Picture: Emily, South Highlands Elementary Magnet School
A couple of mornings ago I had an intense message from Turtle in a dream. It was as if this animal-this reptile was calling me. I have had a couple of experiences in the last few months that have indicated that Turtle is a symbol, a sign for me. Late last year I had woke my son up early one Saturday morning and told him I got a "hit" that we needed to go and make an offering in nature. I try to obey Spirit when it calls, so I gathered some items, told my son to get dressed and we headed out to this park called Sweet Water near my mother's home. When we arrived we walked for some time and we found a nice spot by the river but Spirit was not saying "this was the spot". My son was like "sure it is...lets give the offering here" he insisted and I just trusted that we needed to move on...I asked out loud for Spirit to give us a sign and we just continued to walk (with my son complaining). As we moved on I looked down a path to my right and I saw a bright yellowish/green turtle just resting on the path. I smiled and said "See! We need to make the offering here!" and as we walked down the short path we met with a huge fallen tree and an ant mound at the river's edge.
More recently, one of my travel companions had found a stiff white piece of "something" that looked almost like coral but it was almost flat and somewhat smooth. I was drawn to the shape and she gave it to me. As I examined it the next morning one of the Bwejuu fishermen told me it was the bone of a turtle. I knew that it was "for" me. The fisherman also told me that there was a small island off Zanzibar that was a turtle island. Unfortunately, I did not have time to arrange to go over to the island but I know now for my next trip...
So, Turtle came home with me and her medicine is very strong. I did some research on what the First Nation folks say about Turtle medicine:
Turtle symbolizes both new beginnings and endings. It is through the ending of something that allows space for something new to arise. This ending may be of an outer circumstance or a change or shift that occurs within ourselves. There may be a sense of loss or even grief over what has passed and yet it is through the energy of Turtle who is very long lived and thus very wise, that we can come to understand why something did need to leave our lives. Turtle can help lead us to that space where we can finally move on, to let go of what has been, celebrate it for the gifts it gave us and finally to turn and head for a new shore.
Wow... when I read this it rang so true for me. Lately, I have even been able to see the "blessing" in my experience with my ex-husband. If that did not happen the way it happened I would have spent a great deal of time in limbo. The harshness of that situation moved me -literally to say YES TO LIFE! - To still say YES!!!! Its funny but ever since I have been home, things that I would have labeled as bad seem to only prompt me to ask "what opportunity is this presenting?" When I ask that question then the universe answers quickly because I have not made any mental formation on the situation. I am seeing a "science" to life now -perhaps the word is alchemy??
More on this later...
Peace,
Sistah C
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6 comments:
Hello, I googled sea turtle art this afternoon and stumbled upon your blog. I would like to share with you something that has happened in my life recently. In February I discovered that I was expecting baby #2, and at the six week ultrasound I was able to see the baby and its heartbeat. At ten weeks my ob/gyn discovered that I had miscarried around 7 weeks and 4 days. I had no idea. I was heartbroken. I had a D&C the following day, April 15.
Two weeks after my surgery, I believe God allowed me to say goodbye to my baby in a dream. Sea turtles were most prominent in this dream, so when I read your blog about what has been said about turtles I was amazed.
Thank you for posting this.
Faith T.
Dear Faith,
Thank you for sharing your experience with Turtle. I heard another heart moving story like yours when I posted this but the person did not place it on the blog. Perhaps your story will move him to share the powerful and healing energy of turtle.
Much Peace to You,
Sistah C
Here is the post from Ken!
SistahGoddess:
Why'd you have to go and make me cry! Turtle medicine is some of the most powerful medicine. I know this from my own personal experience. In 1992 hurricane Andrew rearranged my entire life. My wife of eight years was so traumatized by the misfortune and the sheer devastation that she opted to move back to Phila., a move I couldn't endorse because I knew too many people were dying of cancer from the chemical processing fumes that blanket the region from the Delaware state line north. So we were separated. While separated she got involved with a guy who got her pregnant then threw her out in the middle of a cold northern winter with no where to go. She called me on my birthday to tell me she was pregnant. Despite loving her as much as I did, I chose to end the relationship in favor of her and this man raising their child together. I had foregone having children with her because I knew she wasn't ready. So when she told me, I knew her budding music career and all the rest of her progressive life was hanging in the balance.
