*TOTEM TUESDAY*
I've already covered Wolf as a Totem, but there is a unique subspecies of which few people are aware, and that is the VANCOUVER COASTAL SEA WOLF, who inhabit the coastal regions from Alaska down to their namesake, Vancouver Island, British Colombia.
SEA WOLF is slightly smaller than mainland wolves, and his main medicine is perhaps ADAPTABILITY, having evolved to a more AQUATIC LIFESTYLE along Pacific Northwest coastal regions. There is also a sense of UNIQUENESS, of FOLLOWING ONE'S HEART no matter with what pigeon holes or labels societal expectations and traditions try to define you. It's kind of a "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" thing of KNOWING THERE'S MORE TO LIFE than the accepted norms, and having the COURAGE TO BE DIFFERENT. In other words, BE UNAPOLOGETICALLY YOURSELF!
Sea Wolf gets 75-90% of his diet from the sea. A quarter of his diet is Salmon, for which he practices DISCERNMENT by feeding only on the brains, and thus avoiding bacterial 'salmon poisoning' which is fatal to canids. In this way he is a great ally in SEEKING OUT WHAT NOURISHES YOU, AND LEAVING THAT WHICH IS TOXIC, even when it's the same source that holds both.
Sea Wolf has a paw in TWO WORLDS, actively hunting Otter and Seal as well as terrestrial animals like Deer. He also seeks out Barnacle and Shellfish, BREAKING THROUGH TOUGH SHELLS TO GET TO THE MEAT WITHIN.
Another adaptation of Sea Wolf is his SWIMMING PROWESS, moving between islands that are up to 7.5 miles apart. Sometimes these movements are SEASONAL, FOLLOWING THE CYCLES OF THE EARTH with the migration of Salmon.
Interestingly, in these same areas are indigenous myths and stories of Sea Wolves, known by such names as GONAKADET or WASGO, who were part Wolf and part Orca. They are seen as STRONG, GENEROUS, and HUMBLE, bringing great LUCK and WEALTH to anyone fortunate enough to see them or hear their howl.
What I find most fascinating about Sea Wolf is its seeming RETURN TO ORIGINS, not unlike Salmon medicine. (Cont'd in comments)
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