Paramecia

The Lek: A Young Bird Fights for Love

The Lek

Totem Animals: Crow

Crow

Crow is the most sullen of all birds. His presence is a signal that a personal prophesy will soon be received by he who sees the bird. The likelihood that a prediction will be forthcoming is greatly increased if the crow is alone, in the branches of a dead tree, or on the ground watching its own feet disappearing in a snowstorm.

Seeing the crow could mean a birth, a windfall of money, career advancement, or success at love. But more often than not, crow's presence means sickness, death, destruction. If you think there may be crows around, try not to look in places you might think they would be.

Crows are born from the offerings of secluded monks who live on the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. The monks place their gifts of raw meat on the mountainside. As the flesh rolls down the hills, it gathers speed. Just before it hits the valley floor, it transforms into ratty black birds that fly up to the heavens and deliver the monks' prayers directly to God's ear. After delivering the messages, the birds turn back into chunks of flesh and fall to earth. Being hit by one of these falling pieces of meat is extremely unlucky.

If crow is your totem animal, you excel at chess.

Microvilli (14"x16")

Totem Animals: Porcupine

Porcupine

Porcupine's trail through the woods leads straight to his feeding tree: a giant, solitary hemlock growing out of the shallow depression of an old moraine. Porcupine feeds on the tree's pinecones, bark, and needles high up in the crown at night, and at the morning's first rays, he climbs down and enters his underground den, whose chambers wind among the hemlock's ancient root system.

Today is an unusual day for porcupine because he must replace his lost quills. There are only two ways a porcupine can lose its quills: through battle or by by dark deed. The reason porcupine now shivers unprotected as a rat under his tree is that he has killed his brother in cold blood and stolen his beautiful wife. She is kept now in his dankest cavern, unfed until she submits to his will, which she has not.

Porcupine decides to replace his lost quills with sea urchin needles, since the beach is not very far. In the tidal pools there are many shiny black sea urchins. Their inky spikes sparkle in the misted light. Porcupine collects and glues the urchin spikes to his hide, and soon he is resplendent in borrowed black needles. Satisfied with his new armor, he makes the hike back to his home tree.

Eager to impress his captive, he unlocks the dungeon door to show his brother's wife his resurfaced exterior. But before he can complete a single twirl, she attack, ripping out the narrow quills. Naked and bleeding to death, she buries him alive inside her once prison.

If porcupine is your totem animal, commit no dark deeds and you will be fine.

You Bring Me Down