The Rabbit and Hare have also long been associated with the Goddess and were the totem of several - the hare to Artemis and Hecate, the sacred rabbit to Aphrodite, to Holda who was accompanied by several torch-bearing hares, to Cerridwen and Freyja who both had hare attendants, and, of course, to Eostre who was said to have taken the shape of a hare at each full moon and whose Anglo-Saxon counterpart, Ostara, was often depicted with a white hare by her side.  There are many more goddesses associated with or attended to by both rabbits and hares and, in such, these gentle creatures can assist us in becoming more attuned to the lunar cycle.  All rabbits in general are associated with the Moon, magick,luck,love,creativity, success,sensitivity, agility, spontaneity, abundance, rebirth, and of course, fertility.

Since rabbits are often prey for many larger animals, they are usually on guard and can be quite timid or leery of the slightest movement in their surroundings.  Their ears are large and will stand straight up when they detect danger.  They keep their eyes trained on both land and sky.  Luckily, rabbits are also quick thinkers and quick movers.  In a protective move, they are known to double back to elude a predator.  Those with Rabbit Totem will find themselves more quickly capable of seeing all sides of an issue, having an increase in clairvoyance and especially clairaudience, and becoming much more acutely aware of their surroundings - all making for clearer visions and rapid, auspicious decisions.  This Totem teaches us how to never again box ourselves into any corner, and thus frees us from limitation.

While teaching of freedom, Rabbit will also teach us the value of knowing when to speed up, when to slow down, and when to double back to revisit something we may have missed or need to set right.  This includes all species of Rabbit, including the Cottontail, Snowshoe Rabbit, Hare, Jackrabbit, and even all varieties of domestic rabbits.  In watching this animal, we see that it is not uncommon for it to stand stone-still while, ever on the alert, it assesses its situation.  Alternately, we can also see that it knows when to dart away from danger or to run like the wind whenever it needs to.  For this, rabbits are often associated with fear.  Even in the storywe see the White Rabbit (white symbolic of the purest essence of one's Self) showing his fear of being late and yet leading Alice into a fantastic world of adventure.  

Fear has its place in situations of survival, as it attempts to show us how to be careful and mindful as we go after our new goals.  But by having this Totem, we will also be reminded to not let fear hinder nor keep us from moving forward toward where we want or need to be.  They also teach us that how we think, will often manifest.  So we must dispel old fears that are not serving any purpose other than to thwart our movements.  But with increased intuition coming into play with this Totem, we are assured of success and for good fortune to follow if we stay mindful and alert during all our new adventures.  Like Rabbit, we must rely on finely-tuned senses, agility and wit. 

This quick-witted animal, who expects us to view and confront our own fears, is known as a "trickster" in more than one ancient tradition.  Certain Native American tribes credit the creation of the earth to the "Great Hare" and view him as a hero, while others see him as more the trickster clown.  Either way, Hare or Rabbit's style of trickery, while gently teaching a lesson, is always soft and simply wise.  In Chinese myth, it is said that the Buddha called forth all animals to his side before he was to leave this world, but only 12 came - the rabbit being the fourth to come bid him farewell.  Buddha rewarded the 12 animals by naming a year after each, and the Rabbit came to rule every fourth year of every twelve in the Chinese Zodiac.  In Indian legend, it was said that Buddha was a hare in one of his earlier incarnations.  Within the Christian adaptation we have the Easter Bunny.  In Greco-Roman myth, the hare is symbolic of romantic love, abundance, sexuality and tremendous fertility.  In fact, Pliny the Elder wrote that eating hare meat would increase sexual attraction for nine days, and that it could be a cure for sterility.  And in Egyptian lore, the rabbit is connected to the very essence of being.  These mystical creatures, known throughout the world in legend, lore and literature, are gentle leaders, pushing us toward fertile grounds, physically, mentally and spiritually. 

Rabbits are vegetarians, eating soft bark, leaves, herbs and fruit.  As a Totem, they will encourage us to start eating more lightly too.  Fresh salads with baby greens, new early Spring vegetables, and a lighter menu in general will be most beneficial as we head into the more active time of year.  Gone are the heavier and more substantial Winter meals.  Rabbit shows it is time to be light on our feet, more active and more playful. 

Rabbits and Hares have long been associated with magick and the ability to walk between the worlds and commune with the faeries.  This is because both are most often seen at those magickal 'tween times of dusk and dawn when it is safer for them to be out and about.  During the day they stick close to home, which is usually a hidden burrow or, as with the North American Cottontail, in thickets or dense brush.  Their ability to dart quickly amidst the shadows as they walk between the earthly realm and the spirit realm, often disappearing and reappearing in the blink of an eye, makes them privy to hidden knowledge and wisdom.  It is no wonder rabbits and hares have often been witches' familiars.  And it is no wonder that throughout the centuries it has been thought of as lucky to carry a rabbit's foot in one's pocket, for they are a quite magickal Totem. 

Even in the stars we can see the mysticism of Rabbit.  Across the night sky, the constellation Lepus is the Hare that forever eludes Orion's hunting dogs.