Totem Spirit Vest Project

Spirit Totem Vest
In many cultures around the world, where they have Shaman, they have special clothing they wear that carry symbolism for their spirituality. They often have totems embroidered or sewn on, pieces of various metals, various pendants, hairs of various animals, bells, mirrors, twisted strands, etc. All of these elements have meaning to the Shaman, such as protection, protecting or focusing vital force, spirit assistants, guides, etc. Because of the spiritual power of these clothes, I have decided to design a modern version that modern people in any culture can utilize. I made this vest for myself because I wanted a reminder of what my spirit totem guides do for me.There are various ways to find your own spirit guides. I've been on many pathways over the years, and have had many teachers. One teacher told me to pray and that the next day I'd have my spirit guide come to me. It was a coyote, in the middle of Los Angeles, early in the morning. I was off to work and he blocked my car and stared at me for a long while before taking off. The raven has always been important to me. Always when I've been stressed out, confused, not knowing where to turn, within hours ravens would turn up at my door step over and over again over the years. Some are just important for my very existence and are parts of the family, like the cats, sheep, and goats. Some have given me peace and comfort every time I've seen them, like the prairie dog and rabbits. One of the most important guides for me is the butterfly. I was watching another kill a butterfly when I was a child. The incident touched my soul and let me know to follow the Earth Based spiritual pathway.You can use any favorite vest you already have or purchase one from a thrift store or other store. You could also sew one yourself from the many patterns on sell at various stores and websites. After you have your vest, think about which animals, plants, insects, etc that resonate with you. After you have chosen your totems you can either draw pictures of them or find books that have line drawings of animal at the library for artist to copy. They have special pencils at craft and sewing stores that allow you to draw on a piece of paper and then iron transfer the design to fabric. After you get your, vest , totems and drawings you will have to decide on how to put your totems on your vest. I like to embroider so I embroidered mine on, but you could use fabric paint, applica, etc. Choose a method that feels comfortable for you that you like doing. Next you can add anything that makes you feel good, like small bells, mirrors, feathers, strands of clothe, leather, stones, etc. You can also augment your wonderful vest with a pair of totem earrings. Just click on the totem earrings link to see what we have. Totem Earrings LinkNow you have a finished Spirit Totem Vest. Wear it proudly, feeling good about having your totem spirit guilds with you.