THE LOON—TOTEM ANIMAL

MYSTERY AND LOVE

Very rare are the people with loon medicine, as rare as this bird who inhabits during the summer the great lakes of the northern parts of Canada. Renowned for his eerie calls that ripple through the evening, the loon has inspired many a story and myth in the lore of many Native American people. The loon is one of the few diver birds. It lives of mostly fish and dives and swims long distances underwater, often disappearing from sight with hardly a ripple on the surface of the lake, re-emerging so far and so long after, that we often have lost them from sight. It’s a fairly big bird as large as the wild goose of our northern lakes. It has wonderful plumage that changes with the nuptial cycles and very impressive red eyes. I have often meditated in the evening on the lake with my canoe, just listening and observing these incredible birds.

Loons mate for life and have a very complex nuptial cycle. At some point they even shed their feathers and are unable to fly. Thus, abandoning many things for love and procreation is at the core of what the loon teaches us. They are always in harmony with their environment and despite the pollution and disruption of their nesting grounds their species has succeeded in maintaining a healthy world population.

Loon people have the ability to heal the eyes of other people when they are in harmony with their totem and have very special eyesight, being able to see in situations where others cannot. They are mysterious people, often aloof and distant yet maintaining communication in strange ways when we thought we had lost them. Their understanding of the dream world can be uncanny yet true if they practise the dreamtime techniques and remembering. They thus are very special people who may seem solitaire but are actually in harmony with the community and family. They just have a different way of communicating that may seem strange to those who are not accustomed to them.

Call upon loon medicine to better understand the intricacies of love and the messages of the dream time. Call upon loon medicine to see clearly in all situations of life and how to disappear from sight when the people around us are negative, aggressive or in disharmony. With loon medicine you can learn to call over long distances those who will listen to the mysterious messages of the hidden dimensions of spirit.

20 thoughts on “THE LOON—TOTEM ANIMAL”

  1. I love your Loon medicine and lesson here, and although it did touch me deeply, I actually incidentally came across your page while looking for answers myself on my families history. My mother in her older years came to me today with two hand made rings, which belonged to one of my ancestors, who was set to marry a native between the years of 1900-1909. Broken lines have made it difficult to find even an announcement of the marriage, however this at the time in the area of Agnes, Kansas. One of the rings, the bachelor, and one my ancestors. She put them in my care knowing I would do my best diligence to search for the family history.

    The rings themselves two different types of metal it would seem and although these do look handcrafted, hers is much more detailed than his. Hers being the reason I fell across this page. If you spin the ring there are two birds one on one side, right side up, the other upside down on the other end of intricate vines with leaves a butterfly in the middle. I nearly was under the belief these two birds and how they are placed seemed to be teal ducks, but the closer I look, the more they both seem to be loons, just one of them being upside down no matter if you flip the ring one way or the other, one of them are always upside down. My ancestor and her love however never married, as it is contemplated the day before his marriage he either took his own life, or possibly his life was taken from him. This being so traumatizing to Edith, she was put on a train and sent east, to where much of my family still remains.

    I am wondering is there a place I could reach out to that would be able to provide some knowledge on this as we continue to trace our families lineage, but the designs on both rings, equally are enthralling and keeping my attention on the importance of the design on both of the rings. These are both very beautiful and have been maintained through my family for over a century with no answer as to the designs meanings on either ring, and they have now been placed in my care. Any insight would be greatly appreciated as I truly believe the two birds do indeed closely resemble to loon, and I have had no luck identifying the markings on the bachelors ring. Please, any guidance or direction would be greatly appreciated.

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  2. About 7 years ago I reconnected with my high school girlfriend that I had not seen for more than 30 years. She lived 1000 miles away from me in Wyoming. On about my second visit to her, in April, we went in the evening to Boysen Reservoir, where a dam on the Wind River holds it back before it enters a magnificent canyon through a mountain range on the Wind River Reservation.
    As my friend and I watched the sun set on the lake, a single bird swam along the shore, a loon. I grew up in Wyoming and never saw a loon. At the time I was only struck by the beauty of the moment and the beautiful oddity of a loon at that place and time. Now I see the message after reading your lesson about Loon.
    This morning as I addressed the four directions, Loon asked to join my north animal spirits. I am humbled and amazed by this beautiful animal spirit. Thank you for this blog.
    Aho

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  3. I have reading two books and in short are about expanding my conscious,s and last night had a dream of being eaten alive the people that devoured me said look for the loon. Upon research I came across a book called “dreams of being eaten alive” i ordered it immediately because it to is an awaking of my consciousness. I’m blown away and this vision and feel so very greatful and excited

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  4. I have been sending healing vibes to my dogs eyes and it felt very spiritual. I always associate with bird totems. I have seen the loon and searched its meaning. I associate with everything you have said. I know my dogs eyes will heal now!

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  5. I am walking My Path, I am learning the lessons of the land. My Chosen family were swimming in the still cool waters near sundown. My friend saw Waawashkeeshii (Deer) and I turned to see her gentle grace and watched her go on her way untill the very last… We then decided to pack it in and head home. We were drying off and I noticed two loons out on the bay. I called to them, I see you and I hear you… I later learned the lesson of unconditional love,clarity in all things and to remove myself (disappear) like the loon around uncertainty, aggression and disharmony. Most of all to listen to the mysterious messages of what is hidden. These three meetings mean to me is I must be gentle with my love and myself.

