Keeps presenting himslef in my dreams of late.

sometimes he is a normal wild alligator, hellbent on not eating me, but rather just doing a big show off thing. Rearing out of the watyer, snapping and growling, and lowering himslef down again, with eyes just peering out of the water at me.

Other times he will be walking along my path and I will encounter him. He will sometimes actually speak to me, in a language without words.

I love love love alligators and crocs. And Komodo Dragons. They are the closest animals we have to dinosaurs. They are my totem, not that you asked or anything!

To me, alligators symbolize patience and timing. They lie in wait until the moment is just right to strike. Perhaps you are in the midst of making a big decision and Alligator is telling you to wait, it's not the right time to jump.

soolka how fascinating! I think it is so interesting that alligators are your totem animal! How long have you worked with each other? I would love to know more....I love reptiles, but of the smaller variety. I had a few iguanas over the years, and a wonderful red-tail boa, named Artemis. I LOVE frogs and toads of all sorts....and that is my totem animal.

Do you own any reptiles? Or Amphibians?

Blessings Bright and Dark,

Well, I can't say I practice totem magick exactly with Gator. Ever since I was about 3 or 4 years old (really, dear old mom can testify) I have been obsessed with gators, crocs, dinos, and GODZILLA. I used to think when I was 7 or so that I was really was an alligator in human form and someday I would revert back. I would get excited if my skin got scaly and dry. A little off, I know. Then I slowly forgot about this fascination for a long time, probably until I was 19 or 20. Then all of the sudden all these memories came back to me (I was even doing past life stuff with a Wiccan teacher at the time, but my visions were of deer and mountain lions...) and I haven't stopped since. I mostly do collectables, not the real thing. And I went NUTS in Louisiana, btw. It's a personal opinion, but I think wild creatures should be in the wild, or in a good zoo with lots of room. I did actually get to pet a croc in Jamaica and that was a thrill of a lifetime. I just "know" they are my totem.

Ok, I dug this up from the Element Encyclopedia of 20,000 Dreams ( a cool book, by the way)

Alligator/Crocodile
Floating half submerged by the river bank, the crocodile swims in the murky waters of the unconscious, projecting an image of danger with its jaws and an image of hypocrisy with its tears. If crocodiles appear and the atmosphere is pleasant in your dream, then they may be a symbol of being comfortable in your own skin. Your unconscious may be reminding you of the importance of timing and focusing your energy so you are ready to seize the moment when it comes. On the other hand, crocodiles also represent the hazards that may lie beneath the surface of a seemingly harmless situation, so the crocodile may be alerting you to a potential problem and urging you to trust your instincts. When it comes to hunting prey, crocodiles and alligators are masters of disguise, so if they feature in your dream, ask yourself what aspect of yourself you are disguising in real life. Consider also if someone you know is shedding crocodile tears. If an alligator appears in your dream, it may represent problems that have appeared suddenly as if form nowhere and knocked your sense of balance. If you're battling an alligator in your dream; it means you are dealing with an intense situation that has upset your world.

— soolka wrote

Well, I can't say I practice totem magick exactly with Gator. Ever since I was about 3 or 4 years old (really, dear old mom can testify) I have been obsessed with gators, crocs, dinos, and GODZILLA. I used to think when I was 7 or so that I was really was an alligator in human form and someday I would revert back. I would get excited if my skin got scaly and dry. A little off, I know. Then I slowly forgot about this fascination for a long time, probably until I was 19 or 20. Then all of the sudden all these memories came back to me (I was even doing past life stuff with a Wiccan teacher at the time, but my visions were of deer and mountain lions...) and I haven't stopped since. I mostly do collectables, not the real thing. And I went NUTS in Louisiana, btw. It's a personal opinion, but I think wild creatures should be in the wild, or in a good zoo with lots of room. I did actually get to pet a croc in Jamaica and that was a thrill of a lifetime. I just "know" they are my totem.

I know what you mean by just "knowing". I have felt that way about frogs for years. Yes, LA has laods of reptilian and amphibian critters, it is one of the true joys of living here. We have a pond out back in our yard that holds about 500 gallons of water, and it draws all the critters (except gators) LOL. Your Jamaica adventure sounds awesome!! You got to "touch" one!! (wow)...I don't know if I could be that brave....so het, how did it feel? Was it moist like a frog and sorta sticky? Or smooth and silky?? I would love to know more...so interesting when we get in touch with these types of totems, eh?
Blessings Bright and Dark,

We were on a little boat tour of the Black River and the captain (who I think was a little nuts) threw some raw chicken to where he knew this one male croc liked to hang out. He swam right up to the boat! This is soooo dangerous to do (feed them, I mean. Well, I guess petting is not so safe either.). Then he asked if anyone wanted to pet him, and I, the fearless and foolish, jumped at the chance. The skin is about what I expected--not slimy, kinda rough. I drew the line when we went further up the river and the captain said we could take a dip in the river (he did). �

Sounds cools Soolka.

Wildest thing I pet was a stingray in a fishtank. Like sandpaper, just wet.

It does sound cool soolka, but that guide was c-r-a-z-y for swimming in that water! lol

But Novia, what do you think of our interpretations of the gator in your dreams? Are you being faced with a big decision right now? Are you not comfortable in your skin?

Also, LE, your pond sounds really cool. I would love to have something like that, but I don't think we have a big enough yard. I live in Dallas, not a 'burb--the plots are small.

soolka,

I was born in Dallas, grew up in Garland until I was 12 and moved to Denver....I went back to Dallas in August (I know a bad month) for training for a new job with El Chico....the job was ok, but the restaurant was filthy.....and their health practices not much better....I couldn't work there with a clear conscience....eew, very nasty place. The traffic was horrific....I had forgot about traffic problems living in the tiny town of Monroe.....lol...makes me ghlad I don't have to deal with that anymore. Denver had traffic, but niothing like Dallas! Whew....although I loved the shopping, and all the fabulous things to do there (still do), and I have numerous relatives scattered within the DFW area....

Anyway, our pond is deep but about 6 feet wide and about 10 feet long....my son dug it where a tree was cut down, so the hole was already in place....we hit water about a foot down, it seems everything is basically "floating" here, because we are so close to the bayou Desaird (within 50 yards). Kinda creepy if ya think about it. I'll see if I can dig up some pictures of it for ya'll.

Novia, how are you doing this morning with yoru gators? Did soolka provide any confirmation?

Blessings Bright and Dark,

Yea, Dallas does have fantastic shopping and a lot of cultural stuff that I require--art, theatre, indie movies, musicals, opera, tons of ethnic restaurants. But it sure ain't much to look at. Especially coming from the CA Sierra Nevada mountains. But, the jobs are good here and my husband is from here, so there ya go. Next time you're in town, we should meet for a drink or coffee. Yes, the traffic SUCKS. Thanks gods for cellphones and MP3 players.

I never eat at El Chico. That's pretty sketchy about the health stuff. yuck. ok, ciao, have a great weekend you two. I won't be on 'til Monday.

Sorry guys.

Yes you all provided some wonderful info. Looked up some stuff myself, and yes going thru some issues at the moment, and having some motherly issues as well.

Doing ok. sometimes once I acknowledge that tey are trying to cmmunicate and look into it, they moveon their merry way.

will keep you updated and let you guys contimue with the strolls down memory lanes, lol.