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Keynote: Bold Self-Expression and Reliance- Keeper of Stories Cycle of Power: Late Spring The badger is the giant of the weasel family. Those with this totem should study the weasel as well. The badger is gray, black, and buff. with a white stripe from the nose to the back of its head. This in itself is very symbolic of how open it is, the keeper of much light and knowledge of other animals and the Earth. The badger may look fat, but it is muscular and powerful. Its outer skin is loose, so it is difficult for bites from other animals to injure it. Its own jaws are exceedingly strong. The jaws are the symbols of powerful expression. This ties the badger to the mysteries of the "word"- particularly the magic of storytelling. "I would ask you to remember only this one thing," said Badger. "The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other's memory. This is how people care for themselves." The badger is a remarkable digger. Fast and quick, it can dig beneath surfaces easily. It can out dig a gopher or a mole, moving rapidly through the Earth. This ties them to all earth spirits and gnomes of lore. It also hints at the ability to see beneath the surface of all things and people. It lives in an underground complex of burrows that are called "earths." It has several living chambers, along with latrine and storage chambers. These earths hint at the stories beneath the outer, the inner places, and homes of the outer world. The badger is active both day and night. It is a carnivorous animal, living primarily on rodents such as rabbits, gophers, mice, squirrels, and other underground dwellers. It eats many crop consuming rodents. It will often store the animal parts of them in the earths. Because of this it can be thought of as the keeper of the stories of other animals. It is basically an unsociable animal. It does not "relate" well with others- even its own kind. This might be why stories are its symbolic means of communication. It is often easier for those with badger medicine to relate through stories than to have to do it directly. The young badgers, usually two or three, are born in May or June. The family always separates in the fall, when the young and the father move to find their own homes. Sometimes the father will help with the raising of the young, but as a whole the badgers are loners and solitary. They are comfortable within themselves and are very self reliant. They can teach this or help those with this totem to teach it to others. The dachshund (badger dog) was bred specifically to hunt and dig after the badgers to chase them out of the burrows. Dachshund owners probably have some badger medicine or can easily connect to it. Because it is such a powerful digger, the badger has knowledge of things beneath the earth. This includes minerals, roots, and other plants and herbs. This makes the badger also a dynamic healer. Sometimes the badger healer is overly aggressive, but the technique is usually effective. Badger can teach the long forgotten knowledge of roots and their mystical and healing powers. The badger is bold and ferocious, and it never surrenders. If a badger has come into your life, you should do some examination. Are you or those around you not digging deep enough? It may indicate a need to get beneath the surface. It may reflect a time of greater connection to the earth and its animal spirits. It may be telling you to draw upon the stories that intrigued you and held you fast during childhood. They may be symbolic of things going on or about to go on in your current life. Whenever badger shows up, there will be opportunities to develop self expression and reliance. It speaks of a time to begin to tell a new story about yourself and your life.
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