The Mighty Dolphin

"What sweet mystery about this sea, whose gentle stirrings seem to speak of some hidden soul beneath." Ishmael, in Herman Melville's Moby Dick.

The other day, as we sat on the deck at the Lodge, enjoying our leisurely three-hour lunch, a tremendous thing happened.

The dolphin appeared.

Three of them. A trinity of dolphins.

Just for me.

The locals said that they hadn't seen the dolphin around for weeks. That is, until I showed up.

And I believe it was a message for me.

You see, the Dolphin is one of my totems, but it is one that I have ignored for a while now, in favor of the frog. My husband's totem is a turtle, and the frog is just a natural balance to the turtle. So I forgot all about my beautiful dolphin.

Until this week.

This week, when I have been reintroduced to the power of the water and its important role in my life.

So I thought I would share some of the dolphin symbolism and its auspicious meaning for me at this moment in my life.

Water, my dominant element, is a sign of cleansing, freedom, and mobility. That makes perfect sense to me, as I feel reborn when I spend reflective time in the water.

Water is also a universal expression of the unconscious. This, too, makes sense, as I have an intuitive skill in revealing that which lies beneath the surface.

And so it is also logical that my totem would be a water animal. Both the frog and the dolphin are the ultimate sign for me, as they both are known for being in two worlds at once, both of the water and the air.

They bridge the elements, each in their own way.

The dolphin reminds us to live with the same unbridled freedom of the water animals who frolic and play with gleeful abandon. Have you ever watched them following in the wake of a boat? They jump and twirl and race and exude pure joy.

The dolphin also represents transcendence, harmony, intelligence, resurrection, and noble power. I belive that this trinity of beings was sent to remind me to tread with assurance and grace, in this time of transition, and that as long as I follow the path that lies before me, I will overcome the adversities that try to subdue me.

I will transcend, and I will be reborn.

The dolphin are also closely associated with kingly qualities, but not of the dominating kind. They are gracious in their reign, and this grace is their core theme. This is actually very close to the topic I was addressing yesterday in my post, when I stated that I must continue to do my best, and not stop fulfilling my duties, because it is what I owe myself.

This is the ultimate grace.

We do what we do, simply because is it the right thing. We do not look for vengeance, or deceit. We simply must be the best we can be and the rest will sort itself out.

The dolphin are also the epitome of duality, representing both the lunar and solar symbolisms.

As a sun symbol, they signify life, vibrancy, activity, health, renewal, and intelligence. Again, as a powerful symbol for me at this moment, I was struck by their importance in terms of my own personal renewal and revived power.

As a moon symbol, the dolphin symbolizes hidden power, intuition, dreams, conception, and the feminine aspects. I believe this is affirmation of my new venture to provide spiritual guidance through the tarot and dream interpretation. I took this as a very positive omen for my future.

The dolphin then, is perhaps the greatest conveyer of the concept of balance, of the yin and the yang, bringing two halves together.

These powerful totems appeared, in the most powerful number - 3 - to reassure me that I am on the right path, and that as long as I remain balanced and focus on my own personal sense of power and intuition, I will walk the walk of grace and bliss.

What are your totems? Are you listening to the lessons they are teaching you?