DICTIONARY OF REPTILE TOTEMS
The following dictionary is by no means extensive or complete. There are too many varieties to give complete elucidation to all. It would probably take several volumes of books to do them complete justice. The ones given are very common and ones in which a great deal of myth and lore still survives. The list also includes amphibians which are not reptiles at all.
As with all the animals, there is a lore about those in this section from different parts of the world. This may reflect possible past-life connections to those areas if you have the reptile or amphibian totem. A study of the myth and lore of the animals will also help you to understand how they have been looked at by people throughout the ages.
Study about reptiles and amphibians in general. Most share common characteristics, only some of which I have mentioned in the previous chapter. Then study each one individually. Each will have its own unique characteristics as well. Then try and apply it to your life. What were you doing or thinking when you first encountered this totem? Does it show up frequently or is this something new? What has been going on in your life in the previous 72 hours that may have invited its essence and energy into your life? As with the insects, I have not included a Cycle of Power for these totems. Most reptiles and amphibians have their own unique schedules and rhythms, based upon their own growth patterns and speeds. Determining this for yourself will be a means of honoring them and attuning to them more effectively.
ALLIGATORS and CROCODILES
KEYNOTE: Primal Energies of Birth, Motherhood, and Initiation
Alligators and crocodiles have had mixed symbology and imagery throughout the ages. To the ancient Egyptians they have been associated with fury and ferocity-the same aspects often given within mythologies to the unbridled feminine/ creative forces of the world. The viciousness and destructive power was often symbolized as a mother swallowing her young. Inherent within this was the idea that there could not be death without life or life without death.
All alligators and crocodiles inhabit the water and the land. Water was always associated with the Great Mother, the feminine principle of life and therefore birth. Water, though, can also swallow you up. Creation and destruction and the more creation. This is the primal essence reflected within these reptiles.
Birth and death in any form are initiations, events that mark the end of one period and the beginning of a new. This indicates the culmination of knowledge on one level and the seeking for newer knowledge on others. All of this is reflected within the essence of alligators and crocodiles.
They patrol the waters and the shorelines that separate land from waterbirth from death, etc. In this sense they can be seen as the keepers and protectors of all knowledge. They are the primal mothers in whom all knowledge rests and waits to be born.
This becomes even more significant when we realize that crocodiles and alligators are excellent mothers, which is unusual among reptiles. Both lay between 20 and 60 eggs, and when the young develop enough within the eggs to begin squeaking from the inside, the mother answers and helps them to hatch. She then carries them gently in her mouth down to the water.
Aside from the mothering energies attributed to these reptiles, they have been depicted in other ways as well in mythology. In the Hindu tradition Va run a, the god of waters, rides on a crocodile’s back. Also in Egypt, because of its association with mud, it was often used as a symbol for fertility and power-with mud being the mixture of water and earth that enables new life to grow.
In medieval Europe and earlier, because of their appearance (long body and tail), the alligator and crocodile were associated with the dragon. Sometimes it had the dragon’s negative correspondence and sometimes the more positive. The dragon was often the guardian of treasures, often symbolic of hidden wisdom. Because alligators and crocodiles seem to hide within the water while guarding them, they were given the same role as the mythical dragons-the guardians of mystical treasures and wisdoms. To encounter an alligator or crocodile was to indicate an opportunity to begin to unfold and develop some new wisdom-wisdom that could swallow you up if not used carefully.
They are different animals, although close relatives. One of the primary differences is that the crocodile has a tooth that sticks upward from the lower jaw and the alligator does not. Alligators will build a nest of mud and leaves while the crocodile will dig a hole in the sand.
Crocodiles and alligators both have their eyes high on their head. This, of course, serves a practical purpose, enabling them to remain relatively hidden beneath the waters while still able to seek out prey. On a more symbolic level it hints at higher vision and clairvoyance.
Although often considered silent creatures, they do vocalize. They hiss loudly when threatened. During mating season, they are known to roar.
Alligators serve a wonderful function in the conservation of other water animals. They will dig “gator holes”-small ponds of fresh water. These potholes in the mud slowly fill with the last remaining water in an area, creating a miniature oasis that will enable it and other animal life to survive.
The alligator has a much more rapid growth rate than the crocodile. The average adult can grow to be around twelve feet. It can grow as much as a foot a year until it reaches its ultimate length. In cooler climates, the growth rate is less. Alligators rarely live past the age of 60. For those with this totem, you will see opportunity for initiation and the accumulation and use of new knowledge and wisdom occur more rapidly than with a crocodile totem, but it can also be more dangerous if not balanced. An alligator digests its food very slowly, reflecting a need to not go too fast too soon. Digest what you have experienced and learned before moving on to the knew.
