Totems- Who Has One, And How To Use 'em?, Totems Options

Firstly I hope this thread is ok here, move it if not.

Okay, so how about totems?

Although I'm no newbie to occultism as such, I've never until recently had my totem come through.
It came through recently, in meditation at first, and since then the spirit of this animal is clearly doing all it can to get me to notice it;
turning up in mail offers, depitctions in books I happen to pick up, stories I happen to read, sites I surf by chance etc.

I'm not sure how to go about responding and getting closer to it, though. How do you work with your totem[s]?
I can't do the obvious and get one as a pet, it's a wild animal that needs meat and a large area!

Thanks for that guys.

Yes, I've done so and it appears it's both come to help protect me from pompous and spiteful people [I have been getting hassle from someone I dared stand up to] but the Totem also seems to have come through now because it thinks I'm "ready" and wants to help me on my path.

My totem is seemingly the Owl. It appeared first in meditation as I say, it landed on my left shoulder, a big one that barely had room to perch there. Since then I've been getting begging letters from owl sanctuaries, owl gift catalogues, owl turning up in books, films, conversation etc. Saw my first real one too, a barn owl flew across the car's path at night last week. I also dreamt a large bird fell and died in a courtyard and left a baby owl in its' place, which I picked up and it was smiling [???] and talking to me; the deal was that I'd been chosen to look after it???!!

I've done research and there seems no particular link to either Athena nor Lilith, despite their owl connotations; but I found that Merlin was often depicted with an owl on his shoulder. I can't work out which path/tradition it's trying to set me on; Does anyone know other traditions or gods/godesses linked with the Owl?