Racoon as a Guide

[Aphritha]

I hadn't given much thought as to what my totem animal/animal guide might be. Since I've began taking the course, racoons have started popping up here and there, making themselves more known to me. Sometimes a bit too known...I had one get into my cooler and steal all my food! I hadn't given them much thought however, until a dream I had the other night.
I see the the racoon is not in the Druid Animal Oracle, and I wonder if anyone has some insight on what having a racoon as a totem animal might mean.

[Selene]

Since raccoons are a New World species (albeit having been introduced in the 20th century into parts of Europe and Asia), they're not going to appear on a classic list of iconic British Isles species. Try looking up the characteristics of Raccoon in a Native American reference such as Ted Andrews's Animal Speak. I believe his books are pretty well respected, although it might be worth your while to check other sources as well rather than just taking one person's word for the symbolism.

[ShadowCat]

For an extensive list of animals I often go to this site, I like the way animals are presented there.
http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/raccoon.htm

On Raccoon it says:

Dexterity and Disguise

The magic of the Raccoon is in its mask.
Masks are a powerful magical tool:
you can achieve altered states
through the use of mask,
you can become
someone or something else
behind a mask.


A Raccoon totem can teach you how to wear masks for many reasons as the need arises.
It can teach you how to mask, disguise and transform yourself.
Don't you act differently with your boss, parents, children, husband, friend, strangers.
Those are all masks you put on.

Masks are one of the tools of transformation.
It helps us to change what we are into what we want to be.

Raccoons also teach you how to put asleep the part of you that is not needed and awaken the aspect of yourself that is.

If you are a Raccoon person, eating mostly fruit and vegetables will be beneficial to your health.

A Raccoon totem has a long influence on your life.
It is not a short-time totem, but rather will stay with you for a long time.

There's also a great story in the current Eisteddfod competition on living with "pest" animals that you might enjoy and translate to your situation:
http://www.druidry.org/board/dhp/viewtopic.php?f=29&t=41604

[Art]

Then too:

1 (4 lb.) raccoon, cut into cubes
2 or 3 onions, sliced
2 to 3 c. canned tomatoes, chopped
Salt & pepper
Bay leaf
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Carrots
Onions
Potatoes
Turnips


Brown the meat cubes slowly in a Dutch oven. There should be enough fat within the tissues that no additional oil is required. Add onions during the last of the browning process so they won't become scorched. Reduce the heat, add enough tomatoes and liquid to cover the meat, season and cover. Simmer over low heat until almost completely tender. Add cubed vegetables of your choice and continue to simmer until vegetables are tender. Serve hot with biscuits.

No totem animal is inviolate to everybody.

[ShadowCat]

1 (4 lb.) raccoon, cut into cubes

[katie bridgewater]

I hadn't given much thought as to what my totem animal/animal guide might be. Since I've began taking the course, racoons have started popping up here and there, making themselves more known to me. Sometimes a bit too known...I had one get into my cooler and steal all my food! I hadn't given them much thought however, until a dream I had the other night.
I see the the racoon is not in the Druid Animal Oracle, and I wonder if anyone has some insight on what having a racoon as a totem animal might mean.

There is plenty of native Racoon mythology and lore to look at, as well as using your own personal observations and experiences to see what racoons are like. I spent 3 minutes on Google and found the following, and I'm sure there is plenty more if you dig a little:
http://www.hotcakencyclopedia.com/ho.Raccoons.html
http://www.native-languages.org/legends-raccoon.htm

At the end of the day, any interpretation of the racoon's symbolism will be someone's based on information collected either first hand of from someone else's interpretation. This is all the Druid Animal Oracle is for British animals. Don't be afraid to make your own mind up and decide for yourself what a racoon means. Also bear in mind that it might not be about you at all - it might be that the racoon in your kitchen seeks you as a power animal, not the other way round, so be open-minded and non human-centric about it all.

[ShadowCat]

Also bear in mind that it might not be about you at all - it might be that the racoon in your kitchen seeks you as a power animal, not the other way round, so be open-minded and non human-centric about it all.

That's an interesting thought Katie...
I agree that animals decide on their own lives often (almost all animals that live with me, showed up on my doorstep one day spontaneously). With totemanimals I always assume that the attraction is mutual, that the interaction and lessons learned of eachother are interchangable and that both person and animal can learn and grow from the interaction. Could it be one-sided from the animals viewpoint in your opinion?

[Aphritha]

Since raccoons are a New World species (albeit being introduced in the 20th century into parts of Europe and Asia), they're not going to appear on a classic list of iconic British Isles species.

I wondered if this was the case...I wasn't sure if raccoons were in Europe or not.

Thank you all for the links, information, and...recipe(though I'm going to have to pass on it this time...vegan )The idea of masks was interesting, especially at the point where its asking about the masks we wear around others. I don't really tend to do this...you either like me, or you don't. Slight differences in wording, but still same personality. Same mannerisms. It links well with what I've read of the raccoon as trickster; perhaps it would benefit me to know when to put on my bandit's mask....

Also bear in mind that it might not be about you at all - it might be that the racoon in your kitchen seeks you as a power animal, not the other way round, so be open-minded and non human-centric about it all.

This actually was what the dream I had focused on...not me, but the raccoon's point of view! I was at a family picnic, and a raccoon kept stealing food out of the trash. No big deal, no one paid any mind. After awhile, the raccoon stood on his hind legs on a picnic table and started given a well spoken, emotional speech. He told us how he appreciated all the donations(garbage) and he, too, felt like one of the family. It was funny, but it got me thinking.
On a side note, I had another dream from an animal's perspective awhile back that was completely hilarious...I dreamt of a cat I used to have doing a documentary on toilet water. He spoke well, with an accent, and was going on and on about how he didn't understand why we humans would defile such a pure source of water, one which was constantly available and even refreshed itself! After all, water is necessary to life, and those humans do...WHAT? I had never thought about it from an animal's point of view, but yes, it does seem insane!

[Corwen]

Also bear in mind that it might not be about you at all - it might be that the racoon in your kitchen seeks you as a power animal, not the other way round, so be open-minded and non human-centric about it all.

That's an interesting thought Katie...
I agree that animals decide on their own lives often (almost all animals that live with me, showed up on my doorstep one day spontaneously). With totemanimals I always assume that the attraction is mutual, that the interaction and lessons learned of eachother are interchangable and that both person and animal can learn and grow from the interaction. Could it be one-sided from the animals viewpoint in your opinion?

We might think that they are in 'our home' but the reality is the other way round too. If you live in a house and have badgers in your garden, the likelihood is that the badgers have been there for hundreds or thousands of years, and it is your house that has been built in their space. They may want nothing to do with us, but are still in our space. It may be we can develop some community with these animals and plants if we are respectful. For example the rooks and crows that roost on the farm here recognise the people who live here and although slightly wary are obviously fairly comfortable with us. When a stranger shows up they have quite a different reaction to them.

I have also known animals to be curious about people and come to watch what we are doing. Sometimes there is a real connection when you bump into an animal in some natural place people don't usually go, and you can tell they are thinking the same as you- "wow, look, its one of those, you don't see them very often".

Animals in dreams are different as they are products of your mind, or of the collective unconscious, depending which school of thought you follow. I think they usually represent some part of you that you need to integrate. That's where the power in 'power animal' comes from, its your own power you are reclaiming, not power you are gaining from outside.