The crocodile has its own unique characteristics as well. It is most famous for shedding its “crocodile tears” a phrase that hints at fake sympathy and sadness. A crocodile does shed tears, but it is not out of pain or sorrow. It is done to rid the eyes of salt. For those with the crocodile totem, care of the eyes will be important. If it has shown up as a totem, ask yourself some questions. Are you refusing to show emotions when you should? Are you showing emotions that are not true? Don’t allow yourself to be blinded by emotions.
A crocodile will also keep its mouth open for extra cooling. Yoga teaches different breathing techniques in order to affect different systems in the body and the flow of energy. There are “cooling breaths.” Studying and practicing these would be beneficial for anyone with this totem-especially when emotional situations around you begin to get hot.
If an alligator or crocodile has shown up, look for an opportunity to touch very primal energies. There is going to be an opportunity for strong birth and/ or initiation that will open new knowledge and wisdom in some area of your life.
CHAMELEON
KEYNOTE: Clairvoyance and Auric Sensitivity
That which we call a chameleon in the United states is usually not a true chameleon. Growing up, I remember going to the circus and seeing them sold. In the United States what most people refer to as a chameleon is actually an anole.
The chameleon actually has a third eye, located on the back of the animal’s head, and it blends perfectly with the body. It does not see in the sense of the other two eyes, but it is capable of distinguishing light and dark. For those with this totem, new awareness of their own psychic ability and intuition is being awakened. There will be greater ability to recognize when it is functioning and when it isn’t.
A chameleon does not actually blend into its surroundings. It is already the natural color of its normal habitat. It does change color in degrees according to temperature, humidity, and even emotions. When frustrated or angry it turns brown. When happy and/ or contented, it turns more of a light green. This reflects a sensitivity to the environment.
Those with this totem will find their own sensitivity to the environment and other people increasing. Our auric fields are partly a combination of electromagnetic vibrations. We are constantly giving off (electrical) and absorbing (magnetic) energies, and most of the time we are not cognizant of it. Every time we come in contact with another person, there is an exchange of energy. We give them some and they give us some.
Those with this totem will begin to realize and recognize this exchange much more distinctly than in the past. Trust what you feel and sense. The changes and such will be important for your own health and well being. Learning to read and interpret the aura would be beneficial.
FROGS
KEYNOTE: Transformation through Water and Sound
The frog is our most recognizable amphibian. Though often confused with toads, there is a distinct difference. Frogs are associated with water, while toads are always found on dry land. Frogs have a smooth surface, and toads have a bumpy skin surface. Toads also have glands (paratoid) on the side of the head which make a thick mucous that is poisonous. Frogs do not.
Frogs have an ancient mythology about them. Being amphibians with links to the water and the land, they are often associated with the magic of both elements. This also links them to the lore of fairies and elves. Many shamanic societies- especially North and South American-link the frog with rain and control of the weather. Its voice is said to call forth the rains.
Because of its connection to water, it is also linked to lunar energies ( the moon moves the tides of waters upon the planet) and those goddesses associated with the moon. The frog was an animal attributed to the Egyptian goddess Herit, who assisted Isis in her ritual for resurrecting Osiris.
Frogs have been known to be heralds of abundance and fertility, especially since in their polliwog stage they resemble the male spermatozoa. This is also due to the fact that after rains, a greater number of frogs come up to dry land and feed on insects and worms who have come out of the rain-soaked land. It is also associated with fertility, for rain makes things grow.
Even as adults, frogs remain semi-aquatic. They live in damp areas. They need water and all that is associated with it symbolically or otherwise. If frog has hopped into your life, you may need to get in touch with the water element. It may reflect that there are new rains coming or that you need to call some new rains forth. Maybe the old waters are becoming dirty and stagnant. Frog can teach you how to clean them up.
Emotions are often associated with water. Individuals with frog totems are very sensitive to the emotional states of others, and seem to know instinctively how to act and what to say. They know how to be sincerely sympathetic. Frog holds the knowledge of weather and how to control it. Frog medicine can bring rains for every purpose-to cleanse, to heal, to help things grow, to flood, to stir. Its energies can be used to bring light showers or downpours for most any purpose.
The call of the frog is the call of the waters. The spring and summer are the times when frog’s voice is strongest. These are its power times. Its call serves a variety of functions. It calls mates to it. It also serves as a release call for non-receptive females. It defines its territory and it warns of predators.
