Keynote: Passion, Power, Devotion and Sensuality
Cycle of Power: Nocturnal-Full Moon and New Moon
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Tigers are magnificent creatures and stir a feeling of awe in all who see them. There are a number of varieties of tigers-bengal, Siberian, etc.-and each should be examined for its own characteristics.
All tigers are known for their ferocity and power. They are also excellent swimmers, unlike other large cats. This gives them ties to all the energetic and mystical qualities so often associated with the element of water. All tigers also display great motherly devotion with their offspring. The mother raises the young and teaches them to hunt. Most tigers are solitary, and they come together usually only to mate. They also have immense territories.
The Bengal tiger lives in Southern Asia. Its main prey is deer. It will actually live in several lairs, one of which is used to bring up the young cubs. At eight weeks old the cubs join their mother in hunting. At six months, they have learned to kill, but they are not capable of feeding themselves until around 16 months old.
Most tigers hunt slowly and silently, a tactic beneficial to learn for those with this totem-regardless of what is being sought. They can be selfish with their kills, and they have the power to drag a several-hundred-pound-carcass over a quarter mile, just to hide it.
Tigers are nocturnal hunters. Individuals with this totem will find their moat effective work accomplished at night. Their traditional black and gold/orange patterning links the tiger to the mysticism surrounding the full and new moons.
The sleek and powerful muscles and the soft thick coat of the tiger stimulates thoughts of sensuality. All cats stretch languorously and rub up against other cats and objects. For those with this totem, there will be awakened sensuality-a sensitivity to touch.
There has always been a great deal of mysticism and mythology centered on the tiger. A study of these associations will help you to identify its role within your own life, and possibly even past-life links to other parts of the world.
In Korea, the tiger is king of the beasts. In the Hindu tradition, the tiger was sacred to the goddess Kali, the goddess of creation and dissolution, of sexuality and death. In Greece, it is associated with the mythic character Dionysus, the twice-born.
China is filled with myth and legend of the tiger. In Chinese astrology, one of the twelve signs is the sign of the tiger. Those born in the year of the tiger are assigned the traits of being both colorful ans unpredictable. They are adventurous, powerful, and passionate.
In China, the tiger is both a symbol of darkness and the new moon, as well as brightness and the full moon. There are five mythic tigers in Chinese lore. The red tiger is the symbol of the south, summer and fire. The black tiger is a symbol of the north, winter and water. The blue tiger is a symbol of the east, spring and vegetation. The white tiger is a symbol of the west, autumn, and all metals. The yellow tiger is supreme among all five. It is ruler of the Earth and all the energies upon it.
If a tiger has entered your life, you can expect new adventures. It will awaken new passion and power within life. Expect it to begin within 6-8 weeks and last for at least a year and a half. Examine what is going on in your life. Do you need more passion for life? Are you expressing your life passion inappropriately? If tiger has shown up, there will begin to manifest new adventures and renewed devotion and passion for life.
from "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews