Fetishes & Their Meanings
| Armadillo - The keeper of the home: slow and sure
Badger - Aggressive and persistent; a healer Bat -The guardian of the night Bear - Represents strength & power, introspection, healing and the spiritual journey Beaver A hard working builder; Bobcat - Clairvoyant; knows secrets Bison - Represents abundance; endurance Butterfly - A transformer; has the ability to know or change the mind Cornmaiden - A bringer of life; represents potential Coyote - A master trickster, humorous, foolish Crow - The Keeper of the sacred law Deer - Embodies gentleness Dog - A true friend; represents loyalty Dolphin - Friendly, trusting and loyal Duck - Holds the spirits of those who have Eagle - Represents great integrity and a soaring |
Elk - Represents pacing and stamina
Fish - a purifier; able to hide emotions Fox - Master of camouflage and protection Frog - Bringer of rain, fertility, abundance Hawk - Messenger of the gods Horned Toad - Represents self reliance, longevity Horse - swift, strong and healing Hummingbird - A messenger; a stopper of time Lizard - Agile & good at conversation; Represents patience and wisdom Mole - The keeper of the underground; Represents awareness and grounding and has the ability to look inward Moose - Headstrong, resolute; has longevity Mountain Lion - A resourceful leader; also known to protect travelers on their journey Mouse - Represents attention to detail; scrutiny Otter Embodies humor curiosity & mischief Owl - Protector of the home; has true |
Parrot - A symbol of the sun, it's colorful plumage recalls the rainbow Porcupine - Represents faith and trust Quail - A sacred spirit; ceremonial; holy Rabbit - Special guardian of women in childbirth; assures long life for children Raccoon - Embodies shyness & resourcefulness Ram - Self Worth Raven - The magician, represents change in Seal - Family oriented; possesses power in numbers Skunk - Conspicuous & intense Snake - Symbolizes life, death, rebirth; Guardian of the water; Believed to have curative powers and is also associated with lightening; The Snake is very important in Zuni ceremonies Spider - Embodies creative patterns of life Squirrel - Represents natural intelligence; Turkey Smart, elusive, festive Turtle - Symbol of Mother Earth & longevity Wolf - Teacher, pathfinder, protector, hunter |
| American Indians have used fetishes throughout recorded history; particularly the Indians of the Southwest. A fetish is an object that is believed to have magical powers Fetishes can be of any form or material. Regardless of the form or material, however, a fetish has one paramount purpose: to assist man against any real or potential problems. The problems can be those of the mind, body or the universe. An individual, family, clan, kiva society or entire tribe can own a fetish, Regardless of the ownership, the care of a fetish is always the responsibility of an individual. Special care must be taken to see that the fetish is properly feed, admired and cared for. Fetishes are believed to feed on cornmeal while they are kept in a special pot or pouch. Ground turquoise is often mixed with this cornmeal. A fetish is made and “decorated” with turquoise, arrowheads, coral and stone as a means of adornment. The better the treatment a fetish receives, the better performance it it likely to provide. Most fetishes depict animals, usually animals of prey. They are acknowledged as the most powerful providers in life, so they are likewise accepted as having the greatest fetish powers. Generally admired for their strong hearts, it is widely believed that these animals are dominant and therefore, survivors. They are the hunters rather than the hunted. The Zuni Indians of New Mexico believe strongly in six cardinal fetishes. Each is symbolic of a direction and has a specific color, which is synonymous with direction. The guardian fetish of the North is the Mountain Lion (yellow). The South is the Badger (red), the West is the Bear (blue), and the East is the Wolf (white). Additionally the Mole is the guardian of the Nadir, or inner earth (black) and the Eagle is the guardian of Zepath (all colored bird forms). The power and strength of a fetish is obtained by placing the nostrils of the fetish to one’s mouth and taking deep breaths. |
