Scientists have found evidence that bats have existed for at least fifty million years and possibly longer with very little change. There are well over nine hundred different species of bats worldwide, ranging in size from the tiny bumblebee bat to the huge Bismarck flying fox. Bats can be found everywhere except for the coldest climates and represent one-fifth to possibly even one-quarter of the world’s mammal species. Bats are the only mammals capable of actual flight. Most bats emit sounds that return echoes, which they use to instantly determine the size of an object and how far away they are from it. Some bats roost alone or with a few others, but due to their social nature, most prefer to sleep in bigger groups. The largest bat colony in the world is in Bracken Cave, located near San Antonio, Texas. During the summer, this cave is home to as many as fifteen million Mexican free-tailed bats. The term blind as a bat is not accurate, nor is it fair: bats have excellent vision for seeing in the daylight. They just rarely come out before the sun sets.
Key Attributes
Omens of significant change, family and community ties, the ability to see through illusions, exploring the unknown, and symbols of shamanic death and rebirth.
Chakra Interpretations
Root
While caves are where most bats are thought to live, they have adapted to living anywhere they have access to water and a dark place to sleep. For you to be able to sleep well, you probably need it really dark. It could be that you need blackout drapes in your bedroom and may even need to wear an eye mask when you sleep. Most bats live in large communities and have strong family ties. Like the bat, you can live pretty much anywhere; what matters to you is that you are not living alone. If you feel like you have been too solitary, send out your sonar and locate your kindred souls. It’s not beneficial for you to be alone.
Sacral
A bat’s time is twilight, the classic hour of mystery. As soon as the sun sets, you come alive, so use it to your best advantage. Go into the studio, sit down and write, or spend time touching your lover. Whatever drives your passion, twilight is your most potent time to express it. If you have been contemplating significant changes in your life, the bat is a traditional symbol of shamanic death and rebirth: the breaking down of the old self, old ego, and facing your fears. With the bat as your ally, you will find the wisdom, courage, and perspective to make those changes. Drop down from the safety of your roost, rebirth your new identity, and fly!
Solar Plexus
Unlike birds, bats cannot take off from a standing position; they must drop a few feet before they can fly. It is very likely that the way you express your power is by very unconventional means. Your approach to things may seem difficult or even dangerous to an outside observer, but you trust your inner knowing without question. However, even a bat uses caution, so heed it when the situation calls for it. The majority of the world’s bats consume insects, particularly mosquitoes, making them one of nature’s best pest control experts. This aspect of the bat could be saying that you tend to be the kind of person who takes care of problems most people find either annoying or disgusting as part of your nature. Doing so feeds a need within you.
Heart
Bats are very affectionate and need the closeness and reassurance of touch. While it may not seem that way to others, your heart needs to touch and be touched. You have a nurturing spirit and use touch as part of communicating and healing. If you are in a field where physical contact is part of your life’s work, the bat can be an excellent ally. At the same time, it is possible you are overly empathetic to the feelings of others. If this is the case, keep your shields up so you are protecting your heart.
Throat
One adage says that someone is acting “like an old bat” when they nag too much. Is it possible that you need to use some restraint with your vocalizations? Alternatively, bats have the best hearing of all land mammals. This aspect of the bat could mean that you can hear what others are trying to keep hidden. A third possible similarity is that you are a member of a large family—be it family of origin or family of choice—and you are used to everyone talking at once. Just like a human mother can differentiate her child’s voice from all the other children in a playground, a mother bat can differentiate the sound of her pup from the millions of other bats in the cave. You can easily keep up with the cacophony of simultaneous conversations, and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
Third Eye
When most of the world is coming inside to find shelter, the bat is at its best. Twilight could be a powerful time for you to do trance work or meditation. Like a bat using echolocation, if you send out a psychic inquiry, an answer will bounce back. While roosting, bats hang upside down, like the Hanged Man in the tarot. This lesson teaches that sometimes you need to look at a situation from a different perspective to truly see it.
Crown
The fact that a bat hangs upside down while it sleeps means that its crown chakra is facing the earth; this is an excellent reminder to stay grounded while meditating. One possibility for you could be some form of inversion meditation. Most bats live in caves filled with the sound of echoes, so if it isn’t already part of your meditative practice, you may want to consider using tools of vibrational sound, such as a singing bowl, to connect with this upper chakra. If you do spiritual work with a group, you could try group astral projection and meditation to see if you can meet up on the astral plane.