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Paul Devereux - Totemism
Identifier
007134
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Paul Devereux – Shamanism and the Mystery Lines
Totemism was an evolved strand of animism. In this a specific animal species was seen as related to a particular clan. Totemism ...could take many forms, but in simple terms a given animal was seen to have a group soul – sometimes identified as the 'Animal Master' spirit or deity – that related to the group soul of the clan. The fortunes of both were related, if the animal of the totem species was killed, or killed in a manner inappropriate to ritual rules, the death shortly afterwards of a clan member would be seen as a related incident. Therefore special treatment was meted out to the representatives of the totemic species; it might be taboo to kill a totem animal, or it could only be kill in certain ways, or its meat could only be eaten at certain times