Porcupine musings...

The other night before heading off to bed, I decided to go outside into my yard and say goodnight to the stars. As I walked along the brick path beside the house, into the yard, I heard a most curious scratching sound. When I looked closely for the source, I spied a beautiful, but very frightened, porcupine clinging to the base of one of the spruce trees. Her soft rounded nose was searching for my scent (I have since learned porcupines have very poor vision). Her delicate paws were clutching the bark of the tree. Her magnificent coat of quills undulated like an anemone under water. I was stunned, and so was she. We each regarded the other. In the quiet and unseasonable warmth of the January night, we momentarily connected with each other. She was only about a metre away and I found her presence to be something very special. I had never seen a porcupine in an urban area. My house backs onto a large park, where deer, rabbits, and racoons have been seen, but never, ever had I seen a porcupine.

What seemed auspicious about this sighting was the fact that I saw this lovely creature at the end of what had been a most difficult day. I had spent the afternoon in a meeting of great importance, where matters, both great and small, were discussed. Decisions which will profoundly affect my future were reached and I was feeling sad, vulnerable, and very depressed. I was left feeling like much of my own life force was slowly ebbing from my body. But seeing this porcupine made me wonder if perhaps her presence was a sign of some sort. There had to be some reason she appeared in my yard, on this night, of all nights, in my entire life. I believe in synchronicity, and I believed she had a message for me, so I went in search of the symbolic meaning of the porcupine. I wanted to know the merits of this animal in the totem world of the Amerindian culture. And what I learned was of great comfort to me.

There is much we can learn from the porcupine. This gentle animal lives a simple life, treading a distinct path each day from her den to the feeding area. Her life is uncomplicated and she lives without fear. Curiosity and savouring of the moment seem to be the porcupine nature. The power of the porcupine lies in the sense of innocence, wonder, and joy these animals display; they have been described as having a child-like quality about them. They use this sense of wonder and curiosity in their everyday lives. Porcupines offer, symbolically, faith, humility, intelligence and the adventure of discovery.

They are also described as the animal totem associated with self-determination, trust, solidarity, nocturnal magic, and regeneration. Porcupines delight in the simple pleasure of the world. They are independent and solitary (although they will share a den with others during cold winter months). They display a sense of virtue, incorruptibility, humility, self-reflection, self-defence, and protection. Porcupines also show a sense of self-empowerment.

Like the otter, my favourite animal, the porcupine is loving, gentle and non-aggressive. Her quills, as many as 30,000 of them, are interspersed among the dark, coarse hairs of her back and tail, allowing her to protect herself from harm. She offers a warning before defending herself and when provoked, will curve her body inward by bringing her delicate snout into her soft underbelly. This posture fully exposes her sharp quills, and allows her to flail her tail, making it impossible for the attacker to grab her without considerable harm. Her quills are symbolic of the brave warrior and are considered by Amerindians to ward off evil. These people would often weave the quills with fiber to make cloth for protection.

It has been said that the porcupine totem reminds one to not get caught up in the chaos of the world, where fear, greed, and suffering are commonplace. In fact, quite the opposite is what the porcupine is all about. The porcupine reminds us of the joys of childhood and the wonder of discovery. There is an Amerindian legend that tells of how porcupine taught bear to trust and how to play again. I give this legend to you, to pass along the gift of the story.

Porcupine and Bear – Amerindian Legend
Porcupine was looking at a hollow log. She was full of wonder as she tried to think of what she could do with it. Could it be a playhouse that nature made for her? Maybe she should climb on top of it and roll back and forth or scratch her back on the outer bark. Perhaps, she should look inside to see if there was any vegetation for her dinner.

While she was pondering what to do, Bear was approaching her. She was excited. A playmate to share her log with! She greeted him and asked him if he wanted share the log and play.

Bear snorted, “Porcupine, I’m too old to play. I’m looking for honey, so get out of my way.”

Porcupine told him he was never too old to play. She said that if he forgot what it was like to be a cub, he would always be grumpy and crotchety.

Bear was stunned and thought about what Porcupine said. All of the other animals ran away from him. Brothers and sister Bears ignored him when he growled at them. Maybe Porcupine was right. She trusted him not to eat her. She offered to be his friend.
He looked at her and felt something stirring inside him. Bear remembered the games of the days when he was a cub. He began to feel joy.

“Porcupine, you reminded me of the joy I had when I was a cub. In becoming strong, I became too logical. I was scared of what others might think if I dropped my gruff façade. I feared that others wouldn’t treat me with respect. You taught me that when I was being a stuffed shirt, I caused others not to like me. Thank you. I’d love to join you in playing with the log.”

Bear remembered how to play again and learned Porcupine’s innocence.

This tale serves to remind usof what the Porcupine symbolizes: innocence and wonder.