The frog is a totem of metamorphosis. It is a symbol of coming into one’s own creative power. It changes from an egg, to a polliwog, to a frog. Even after if becomes a frog, it lives close to and spends much time in the water. It always has contact with the creative force out of which it came. Usually frog people have strong ties to their own mothers.
This connection to water should also serve as a reminder to those with this totem. Are you becoming too mundane? Are you becoming mired in the mud of your day-to-day life? Are you needing to dive into some fresh creative water? Are those around you? Are you feeling waterlogged, becoming bogged down, or drowning in emotions?
Frogs are tuned keenly to sound. Over each ear canal is a round membrane, a tympanic organ-which enables them to recognize and respond to certain sounds and their locations. Science has known for a long time that water is one of the best conductors of sound. This sensitivity to sound should be developed by frog people. Their taste in music will probably not run mainstream, but they can learn to use their voice to stir the emotions and to call for the rains or change the climatic conditions of their own lives.
LIZARDS
KEYNOTE: Subtlety of Perception
Lizard is an animal of great subtlety. Its movements are quick. It has four legs and can run with great speed. Some lizards can live in the house, and they help to control the insect populations. The gecko lizard is one of the few reptiles that has a voice, and this should be meditated upon by anyone that has it as a totem. The Komodo dragon of Indonesia is a monitor lizard, and it is the largest of all lizards. If at all possible, try to identify the kind of lizard and study it individually.
Most lizards have long tails which help them maintain balance and can also serve as a defense mechanism, as you will learn later. Most also have a crested back, ruffs, or spines. These serve as protection but they are also very symbolic. Some have ruffs about the neck. The neck is an area that bridges the higher and the lower, and lizards with them are those that can teach you how to bridge the subconscious with the conscious-dreaming with waking. They can stimulate lucid dreaming.
Those with spines and crests along the spine usually reflect that the sensitivities of the chakras are heightened or about to be. Are you being too sensitive or not sensitive enough? Are you being too picky or are you missing the obvious? It can also reflect that the kundalini or life force is active and flowing strongly, which will heighten all sensitivities-physical, emotional, mental, psychic, and spiritual.
A lizard has an ability to recognize the subtlest insect movements, and it can remain still or relatively so to mislead its prey or protect itself. This indicates that your intuition and psychic perceptions are either already active or about to be activated more strongly. Pay attention.
There are a number of characteristics that distinguish a lizard from other reptiles. They too, have a dry skin, and like many, they also have claws. They are also sensitive to vibrations in the ground. They feel it with their feet, tail, and body. Their eyes are sharp with an ability to detect the slightest movement around them. They also have acute hearing.
All of these characteristics give it a symbolism associated with the psychic and the intuitive. The ability to perceive subtle movement-physical and ethereal, waking or sleeping-is what lizard medicine teaches. To some within the Native American tradition, the lizard is associated with dreamtime.70 Dreams contain some of the subtlest perceptions of the mind of which we may not be conscious. They are translated to us through dreams to make us more conscious. These can be fears or foreshadowings, but almost always they are the things to which we do not pay attention.
Individuals with a lizard totem should listen to their own intuition over anyone else’s. Lizard usually reflects heightened sensitivity. You feel what others may not. You will see things that others may miss. You will hear things that are not being said. No matter how strange it may seem, learning to follow those perceptions is what will enable you to succeed most frequently.
One of the most significant characteristics of some lizards and their claim to fame is the ability of the tail to come off. A predator may grab for it, its paw landing upon the tail, only to be surprised as the tail breaks off and the lizard scampers to freedom. The lizard then begins the process of growing another in its place.
This detachment is also part of what lizard can teach. They can help us to become more detached in life to survive. Sometimes it is necessary to separate ourselves or part of ourselves from others to be able to do the things we must desire to do. The lizard helps us to awaken that ability for objective detachment so that it can occur with the least amount of difficulty. Lizard can show up to help us break from the past. It may even indicate a need to explore new realms and follow your own impulses before you get swallowed up in what is not beneficial for you.
Like most reptiles, the lizard will often bask in the sun. It is cold-blooded, and it needs the warmth of the sun to stay warm. This basking is often a feigned sleep, and it serves a secondary purpose of fooling insects that may mistakenly come too close. This ability of feigning sleep while basking in the sun is sometimes related to controlling the sleep state-especially dreams. Lizard, as mentioned earlier, is the totem that can help us understand and use this state more effectively.
