemistry and physics that is still baffling to
science. Whereas most electric bulbs waste 97% of their energy in heat, a firefly concentrates
90% of its effort into light. The glow emerging from so tiny an animal is sufficient to read a
printed page, reflecting wonderful opportunities to make the seemingly impossible a reality,
inspiring wonders that will be flickering and manifesting around us.

When the firefly appears is a wonderful time to jot down all of those creative ideas that are
flickering in our mind through this time. We needn't worry about what to do with them now, for
just by taking them out of the mental realm, their creative force is released into our life and they
will provide inspiration that will affect us for a long time in the future.

The firefly looks ordinary during the day, but by night they sparkle, flickering like a star. They
hold the promise of accomplishing our goals. Spiritual gifts are awakening. We are on the right
path, and there are strong spiritual forces around us. When fireflies appear, people begin to
reassess their former opinions and perspectives. We begin to shine and sparkle. Opportunities to
fulfill dreams, to inspire wonder, and to awaken greater hope will begin to flicker strongly within
our life.

The firefly can indicate a variety of misjudgments or warn of their possibility, especially in
dealing with those of the opposite sex. The female of one large predatory species has learned to
mimic the female signals of a smaller species. When the eager males arrive, they are quickly
eaten. It is important to be sure that those around us are not mimicking what is true rather than
what we hope to hear. Or, we may be focusing upon the wrong path or perhaps we are working
with the wrong people or socializing with a crowd that is not healthy for us. We may be letting
others (through their negative opinions) prevent the success of our creative endeavors.

The firefly should also get us to take a look at our health habits, particularly at what we are
eating. Adult fireflies eat very little. They have learned to generate and draw energy from around
them for their purposes. It would be wise to examine what we are eating and how much because
this affects our health and our spiritual creativity.

Remember that fireflies remind us that positive hope is a critical component to fulfillment and
accomplishment.

Ask:
Are we being pessimistic?
Are we holding on to a sense of hopelessness, that all is lost?
Are we trying to force movement along the wrong path?
Are we not acting upon our creative ideas or even acknowledging them?
Are we not taking advantage of the spiritual gifts available to us?
Are others misleading us, giving us false hopes and false inspirations?