totems

Totem animals are essentially spiritual allies. We do not choose our totems, but rather, they choose us. They offer confirmation when needed, support when invoked and choice when obstacles appear. A totem is anything of Nature with which we feel a strong bond. Not everyone notices their animal totem, but they may feel a pull toward the mineral kingdom or the world of plants instead. 

Animals that we fear can be seen as our Shadow Totems. Shadow Totems are equally as important and as valuable a teacher as one's totem animal. They represent those aspects of our psyche that we choose to ignore - our fears, our secrets and dark thoughts. They characterize our personal boundaries, our self-imposed limitations and those parts of ourselves that rejects spontaneity, risk taking and the development of self-esteem. Shadow Totems represent our dark side - the shadow aspect of our soul that we tend to ignore or suppress due to the connotations that they represent and the responsibilities that they force upon us. They make us to look at ourselves, to stand before our weaknesses and our frailties and to honour them as lessons and as stepping-stones to power.

ref:http://www.animaldreaming.com/index.php/animals/totems