SNAKE
KEYNOTE: Rebirth, Resurrection, Initiation, and Wisdom
Of all the reptiles-and maybe even all animals-the snake has been the subject of great controversy and paradox. Religious sources argue over whether it is the symbol of the higher or the lower. Sometimes seen as devil and sometimes as healer, it is an animal that truly has earned the mythical reputation.
In the Americas, the snake served as a prominent symbol in art and lore. To the Native Americans, the snake is a symbol of transformation and healing. Snake ceremonies involved learning to transmute the poisons within the body after being bitten multiple times. Survival of this would then enable the individual to transmute all poisons-physical or otherwise. It activated the energy of kill or cure, ultimately leading to dramatic healings.
In the Meso-American societies, the serpent or snake was depicted as feathered and flying. It was a symbol of their greatest god and hero, QuetzalcoatI. Quetzalcoatl’s story is the myth of a dying god who would someday return. In many ways he was the patron god of the Toltecs, and it was said that the heavens and stars and all the motions of the universe were under his dominion. “He was the master of the winds and of the clouds and the protecting genius of his people.”71
In Greece the snake was also a symbol of alchemy and healing. The god Hermes carried a staff upon which were entwined two snakes. This caduceus symbol is the primary symbol of modern medicine and doctors. It is a symbol of wisdom expressed through healing.
In India the goddess Vinata was the mother of snakes and a symbol of water and the underworld. Also in India there were demigods, Nagas and their beautiful wives, Naginis, who were usually depicted as half cobra and half deity. The god Vishnu is often depicted sleeping on the serpent of eternity called Ananta. Shiva wears snakes for bracelets and necklaces, representing sexuality.
The serpent and snake has long been a symbol of the sexual/creative life force within humans as is taught in Eastern traditions. The kundalini or serpent fire lies coiled at the base of the spine. As we grow and develop, the primal energy is released, rising up the spine. This in turn activates energy centers in the body and the mind, opening new dimensions and levels of awareness, health, and creativity.
In Chinese astrology one of every twelve years is named for the snake. Those born within that year are believed to have the qualities of compassion, clairvoyance and charm. They usually need to learn lessons associated with forgiveness, superstitiousness and possessiveness as well. A study of Chinese astrology will help you with this.
In Egypt the snake has also had mystical significance. The uraeus is a head band in the shape of the snake. The head of the snake rests and sticks out at the brow area. It was believed to represent a state of inner sight and control of the universe. It was a symbol WOrn by those who were initiated. Some believe it to be a variations of the eye of Horus, while others see it as the sacred eye of Ra. It represented a certain degree of wisdom and understanding.72
Because it sheds its skin, the snake has long been a symbol of death and rebirth. It sheds its skin as it outgrows the old. This death and rebirth cycle is part of what snake represents. It has ties and significance to the ancient alchemists and their symbolic transmutation of lead into gold. This is associated with higher wisdom that comes with the passing of time. This cycle of death and rebirth is often symbolized by the ouroborus, the ancient image of a snake swallowing its own tail. It is the symbol of eternity.
Before the snake begins to shed its skin, its eyes will begin to cloud over. It gives the snake a trancelike appearance. To many mystics and shamans this indicated the ability of the snake to move between the realms of the living and the dead, of crossing over from life to death and then back to life again. As the skin begins to shed, the eyes begin to clear as if they will see the world anew. For this reason, alchemists often believed that wisdom and new knowledge would lead to death and rebirth, enabling the individual to see the world from an entirely new perspective.
The snake has often been depicted, along with its relatives, the serpent and dragon, as a guardian. It is found in myth and lore guarding treasures, the springs of life or sacred places. The snake/serpent guarded the tree on which the golden fleece hung in the Greek tale of Jason and the argonauts.
The snake is sinuous and fast. Although many people think of them as slimy, their skin is very dry. In fact, humans are slimier than snakes. If a human runs his or her hand on the floor, it will pick up dirt. A snake’s skin will not which is why it is able to slide and move in the manner it does.
A snake attacks quickly. It raises itself up and strikes quick, hard, and true to its mark. It is not unusual to find that those with this totem can respond the same way if need be. It is best not to anger snake people. Although slow to lose their tempers, once lost, their bite is quick, sharp, and direct. They almost always hit their mark. They may end up swallowing you whole or just poisoning you in someway.