There is nothing in the world like having deep rooted affections ripped from your heart like an oak tree sucked out of the ground by a tornado roots and all. It is the most traumatizing, self-esteem damaging things that ever happens in love or life. As a musician, I tried to bury my pain in play the djembe. I traveled all over South Florida with any number of wonderful drummers from every culture. What a joy. We played for hotels on the beach, doing the party circuit. I had my turtle experience one night after one such party. Drummers from Haiti and Senegal had invited me but I got waylaid by work and made it just as the best was over. I did get to play some, but the spiritually transcendent wealth of it had already passed and people were drifting too the beach. I had a few women friends who were at this particular party and we went to watch the full moon rise over the water. I met one of my all time best friends then. I started drumming with djembe, feeling so sad and disconnected. No woman could offer me anything to heal my heart. Zane, my friend picked up on my pain and played a haunting, beautiful melodic treatment of it. Together we changed something that night, I don't know what all but at the height of this beautiful scene with silver/white clouds dancing with the moon, I looked over to my left at a disturbance in the waves. I never stopped drumming until I realized that what had left the water and was coming directly toward me was a gigantic sea turtle. She crawled onto the beach in a straight line and when she came parallel to me she turned and came over to where I was. She stopped right in front of me. There were about 8 of us witnessing this event. When she got close to me I stopped drumming and walked over to her, talking to her softly. She lifted her enormous head to my hand, let me pet her [thinking about it now, she could have bitten my hand off, even my leg with those massive jaws-what was I thinking?]and hisssed something to me. We all gathered around her to celebrate her visit. She stayed with us for all of twenty minutes, then went exactly the way she came and back into the ocean. This night became a legend on South Beach. I gained some notoriety for it as the story got out. One of the most magical nights of my entire life.
Your story made me cry today. Cry because, yes, there are still vestiges of the loss I felt from our breakup. The sense of helplessness I felt watching someone I love make such huge mistakes. She [my ex-wife] ended up with children from four other guys, all of whom abandoned her ultimately. I think about how miraculously we were delivered from the deadly hurricane. We lived right on the water, yet no a drop came into our condo. Even though it swamped the pool and tore up homes and businesses all around us, we were safe, protected by the hand of God. I tried to show her this subtle protection but she bolted. I understand and feel you deeply. If I could heal your heart I truly would. Perhaps this note will assist you. You are definitely not alone. By the way, the Virtual Nation Of African Americans needs you with us. It is growing. Sign up and join this social network. We are making history.
Love/Ken
Thank you for posting Ken's comment. What a breathtaking anecdote!
Faith T.
Thank you for this meaningful discussion on turtle. Turtle crossed our path today - literally. We were driving the rough path down to the farm when we saw turtle in the road. Assuming that he was headed to the nearby stream, we helped him make the rest of his journey.
This came to me in the midst of huge transition in my life. Leaving a home and having traveled for the past 3 months - like the turtle - with only what I needed with me and my 8 month old son. I haven't quite know where I want to be, and so, I've been all over the place!
Like turtle, I am taking the time to really decide where I need to be and to let go of so many years in LA - I DO know I don't want to go back there.
I am letting go of so much, and letting so much newness emerge. It is hard to know what this means, as I am in such a large transition and waiting for turtle to show me the rest of the way.
Turtle can clearly help to show the way into the new, but he also asks us to take our time making those decisions - and this is what I am doing. So patience is my middle name right now.
Turtle operates on such a deep emotional level that it is nice to find a blog that honors that. I have been touched by the stories. Turtle does talk so much to us about loss, change and movement.
Aura
http://www.askaura.com
Thank you for this meaningful discussion on turtle. Turtle crossed our path today - literally. We were driving the rough path down to the farm when we saw turtle in the road. Assuming that he was headed to the nearby stream, we helped him make the rest of his journey.
This came to me in the midst of huge transition in my life. Leaving a home and having traveled for the past 3 months - like the turtle - with only what I needed with me and my 8 month old son. I haven't quite know where I want to be, and so, I've been all over the place!
Like turtle, I am taking the time to really decide where I need to be and to let go of so many years in LA - I DO know I don't want to go back there.
I am letting go of so much, and letting so much newness emerge. It is hard to know what this means, as I am in such a large transition and waiting for turtle to show me the rest of the way.
Turtle can clearly help to show the way into the new, but he also asks us to take our time making those decisions - and this is what I am doing. So patience is my middle name right now.
Turtle operates on such a deep emotional level that it is nice to find a blog that honors that. I have been touched by the stories. Turtle does talk so much to us about loss, change and movement.
Aura
http://www.askaura.com
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