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.
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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.