Anytime a snake shows up as a totem, you can expect death and rebirth to occur in some area of your life. This rarely reflects an actual death but rather a transition. Look for a change in conditions and a movement to new life. examine what is going on around you. Are you needing to make changes but aren’t for some reason? Are you trying to force change too quickly? Are you striking out at people and shouldn’t? Are you not striking and should? Remember that a snake not only uses its venom and bite to overcome prey, but also for defense. What is needing to be healed? What new opportunities are surfacing that you need to strike out for and take advantage of?
It can also reflect that your own creative forces are awakening. The stimulation of the kundalini usually has physiological as well as spiritual consequences. Physiologically it can activate the sexual drive, bring more energy, etc. Spiritually it can stimulate greater perception of how to apply your insight and intuition. Your own vision and intuition will become more accurate.
To understand the specific role your snake totem will play within your life, first begin by examining the form it takes. This alone will tell you much. Every snake has a head, body, and tail, and there are a wide variety of snakes. Some are poisonous, almost all can bite, and some squeeze and strangle their prey by coiling around it. Examine your snake’s markings, and the patterns of its scales. A diamond-back rattler is named for its pattern of scales. Examine the significance of geometric shapes. This will help you to define the role the snake will have in your life.
The rattlesnake, for example, moves around only during the cool hours of the night. Extreme heat is deadly to it. You may find for yourself that becoming more nocturnal would be of benefit. It has a sidewinding motion to its movement. It also has a special sense organ, a small pit in the head that reacts to heat put out by other creatures. This is how it senses its prey. On a symbolic level this indicates for those with this totem an increasing sensitivity to the auras of others. You may start seeing them soon, but you will definitely start sensing them. Trust what you feel around others, no matter how strange it may seem.
Always examine some of the qualities and characteristics of the snake in general. Snakes are carnivorous. They swallow their prey whole. To be able to do this, their jaws will unhinge. The mouth is where we take in nutrition in the form of food. This unhinging ability of the snake reflects the increased ability for those with this totem to swallow and absorb greater amounts of nutrition for the head, i.e., knowledge. Learning opportunities, formal and informal, will surface frequently. Usually with a snake totem, there is little chance of overloading the brain circuits. You will be able to swallow and digest whatever you take in.
Some people have associated hypnotic qualities with the snake because of its stare. The unblinking stare occurs because the snake has no eyelids. Learning to use the eyes to mesmerize and look into the hearts and souls of others directly is part of what traditional snake medicine can teach. It may even indicate a need to look more closely into your own heart and soul.
Snakes have a keen sense of smell. They actually smell with their tongue, which is why it flicks in and out so much. Inside the mouth of the snake in the roof is an organ called the Jacobson’s organ. This organ enables the snake to assimilate the air around them. This organ helps them to taste the air and its odors, helping then to locate food sources.
The sense of smell is linked to higher forms of discrimination and spiritual idealism. Individuals with the snake totem will find themselves extremely sensitive to smells and fragrances. Aromatherapy may be a form of healing that is beneficial to explore. They should pay attention to what is going on around them. Do things really smell right around you? Make sure that you are very discriminating about what you say and to whom-and with what you involve yourself?
Snakes are symbols of change and healing. They have speed and agility, so those who have snakes come into their life will usually find the changes and shifts occur quickly and are soon recognized and defined. When snake comes into your life you can look for a rebirth into new powers of creativity and wisdom.
TURTLE
KEYNOTE: Motherhood, Longevity, Awakening to Opportunities
As a group, turtles are more ancient than any other vertebrate animal. There are around 250 kinds, 48 of which are found in the United States. Turtles are usually distinguished from tortoises in that tortoises are landbound. Turtles live in and around the water.
A great deal of mythology exists in regard to the turtle. In the Far East, the shell was a symbol of heaven, and the square underside was a symbol of earth. The turtle was an animal whose magic could help you unite heaven and earth within your own life. A symbol of the turtle was an invitation for the blessings of both heaven and earth.
In Japan is a story, “The Tale of Urashima,” of a man who stops some boys from picking on a turtle. He chases the boys away and helps the turtle get to the water. Instead of swimming away, the turtle remains close and thanks the man. As a reward for his help, the turtle takes the man on his back deep beneath the ocean to the land of the King of the Ocean. He is honored and rewarded by the king, for the turtle was one of his favorite animals. He gives his daughter, a beautiful water sprite, to him in marriage. He finds true love for the first time.
The turtle is a shore creature, using the land and the water. All shore areas are associated with doorways to the Faerie Realm. The turtle is sometimes known as the keeper to the doors. Turtles thus were often seen as signs of fairy contact and the promise of fairy rewards.
