Yes indeed, I have turned 18. I'm a big girl now...kinda. I am yet to post photos of my week of eighteeness but I just had to share with you some interesting facts about native American totems! No I haven't gone all spiritual, however as I am researching my next big art project I have discovered an interest in animals and their meanings.
I have always had a fascination for
Giraffes. They are absolutely stunning creatures. It is said that they are about grounded vision and symbolise communication, intuition, attaining the unreachable and seeing the future. They remind us that we are physical creatures and teach us to view our lives in a way that is both grounded and expansive. Besides these facts I believe they are graceful and the pattern on their bodies is fun and beautiful.
Recently I had a dream about an army of baby red back spiders crawling out from my desk and across my room! I often have dreams about spiders or snakes following or chasing me. The
spider is known to depict any emotions you don't want to 'handle', such as those surrounding a spouse leaving, or feeling trapped by someone; the basic survival instincts in us such as a spider might have - can I eat, or will I be eaten in this meeting/relationship? Perhaps the spiders represent my feeling of being eaten alive by the pressure of school and responsibility leading up to my coming of age, forcing the want to run away.
The
snake is said to depict the force or energy behind that movement and purpose - the force of life, the latent energy or potential within matter - that leads us both to growth and death, along with the passionate emotions and urges that drive us so powerfully. This could also be in relation to my recent interest in finding my ideal course at university and urge to move on. It could also represent any emotional times I've had and how I often throw myself into tears as a result. Or do I really need to find my true purpose in life?
Following this interest in animals and their meanings I have researched the history of native American totem poles.
It was fascinating to discover that there is no actual evidence of totem poles being constructed before the later 1800s. This is because wood rots and the totem poles fall over. It is also said that totem poles were only created once Europeans had entered America and provided the tools used for their construction. Although it may seem boring I have always had a great interest in history and found this topic a fantastic one to research both historically and artistically.
So once I have saved the images of my weekend on my laptop I will post them so you can see my outfits and fun from the formal and my birthday partying :)
