Silent Wisdom

Silent Wisdom
Photo by Kim Schulz

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The Fox


Fox reflects a new world on the horizon, and singles the process of creation is beginning.  The fox is often associated with healing rites and creative energies; the ability to see and hear spirit.  It is a feminine energy, and is often regarded as a solitary animal.  
Notice the adjectives used to describe this furry little creature.  It speaks winter time for me.  And even if the fox hasn’t come to you, or is not you totem spirit, we can all still learn from what it can teach us.

Artwork: Jackie Morris (The House of Golden Dreams)

THE FOX (by Ted Andrews “Animal-Speak”)

The fox is a totem that has touched almost every society on the planet.  It is a totem that speaks of the need to develop or the awakening of camouflage, invisibility, and shapeshifting.  It is one of the most uniquely skilled and ingenious animals of nature.  It can teach these skills to those whose life it enters.

There are 21 species of fox and they can be found in most parts of the world and in varied climates.  It is found along seashores and in the mountains, in the deserts and in the Arctic.  It lives in North and South American, Europe, Asia, and even Australia.  The fact that there are 21 different kinds of foxes found throughout the world has great metaphysical significance.    

Card 21 in the tarot deck is The World.  It is a card that reflects a new world opening up, that the process of creation is beginning.  It reflects that the world is growing and shapeshifting itself into new patterns that will be beneficial.  For those with a fox as a totem, meditating upon this card can be of benefit to understanding how fox energy will be helping with creation.  It can reveal what is growing and shapeshifting (or needing it) within your own world.

The fox has a long history of magic and cunning associated with it.  Because it is a creature of the night, it is often imbued with supernatural power.  It is often most visible at the times of dawn and dusk, the “Between Times” when the magical world and the world in which we live intersect.  It lives at the edges of forest and open land – the border areas.  Because it is an animal of the “Between Times and Places” it can be a guide to enter the Faerie Realm.  Its appearance at such times can often single that the Faerie Realm is about to open for the individual.

In the Orient, it was believed that foxes were capable of assuming human form.  In ancient Chinese lore, the fox acquires the faculty to become human at the age of 50, and on its hundredth birthday, it becomes either a wizard or a beautiful maiden who will ultimately destroy any man unlucky enough to fall in love with her.  “There are several American Indian tribes that tell tales of hunters who accidentally discovered their wives were foxes.”  This is very symbolic of the idea of magic being born within the feminine – in himself or others – and learn to use it to shapeshift his own life, it will ultimately lead to destruction.

The Cherokees invoke fox medicine to prevent frostbite, and Hopi shamans always wear fox skins in their healing rites.  The Choctaw saw fox as the protector of the family unity.  Apaches credited the fox with the killing of the evil bear, and for sticking its tail fur into the flame and stealing fire for humans.  It other societies, fox was also held in great esteem.  In Persia it was sacred, for it helped the deceased get to heaven.  In Egypt, fox fur was thought to bring favor with the gods.  The Indians of Peru had a fox god.  The fox was often believed to reward those who did it service.

The examination of fox behaviors and characteristics will reveal much about the role and the energy it represents for you individually.  Almost all foxes have sharp snouts, large ears, long, bushy tails, and lone, thin legs.  The large ears help the fox to keep cool in the summer, as they dissipate heat through them.  For someone with fox totem that has difficulty with summer heat, combining the hair behind the ears will almost always bring relief.

The most common fox in North America is the red fox, but not all red foxes have reddish fur.  The fur of the red fox has variations, just as human hair does.  Some may have the reddish coat, others may be more brown, and still others may have black and silver fur.  In general the red fox is associated with sexual energy, the kundalini, and the freeing of the creative life force.  A study of colors and their symbology may help you further define the role of your fox in your life.

Except for the Arctic fox, the fur does not change color with the seasons.  The Arctic fox also has more rounded ears, providing more insulation against the cold.

The coat of the fox serves as camouflage, and most coats have variations of color within them.  This facilitates their ability to stay camouflaged and remain relatively unseen.  Practicing and using camouflage is something everyone with a fox totem should learn to do.  Working to blend in with surroundings, to come and go unnoticed, moving silently about without revealing your intentions is all part of what fox teaches.

Much of this is reflected in learning to control the aura, the energy field around your body.  You can adjust its frequency and intensity so that you harmonize more with others.  You can focus on changing its appearance so that you blend in.  Practice by standing against a wall and see yourself (and your aura) becoming the color of the wall, just as if you were fading into it.

