Winter Totem: The Cardinal

I've liked birds since I was a child. My grandmother used to show me the robins in the trees around her backyard and on the surrounding bushes, and I would watch the little chickadees in the spring and summer fly around her front door, pecking at the little bits of bread and seeds she would leave out for them early in the morning.
Those days are over now, but I still love watching birds. They seem the most innocent of animals- having a good time sitting in the trees or on fences, hopping around, singing their own special tune of chirps and tweets. My favourite of all the backyard birds I've seen is the Cardinal, of which I'm sure nearly everyone that lives around the eastern coastlines of North America has also seen, at least once.

A 'Totem Animal' concept come from the Natives Americans. They felt that each animal possessed it's own temperament and spiritual purpose, and with that a group or a tribe would adopt the animal that they wanted to emulate. These animal totem 'spirits' (I don't know what else to call them), can also watch over or assist a group of people, such as a family, clan, or tribe in need of their guidance, which they give through their animal traits. For example, if you happen to cross paths with a certain animal frequently, have connections to this animals traits, or feel connected to a specific animal, this animal could be your animal totem, sending you intuitive messages to help you in your daily life or for a situation you are finding yourself in at that time.
This certainly is not the best explanation of what an animal totem is, but it is my simple, very condensed, version.

As an animal totem, the Cardinal represents listening to our inner-selves, bring out our inner confidence, and teach us to be proud of who we are and our life path. The pride of a Cardinal is not in it's ego, but in it's strong voice and brilliant red plumage. Just as the Cardinal is a year round bird, hearty enough to make it through the harsh North American winters, so must we learn to be strong and free ourselves from self-doubt or low self-esteem. If we keep our inner strength and confidence alive, we can achieve anything we desire through steadfastness.

My animal totem has been the Cardinal for many years, and I'm sure it will be for years to come.