Totems: Tiger

The tiger itself is one of the worlds most beloved animals out there and as a totem has quite a few lessons to teach.

Power and will are a lesson, to use one’s power and to have a strong will. The tiger uses its own power to its advantage to hunt, to feed itself and its own cubs. As top of the food chain it is an important animal, and it is such an animal that helps prevent the overpopulation of herbivores. Indeed the tiger teaches to use one’s own power for good and keep a strong will even when facing odds.

As a hunter the tiger needs focus and patience for when trying to prey on an animal. When hunting one needs to be both focused and patient as a tiger.  Both focus and patience are lessons many could learn.

The tigers found in the wild will tend to have a litter every three to four years with a litter of one to six. It is this maternal tiger that devotes herself dearly to her litter for their survival. Devotion is of much importance as the female tiger can tell of, caring for her children deeply until they are ready to live on their own.

The concept of Yin and Yang is very apparent when one looks at the unique pattern of tigers. Contrasting their black stripes with their orange and white fur. The tiger teaches the principal of Yin and Yang and how one needs to keep in balance. Balance of masculinity and femininity, of good and evil, this is what the tiger teaches; balance.

Tigers are known for their healing properties which causes people to go after the very parts of the tiger to use in traditional Chinese medicine and exotic herbal remedies. It is said that those with the tiger as their totem heal quickly and the power of healing is of a lesson of this beautiful hunter.

Tigers are very associated with the element of water and are known to swim, enjoying the water that they are in. The water element is of psychic ability which those with the tiger totem are said to have plenty of.