Animal Speak- the Fox

Through his long association with man, fox has received an negative reputation. Although still thought beautiful, they have been maligned and called pest. England still reels with the political ramifications of the long held tradition of the fox hunt. It is the ultimate image of the English countryside: Lords in red jackets with velvet trim and white pants and spats riding amidst side-saddled Ladies in habits of autumn hues, riding to the hounds as they chase the wily fox to ground. What most don’t realize is that our association with fox goes back much further in our history and is much closer to use than we choose to accept. Both Iron Age and Neolithic Age excavations have shown fox’s importance to man by inclusion in sacrificial and/or burial pits.

Our fascination with the beauty of the fox is apparent in the modern vernacular. A woman who is “foxy” is attractive. Vixen is the name given to the female of the fox species; today when you call a woman a vixen you are indicating that she is of a sly an deceitful nature. From these associations it is easy to see the sexual and sensual importance of Fox as a Totem. Fox calls to your feminine energy, your receptive side. Open yourself to the joys she can bring.

To truly understand Fox as a Totem animal, you must study fox as who she really is. Fox is playful. She symbolizes shape shifting and invisibility. She is a master of the art of camouflage. Although most are familiar with the red fox, there are actually 21 species of fox throughout the world. Although there are a wide variety of species, many characteristics are common to the fox. Large ears with fur growth channeling sound into the ear; delicate long legs that look — almost but not quite – spindly; a sharp pointed snout; and a full bushy tail.

Individual species have different fur patterns and colors. From a black so dark it almost shimmers iridescent in the sunlight to a white so pristine you can’t tell the arctic fox from the snow he stands on, the fox can appear in a wide range of colors. This is one of the strongest of Fox Totem’s attributes – That of camouflage. Fox can easily “hide in the bushes and watch” until it is time to seize the moment. Fox hides well. Fox can show you how to fade into the woodwork so that you can observe nearly unseen. Much knowledge can be garnered by quiet listening.

Fox calls to the holders of its totem to reunite with the Oneness of all things. Through reuniting with the Oneness you can “will yourself away” and be able to achieve a state of “invisibility.” No, not like the Invisible Man, more like the arctic fox who lays in wait quietly upon the snow waiting for the lemming to reveal its movements beneath the snow through sound. Intent and unmoving the fox will wait for the sound of one of its favorite treats scurrying below the surface of the snow.

Some accuse Fox of being cruel and playing with its prey. Having watched an arctic fox as she pounced in the snow which covered an Alaska high alpine meadow, I can see why many think her hunting style a cruel game. The fox will hold itself completely still, using its ears to best advantage to hear the rustling of grass and leaves below the snow. Once she has located the sound of her prey she pounces. And Pounces, and pounces. Between pouncings she will hold herself so still that if she closes her eyes you can loose her in the white. Her delicate forepaw lifted as she watched the ground before her. She was not playing with her prey. She’s using that pointy snout to its best advantage by diving through the snow to snatch the prey running in tunnels in the snow at ground level. The continued pouncing was required to catch the scurrying lemming beneath the surface.

By changing the color of her fur with the seasons the Arctic Fox shows not only adaptability to the colder climates, she shows us we should be willing to accept change that is good for us. If Fox seems to be nagging at you, she may be telling you to look around and see who is watching you. Are you being observed too closely? Fox reminds us to see if we are pushing ourselves too much in the forefront – would it be better to fade back and wait for another time to make the leap?

With its long history of magic and cunning Fox is a power totem. Delicate in her body structure she has strength. Her strength is both that of body and mind. She knows how to find the stillness within to allow her to hide from her prey, but her predators as well. Around the world — from the richness of Persia where Fox was believed to help the deceased enter the afterworld to the heights of Peru where the Fox was a God. Apaches lore tells of how the fox stuck the tip of its tail into fire in order to bring fire to mankind.

Fox has long been associated with that which is the essence of the true wilderness: wildness at its most pristine, Mother Nature at her most cunning. The Fox lives among us even though we rarely see her. She has found a home in urban and suburban settings as well as the high cold wild places she represents. From the wilderness Fox brings us the knowledge of the wild places. She reminds us how to be silent and watch. She is emblematic to many of the loss of wild places where she was free to range and roam.

Fox energy speaks of fertility. Looking at the physical structure of the fur of Fox we learn much about energy and fertility. Fox has layers of fur. Short downier fur is covered by longer coarser fur to create a coat that is a great insulator and storehouse of warmth. Fox’s fur coat makes her seem much larger than she truly is. In some species the fur can be as much as three to four inches thick.

Fox Fur is thought by some archaeologists and anthropologist to be a symbol of royalty or special place within the tribe. On one of the many bog bodies that has been found, a fox fur armband is thought to point out his importance. The full bushy tail of the fox is thought to hold great magic. Called the brush, it is an important part of fox medicine. In the cold of the night Fox is warm because her tail covers her legs, nose and feet, giving protection and warmth. I have seen an arctic hair do this and literally disappear from site even as I watched her settle her tail into place. Remember that Fox tells us that watching and waiting may be better than rushing in.