photo credit: Scott (http://www.flickr.com/photos/screaminscott/9554964753/)
Totems: Praying Mantis by Cie Simurro aka Thunderbird Starwoman (http://wisdom-magazine.com/Article.aspx/1659/)
"It may seem odd to some, that on a continent with mighty animals like elephants, antelope and gorillas, that mantis was chosen as the central Bushman god. The diminutive apricot-colored Bushman understands the power of the small.
The Greeks knew they were noteworthy. They associated them with oracles. They were the first to name mantis, which means "prophet" or "seer." Mantis represented the achievement of consciousness. To the first people of the world, stories were their most prized possessions, even beyond hunting tools, for stories nourished the spirit. A story was the basket, which held meaning for the soul.
Mantis is also a trickster. In experiences with various birds, he exploits them and then comes to grief through his selfishness. Ultimately, he learns to give back.
A hunter must wait patiently, in stillness as mantis does, waiting for its prey. This is the predominant energy of this totem.
If praying mantis is your totem or has crossed your path, you may be a hunter of hearts, in a world that has closed theirs. You may do this as a storyteller, a navigator of the dreamtime, or one who meticulously pursues his or her dream (a hunter). Are you creating stories that demand to be lived?"
More information on Cie Simurro: http://cie.guru-dev.com/
The Praying Mantis: Power in Patience by Carl Fitz (http://carlfitz.blogspot.ca/2010/09/praying-mantis-power-in-patience.html)
In an ancient Egyptian passage hailing the mystical powers of the praying mantis, the author addresses the mantis, “Stable art thou, O mighty god, for even, Make thou for me a path upon which I may pursue my course” (Prete and Wolfe 97)
The praying mantis offered the Kalahari Bushmen a specific roadmap for how to confront their problems. Rather than rush into action, it was believed that meditation and reflection allowed better solutions to problems to reveal themselves.
In ancient China, the praying mantis represented “strength, courage, and boldness” (Prete and Wolfe 95). An ancient Chinese folktale even states that the praying mantis was crushed by the weight of a bullock cart despite having no chance to stop the runaway cart (95). In this folktale, the praying mantis is portrayed as being so confident of his or her strength that he or she is killed as a result.
