Recondite Beasts of the Primal Wild, the Totems are beings of Spirit that can be called upon with a Summoning.
They resemble spirits in most ways — they take the forms of animals and other natural phenomena.
But unlike spirits from The Shadow, they have autonomy and choice.
A spirit cannot be other than what it is, and that makes it predictable.
A Totem is a Supernal being, not a spirit, and that means it cannot be taken for granted.
Totems can advise mages on matters of spirits, including bans, banes, appropriate offerings, and how best to avoid offending the denizens of The Shadow.