In Nigeria, the turtle was a symbol of the female sex organs and sexuality. To the Native Americans, it was associated with the lunar cycle, menstruation, and the power of the female energies. The markings and sections on some turtles total thirteen. In the lunar calendar, there are either thirteen full moons or thirteen new moons alternating each year. Many believe this is where the association with the female energies originated. Turtle is the symbol of the primal mother.
Because of its great age and its slow metabolism, the turtle is also associated with longevity. Long life and grounded ness within life is part of what is associated with the turtle. It does not move fast. It is as if, on some level, turtle knows it has all the time in the world. Turtle medicine can teach new perceptions about time and our relationship with it.
Turtles have amazing survival skills and strategies. They hear well. Actually, they sense vibrations in the water through their skin and shell. Turtles are also able to distinguish some colors, and they do have a sense of smell. Turtle totems hold the mystery of awakening the senses-on both physical and spiritual levels. Turtle stimulates hearing and clairaudience. It can help with vision and clairvoyance. It heightens the sense of smell and higher discrimination.
If turtle has shown up, you may need to ask yourself some questions. Are you not seeing what you should? Are you not hearing what you should? Are you or those around you not using discrimination?
If at all possible, try to identify the individual turtle. Although there are many kinds, with a little effort this can be accomplished, often from the shell. Different turtles do have different kinds of shells. Every turtle has at least one characteristic that makes it stand out, and which usually has great symbolic significance. A snapping turtle may indicate the ability to grab and use the mouth and all associated with it (voice, sound, digestion) in new ways. A box turtle has hinge-like openings in the front and back that it can retreat into, and it can teach how to protect yourself more solidly. A painted turtle may be able to teach you the power and use of color. A sea turtle is fully aquatic, and the symbolism of water should be studied and reflected upon.
Turtles carry their home on their back. Contrary to depiction in cartoons and such, turtles can not leave their shells. The shell is actually the backbone and ribs of the turtle. It serves as home and shelter for it. Although some believe it impossible, if a turtle is flipped onto its back it can right itself. It uses its strong neck and head to flip itself over. For those with this totem, it is a reminder to use your own head and knowledge to right yourself when your world gets topsy turvy. Sometimes turtles show up as a totem to help us during such times.
Turtles are omnivorous. They eat insects, plants, fish, amphibians, and even small mammals on occasion. They are opportunistic. When turtle shows up in your life it is usually a reminder to pay attention or you will miss opportunities. To the Native Americans, the turtle was a symbol of Mother Earth and a reminder that she provides for all of our needs. Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees, and turtle can slow us down to help us see our opportunities.
Turtles do have a slow metabolism, and this can be a strong reminder. Is our life becoming too hectic? Are we not taking time for ourselves? Are we so busy that we can’t really see what is going on? Are we going too slow and need to pick up the pace a little? Turtle can help you to decide.
Turtle is the favorite food of raccoons. Those with a turtle totem should also study the significance of the raccoon. It will help you to understand the interplay of energies manifesting within your life. It is believed that turtles use the sun to make vitamin D. Those with a turtle totem may need to check their own vitamin intake and adjust diet and vitamin supplements so that enough vitamin D is taken into the system.
All turtles must come ashore to lay their eggs, and they are usually buried. When the eggs hatch, the young are on their own. They in turn must make their way to the waters. This link between water and land, especially for the purpose of reproduction has great significance. It should be meditated upon by anyone with a turtle totem. The water is the great creative source that we can draw on and live in, but we also have to come out of it and apply that creativity within the physical world-on land. It also hints at needing to think things through carefully before acting upon them.
If turtle has shown up in your life, it is time to get connected to your most primal essence. Go within your shell and come out when your ideas are ready to be expressed. It is time to recognize that there is an abundance out there for you. It doesn’t have to be gotten quickly and immediately. Take your time and let the natural flow work for you. Too much, too soon, can upset the balance. Turtle reminds us that all we need for all that we do is available to us, if we approach it in the right manner and time.
Turtles remind us that the way to heaven is through the earth. In Mother Earth is all that we need. She will care for us, protect us, and nurture us, as long as we do the same for her. For that to happen, we must slow down and heighten our sensibilities. We must see the connection to all things. Just as the turtle cannot separate itself from its shell, neither can we separate ourselves from what we do to the Earth.
70. Sams, pp. 181–183.
71. Hall, Manly P. Twelve World Teachers (Los Angeles: Philosophical Research SOCiety, Inc., 1965), p. 223.
72. Hope, Murray. Practical Egyptian Magic (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1984), p. 108.