The next time you go to a party, take a seat in a chair or on a couch and see yourself as a fox that blends in perfectly to its surroundings.  Remember that a fox is most often seen when it is out in the open, so visualize yourself as taking on the color and pattern of the chair.  Then sit quietly and watch how many people, accidentally bump into you or even begin to sit on you because they did not “notice or see” you there.  You will be amazed.

Practice seeing yourself as a fox when you enter or leave a party or gathering.  See yourself blending into the gathering, melting into it.  Do not be surprised as the night goes on when people make such comments as, “When did you arrive?”  “How long have you been here?”  “I didn’t see you come in,” or “When did you leave?”  The more you work with fox, the easier this becomes.

The historical character of Merlin had to have used fox medicine and energy to accomplish much of what he did, but he practice it.  “Even during his lifetime Merlin was largely a historical and unrevealed . . . He was largely unknown to the greater public, except as ‘Merlin.’  When he was summoned by kings or needed desperately to recruit other allies, he came silently, disguised as a poor shepherd, as a woodcutter or as a peasant.  Even the sovereigns failed to recognize his in his various disguises.  He practiced concealment habitually and for a long period of time.

For those with fox totems, it will be important to learn this art of camouflage, and its related arts of invisibility and shapeshifting.  The fox uses it ability to quiet camouflage to its benefit.  With practice you can develop this same kind of ability and apply it so that you may see and hear things you otherwise could not.

Another aspect of fox fur has significance as well for anyone with a fox totem.  Hair is often associated with psychic energy serving as antennae.  The fox has two kinds of fur.  It has short dense, wooly undercoat, and it has long, stiffer guard hairs that overlie the undercoat.  This serves as a protector and it is usually darkest on the back.

Hair and fur are ancient symbols for energy and fertility, and layers of fur reflect levels of energy an levels of fertility.  With the fox it is the undercoat which is the primal energy source from which an individual draws his/her abilities.  The outer layer protects and defines how that energy is being used by the individual.  As the outer hair changes so does the expression of the inner creative force.  Hair should become very important to an individual with a fox totem.  If a change is needed on certain levels, learning to change the hair will reflect the change desired helps to activate fox energy so that shapeshifting can begin.

The brush or tail has always been considered the most sacred part of the fox, although this is not necessarily true.  It does hold great significance for one with a fox totem.  When it runs, the fox tail is always in a horizontal position out from the body.  This acts as a rudder.  This horizontal position is the feminine form.  Thus the fox tail is a symbol of directly guiding the feminine creative forces.  It is especially beneficial to the fox when making abrupt and sharp turns.  If the focus stays on the creative energies, any sharp turn in the individual’s life will be accomplished with ease.

The tail also serves as insulation from the cold for the nose and feet, as the fox wraps itself up in its own tail.  Individuals with fox totems have an ability to insulate themselves from anything that may seem to be cold, especially in relationships.  They can become warm and cozy in themselves.

The overall thickness of the fur makes the fox look much larger than it really is.  This is especially significant for those with fox totems.  These individuals have the ability to make themselves appear larger than they actually are.  Because of this, an individual schooled in working with this aspect of fox medicine can use it to his or her advantage, for personal protection or for making greater impressions in various areas of his/her life.

In the winter, a thick tuft of hair grows on the toe pads on the bottom of the feet.  This helps keep the feet warm and gives better traction, something that those with fox totem should be careful to do.

Although the fox dislikes getting wet, it is an excellent swimmer.  This is also very significant, for it says something about the innate character of those with a creative force, in the outer world.  For them, there is no desire to go back into the waters of life (feminine), but they will do so if it is necessary.

The legs of the fox are adapted for running.  There is a tremendous stamina to them, and ability they can bring to others.  Their favorite gait is a trot, and it is believed that they can trot indefinitely without exhaustion or the appearance of such.  Few animals of the similar size can outrun a fox.  Learning to establish a trotting pace is essential to those with a fox totem for their overall health and success.  The fox also runs in such a way that the tracks look like a single line of footprints.  During the trot the feet are placed almost directly one in front of the other.  This reflects a straight-forward expression of the feminine energy. 

Fox walks and runs on its toes, something very catlike.  This is also significant for the fox is part of the canine family (dog), but it embodies a feline characteristic.  The feline is the feminine energy given greater expression and movement.  This quality reflects a need to assert the feminine, creative energies.

The fox also has the ability to run up trees if it is necessary.  This reflects an ability to move into new dimensions and call upon new resources instinctively.  The gray fox particularly has the ability to climb a tree much like a cat would, by using the claws of its back feet to push it up.