    Chi Miigwech Kind Spirit,Waawasheshkii and Loon for this lesson.

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  6. I was on Sturgeon Bay with my young children. My husband was sick with something that came on suddenly, so we went alone to the lake shore. I let the kids play in the sand, and waded into the shallows. The patterns of the sun and waves at my feet had a hypnotic effect. I felt transported. I was a young indian mother with two children at the same beach, letting them play before we had to go back to the village and begin preparing for winter. My husband in the vision was gone on some errand, but had not returned in a long time. As the native woman. I thought of how to survive without him and if he would return because it had been so long.

    Somehow, I was her and she was me, in the shallows of the bay. I panicked, not knowing how long I had been dreaming or gone in this. I saw my two little ones on the shore, safe. But in front of me was a mother loon with her babies close enough to touch. I looked back at the shore only amoment, looked back and the mother loon and her babies were nowhere to be seen. The bay is large, I would have seen them easily. I waited to see if they dove, but they were gone.

    It caught me off guard. I was in daylight, just the calm and sun making patterns on the sand under the waters. If I am native, it only shows in my coloring and family stories that can’t be proven.

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  7. Thank-you so much for this explanation of the Loon. I am an Ojibway living in Canada and have been on a difficult journey the past few years. I found peace and calm in daily meditation and have done many meditation journeys in the wilderness as well. During one of my longer meditations, after a few hours the deep silence and peace was replaced by a vision. The scenery changed to a dark, misty lake on a moonlit night. I was in the middle of the lake, floating and could only see mist and the faint outline of the treeline in the distance. From the mist came a large Loon, beautifully coloured breaking through the fog. The Loon lifted it’s body out of the water and let out a loud echoing Loon call that sent shivers down my spine. I felt very at peace in its presence and after a few moments it disappeared into the mist again. The vision was replaced again by calm and peace. When I rose from my meditation I had tears coming from my eyes.

    It was very hard to find information on why I would have had a vision of the Loon, but your page has given me some answers and I appreciate it very much. Any additional information you have would be wonderful!

    Miigwech!

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      • Beautiful. I rescued a loon today. It had tar on its feathers. I sat on the beach with it and talked to it and told it all would be well. That I would see that it was saved. It turned its head toward me and listened. Someone from wildlife care came and then took it back to the care hospital to get it cleaned up. I will never forget today and my time with the loon. Beautiful.❤️

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  8. While on a canoeing trip in Northern Alberta, I discovered the magic of loons. I’d only ever seen them as solo or in pairs and in our camping spot, there were maybe 8 of these beautiful birds, they seemed to have that area as their home. The first night we set up camp, they were there chatting to us and through the entire night, I learned that loons have a complete language, chattering loudly all through the night, many different and complex songs. The next day when a couple of us went into swim (myself a reluctant to cold water swimmer), a loon was there chatting to me, encouraging me to come into the water. I felt so welcomed by them. I truly felt they were welcoming us to the campsite and enjoying our quiet presence there. When we were canoeing out, they escorted us for about 300 metres, diving and swimming ahead of the canoe, much like dolphins swim in front of ships, sending us on our way. I learned a wonderful connection with those birds over those few days and their magic continues to resonate.

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  9. Thank you for your blog. I just came in from kayaking with my Golden Retriever, Gus. As we headed back along the shore I saw two loons up ahead. I stopped paddling and we drifted closer and closer watching them dive and swim. When we were about 20 feet away from them, we all just sat in stillness enjoying the beauty of our oneness. They seemed to convey wisdom to me. They seemed to awaken truths within me that I had forgotten. Your blog helped to give language to the messages they conveyed.

    With appreciation,

    Doris

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  10. During a sound bath session, I had a vision of a woman of striking beauty glide toward me out of a backdrop of pitch blackness. She herself was very dark, with fine pointed features. She was clad in silken black flowing clothes and veils that floated gracefully in the wind as she glided toward me like a duck on a black body of water. She was very inwardly still, peaceful, confident and conveyed a beautiful clarity of purpose. As in your descriptions, she was in harmony with, and completely at one with her environment. She moved in close to me, though appeared to pay no attention to me or be in any way distracted by or interested in my presence. As she moved away from me she merged again into the darkness, disappearing. I then felt myself seeing, as if through her eyes, into the darkness. As I moved through the darkness, my eyes wide with wonder and curiosity, a glow appeared upon a horizon ahead. It grew and intensified into what I recognized to be the dawning of a new day. The dark outlines of coconut trees were silhouetted in the scenery about me, defining our current location.

    I live in Caribbean and recently sailed on the SV Loon from Grenada to Trinidad and Tobago.

    Your writings about the nature of the Loon help me understand this experience….

    At the time, the association between what I was seeing/experiencing and the sailing vessel Loon was clear to me, but I knew very little about the bird and it’s medicine.

    With so much gratitude,
    Simone

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  11. I was given a loon medicine name by a Lakota Sioux medicine man years ago. It has helped me on levels I don’t always understand.
    The name itself is quite beautiful and has two liminal descriptive parts.
    Thank you for your offering of insight.

    This medicine man I mention has since passed on and I only met him once in an intense all day workshop but I have never forgotten his gift to me.
    Love and peace to you

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