Elephantanimaltotem
IftheUnitedStatesisTurtleIsland,acontinentsupportedontheback
ofaturtle,thenIndiawouldbeElephantIsland,acontinentsupported
onthebackofanelephant.Throughoutthecenturies,Indiantradition
dictatedthatallroyaltytherulersoftheland,behomeonthebacksof
thechildrenofthegreatbeastthatcarriedtheworldthroughspace.
TheelephantwasthetotemanimalofthegodShiva,theDestroyer,
whoseekstobanishillusionandtoencourageaclearerperception
ofrealityShivaandhisgoddess-spouse,Radha,producedamongtheir
childrentheelephant-headedgodGanesha,who,asLordofIlosts,
impregnatedthevirginMayatobringBuddhaintoflesh.
EspeciallysacredinIndiawasthewhiteelephant,consideredfartoo
pricelesstobeusedforworkorwarfare,buttobemaintainedbyitsowner
inthefinestofstyle.Whenwespeaktodayofa"whiteelephant"purchase,
wehaverealizedtoolatethatwehavepurchasedanobjectatapricethat
exceedsitstruevalue.
SometimesseenasasymbolofgreatsexualprowessintheAsiancountries,
theChineseportraytheelephantasrepresentativeofroyalty,strengthof
purpose,anddiscretion.
Inthewidest,mostuniversal,andmostobviousdepictionoftheelephantit
isasymbolofstrength.AtvarioustimesinMedievalEurope,theelephant
alsobecameanemblemofwisdom,moderation,andeternityThen,
accomplishingacompletechangeofcosmology,thereappearedthe
elephant-headeddemon,Behemoth,afavoriteinDarkSidesorcery.
Ifyouhaveacceptedtheelephantasyourtotemanimal,itmaynotbelong
beforeyouareaskedtoassumearoleofgreatresponsibilityintheworkplace
orinyourcommunity.Ifyoufeelattractedtotheelephantasatotemanimal,it
islikelythatyouareinvolvedinsocialwork,publicservice,orpolitics.You
mayalsofeelastrongcommitmenttocaringfortheill,theveryyoung,
andtheelderly.
Wheneveryousenseaninjustice,youwillbethereonthesideoftheunderdog.
Asyourspirithelper,theelephantwillbeabletodrawyoubacktoagreater
appreciationfortheancientmysteriesthanyouhavepreviouslyexperienced.
Youwillsoondiscoverthatyourguideisextremelyconcernedaboutyour
maintainingalwaysasolidbalanceofbody,mind,andspirit.Underthe
tutelageofthisspirithelper,youwillplaceyourtimeintheSilenceasyour
toppriority.Youmightfindyourselfwishingtoburnsomeincensewhileyou
aremeditatingwiththistotemanimalinordertohelpcreateanenvironmentin
whichexplorationofotherhigherlevelsofconsciousnesswillbetherule,rather
thantheexception.
![](/Images/home/answer.png)