The senses of the fox reveal much about the potential within those who have it as a totem.  Its hearing is very acute.  They are like mini-antennae.  They can pick up the squeal of a mouse over a hundred and fifty yards away.  Those with fox totems have an excellent ability to hear what is not being said, as well as any whispering that may be going on.  This ability is also tied to clairaudience, the ability to hear spirit.

The fox also has excellent eyesight.  In fact they have elliptical eyes, just like a cat.  They are color blind, but they have a great ability to see varying shades of lightness and darkness.  This gives an individual the ability to size people up very accurately.  They also have a great ability to see moving objects, especially at the edges or borders of areas.  Because of this, it is not unusual for those with fox totems to develop the ability to see spirit; actually see those beings of the “Between Places,” the fairies and the elves.  This will happen if fox has come to you.

By far its keenest sense is the sense of smell.  It hunts as much or more by smell as by the other senses.  The fox it fascinated by unusual odors, and those with fox totems respond strongly to smells, detecting subtle differences in odors.  Smell is one of its forms of social communication – deciding who to socialize with.  It would be beneficial for anyone with fox medicine to study aromatherapy.

Sexually, the sense of smell is one of their strongest stimulants, and has a key impact upon the degree and intensity of arousal for those with fox medicine.  There is a strong connection between fragrance and sexuality, and for those with fox medicine, this is critical.  The sexual energy is our most creative energy; it is part of the kundalini energy force within the body.  The force is critical in all activities.  If controlled and channeled, it can be used for a variety of purposes – one of the most dynamic being for the art of shapeshifting.  A fox entering one’s life as totem may reflect the awakening of the kundalini.  Such an individual to whom fox comes often has a great capacity for sexual expression with an ability to practice it in rich and varied ways – often with little inhibition.  This aspect may often be camouflaged until the right moment.

The sense of smell is also associate with higher forms of discrimination and discernment.  One working with fox medicine should sniff out each situation.  This will let them know who to avoid and who to connect with.  Does this person smell right? Does something smell funny about this situation?

Most foxes only have one partner.  They are very monogamous.  They also live alone about five months of the year.  They are often solitary and comfortable with that state most of the time.  The red fox vixens (females) search for a den usually only when they are pregnant.  If possible they return to that same den year after year, adding to it and making it larger and more comfortable.

The same quality and love of the home is found in those with fox totems.  Although foxes are territorial and travel within that territory, they do return to their home, their den.  Those with fox medicine may find themselves as territorial in activities, but also inclined to return to their home and improve it.

A litter of fox cubs usually numbers from one to six.  They are blind and deaf when they are born, but they move from that extreme tone of great sight and great hearing as they get older.  If the cub survives its first year it will usually live several more, establishing its own territory.  This reflect that those with fox medicine may have their greatest test in childhood, but also their greatest instinctual education in the art of survival.

The fox is a survivor and a great hunter.  In spite of encroachment on its territory and the history of being hunted it has been exposed to, it still manages to survive.  Its instincts are great.  Some have said it has survived because of its cowardice, but this “cowardice” is nothing more than the fox having learned to avoid potential danger.  It will go out of its way to do so.

The fox is actually the farmer’s friend, although many farmers accuse them of stealing and killing chickens and such.  Usually the fox that does this is old and unable to hunt more difficult prey.  The fox actually consumes vast numbers of beetles, crickets, grasshoppers, and especially mice and other rodents.  Mice, in fact, are it favorite food, and those with fox totems should also study the characteristics of mouse.

The fox has a small appetite, but it may eat small amounts frequently throughout the day, caching away extra food in its den.  This can reflect a beneficial eating habit for those with a fox totem.

Foxes are dainty, graceful, and lightfooted in hunting.  They actually hunt more like a cat, often leaping upon their prey and holding it with their front paws.  The fox is crafty and patient, and it will lie in camouflage intensely studying its prey until just the right moment to attack.

Probably the fox’s cleverest hunting technique is “charming.”  In this technique, the fox is seen near a prey, performing various antics.  It will leap and jump and roll and chase itself, so that it charms the prey’s attention.  While performing, the fox draws closer and closer without its prey realizing, as it is caught up in its seemingly non-threatening antics.  Then at the right moment, the fox leaps and captures its prey.  This is a camouflage technique, one associated with behavior.  It is one that those with fox totems can use to capture any prize.  As you develop attunement to the fox and learn its magic, any prize can fall to you.

No comments:

Post a Comment