Keynote: Activity and preparedness.

Cycle of Power: Year-round.

The squirrel is most known for its rushing about, scampering, playing and chasing other squirrels. We most notice squirrel for gathering nuts, acorns, etc. The squirrel eats until it is full and then begins to gather and store the rest it finds. They bury their food to store for later. A squirrel's sense of smell will help him retrieve his caches even if squirrel forgot where he put them.

This totem teaches you how to store things for later and the lesson of preparedness. Do you store things necessary for that coming hurricane, power outage, etc.? If squirrel comes in your life there are several questions you should ask yourself. Are you running around but going nowhere and expending a lot of energy? Are you over-storing, collecting too much? Are you under-storing and not prepared for anything? Are you gathering and not giving?

Squirrels are part of the rodent family. Foxes, Marten, owl and hawk all prey on squirrel. The kinds of squirrels are your red, black and gray. The red and the black are more aggressive. The red squirrel makes a better fighter while the gray will prefer to avoid a fight. The gray squirrel is usually found in the city. The red lives in the forest.

Squirrels reproduce twice a year. Squirrels can be on their own after twelve weeks. If squirrel is a totem than you will have a twelve week cycle from the time you start your project to completion.

Squirrels learn from other squirrels by imitation. This means squirrel people usually learn by doing rather than studying and reading. Squirrels are social animals hence squirrel people are more sociable than say people with a more solitary totem.

Squirrels warn other squirrels by their chattering and flicking of their tail. They also chatter for just regular communication. Squirrels use their tail to add to their emotional expression. The tail also provides shade, warmth and balance for squirrel.

Squirrels can teach us to balance between gathering (taking) and giving. If we lean towards one or the other squirrel can help us get back to the middle to do both equally. Squirrel can also teach us to balance between work and play. According to squirrel, both are important and you do not want to get rid of either. All play means no nuts are gathered for the hard winters to come and the squirrel will have trouble getting enough to eat. No or little play means due to all work your productivity level will drop and work will give you problems instead of benefits. To be truly healthy, says squirrel, balance between work and play is essential.