The Otter

The very first time I laid eyes on an Otter that I can remember was on the cover issue of National Geographic World Magazine (the kids' version of the famous magazine - they now have NatGeo Kids and World is aimed at teens).

In April of that year, I got a large parcel in the mail, not knowing what it was - My dad had bought be the subscription as a belated ninth birthday gift. I opened the packet and there among all my membership papers, was the magazine that would be my lifeline for another nine years until I graduated to the adult National Geographic.

In September, I opened my envelope as usual, all excited to read that month's issue. The sweetest little face I had ever seen was staring at me from the magazine cover.

The lead story was covering the ravages of the Oil Spills on otters (there had been three major oil spill that year alone, and of course the infamous Exxon oil spill just a year and a half before).

The pictures on the inside made my heart ache - there were ducks and other birds covered in crude oil that clumped their feathers and thus made them chill to the point of hypothermia, and that poisoned them as they tried to clean their feathers of the muck; the dead fish washing up on the beach by the thousands; the sand stained black by oil.

But the images that just shattered my heart into a milion pieces were the title story photos: A little sea otter, covered from head to toe in oil, her eyes almost glued shut by the black muck.

She was freezing and almost dead because, like the birds, the oil clumped her thick fur, rendering her natural insulation useless and letting the freezing water all the way to her skin. She was sick from swallowing oil and was listless. There were photos of her being washed, as I remember it was a lengthy process because she, like most other survivors, had to be washed several times, dried in between washings to check for more oil and residue. She was handled carefully because they didn't know if she was cut or had anything broken from slipping around in the oil. And all throughout, the fire in her eyes burned bright, even when they were obscured by oil and she could barely move.

The image of the otter on the front cover of the World magazine is something that has stayed with me these past 20 years and burns brilliantly in my mind. It was the pivotal image that imprinted Otters into my brain. Ever after that I was always aware of them, whenever they were on TV or in a magazine. Sometimes I would just switch channels "absent-mindedly", for no particular reason, to the NatGeo or Discovery channels and there would be an otter or two, playing or eating or floating on their backs, soaking up the sun.

From the moment I first saw her, I felt an affinity for Otters. Their playfulness, their resilience, their friendliness and gentleness with each other and with other animals, and the sparkle in their eyes. It wasn't until earlier this year, when Faemore and I were on separate quests for our spirit guides and totem animals, that my mind turned immediately to the Otter, and then to the Cat, to whom I been connected on a deep spiritual level for as long as I can remember. I set about trying to determine what these animals meant to me, and I started with the Otter.

I believe that my totem animal is an animal whose general behaviour I can emulate, and which is a symbols of the elements, attributes and traits that should govern my life and spirit. I also believe my totem to be a symbol of my ancestors. I do believe that a person can have several totem animals, but I believe that one or two will have prominence for you general life. I also believe that we both choose our totem and it chooses us. We can be aware of our totems for a very long time and not realize that it is actually the symbols of our existence. The Otter is a perfect example of this for me: I have always loved her, she chose me long ago from the minute I laid eyes on her, but it is only recently that I chose her too.

Through meditation, I have come to understand that the otter is my totem animal. Completely separate to that, in Native American folklore, I was born under the sign of the Otter.

The Otter is a symbol of Joy, of primal feminine energy. She is both an earth and a water creature, and embodies the qualities of these two elements. Because of her balanced feminine and healing energy, the hide of the otter was the material of choice for a Native American Medicine Woman's pouch.

The otter teaches us that balanced feminine energy is not catty or jealous, but it is sisterly and generous, She has no fear of replacement and feels no envy at the accomplishments of her sisters. She teaches us to go with the flow, to be curious, to enjoy Life's tide, the play in the waves and revel in the water's rush, until we find a steady spot of land to rest.

She awakens our inner child, beckons us to frolic and delight in the gifts of the water. She is a symbol of sensuality: long, sleek and graceful, otters are natural flirts and courtship is an engaging and exciting exercise. She is referred to as coquiettish and fun. She is mischeivous and boisterous. She is innocence and joy.

Though she is non-confrontational, the otter is a fierce protecress of her young. She understands the beauty of nurturing others and sharing their joy. Otters form strong familial bonds and large family groups, travelling together and usually remaining together for life.

She teaches us the freedom and wonder of love without jealous or fear.

As a Birth Sign, the otter is influenced by Air, and she brings many of her totem attributes, plus a few more. According to Native Americans, whose wisdom and lore I love and respect, I am an Otter, born on February 9th.

The Otter born is an Air Child, which accounts for her flexibility, communication, intelligence, creativity and wealth of ideas. She belongs to the Clan of the Butterfly (another animal I have long been fascinated by). This explains her free spirit and verbal skill, but also her indecision and the tendency to waste her energies.

An Otter is born under a time when the North Wind Blows and the ground is frozen, but underneath the ice there teems vitality. The sun's power is increasing and the promise of renewed life is invigorating.

Knowing intuitively that nature will soon bring forth new and splendid life, the Otter Born is full of hope and confidence. She is intellectually active, well-liked and alruistic. She has a very keen sense of justice and cannot tolerate the fact that very priviledged people exist side-by-side with people who are poor and suffering. Otter borns are revolutionaries and rebels.

The Otter born is cooperative and capable of positively influencing the team spirit in groups and organizations. Friendship and solidarity are very important for her. She will share or even give away her last shirt when a someone is in need. She is sociable and playful.

Otter borns tend to to be idealistic and fond of utopian ideas, but they embody the things they would like to see come to pass. They are proud and unconventional, loyal and loving, brilliant and often misunderstood.

In Love and in Life, the Otter born needs freedom to express her romantic nature as well as her practicality. The Otter born is faithful and free-spirited in love, and loves with her whole heart.

She is represented by the colour silver, the mineral turquoise, and is at her best in the middle of the day and the middle of the night.

I am an Otter Born, and the Otter is my totem.