In both of our books on synchronicity, we’ve written about the connection between animals and synchronicity. In 7 Secrets, the focus was on animals as messengers that relay particular information about our personal lives or our global situation. In Synchronicity and the Afterlife, our focus is on animals as vehicles of communication with the spirits of our loved ones – animals and human – who have passed on. Now I’m wondering how animals may symbolize our particular creative motif – the way we integrate creativity into our daily lives, how animals spark our imaginations, stir up our intuitions, and lead us into unexplored depths within ourselves.
When I was a kid, we lived in an oil camp in Maracaibo, Venezuela. It lies on the shoes of Lake Maracaibo, the largest lake in South America. Its basin contains large reserves of crude oil, which is what brought Rockefeller there in the early 1930s, to drill. Our house backed up to a vast expanse of rock that eventually led to the hospital. On weekends, friends and I would climb the fence to the hospital property and look for tadpoles in the pools of rainwater that accumulated in the rocks.
There were hundreds of these strange pools, small, self contained worlds where tadpoles no larger than commas swam about, eating I don’t know what. We scooped the tadpoles into jars and took them home and within a few days or weeks, we would have frogs jumping around in our back yards. That’s when my fascination with frogs began.
Over the years since, frogs have appeared at significant times in our lives, as we’ve written about here. But on another level, I’ve since realized that frogs are my creative motif. I started out writing fiction, murder mysteries, then psychic investigations of murders, and finally, with Esperanza, wrote a story that takes place partially in the afterlife. Along the way, my nonfiction reflects the kind of transformation that embodies the frog’s life cycle – dreams, , divination systems, animal totems, synchronicity. The underlying theme remains constant, a way inside the mysteries to explore the mysteries themselves.
Other writers we know have different creative motifs –hummingbird, bumblebee, hawk, dolphin. But since all of us are inherently creative, the motif is as varied as we are as individuals. Sometimes, our motif is an animal that makes our hearts melt. For one friend, it’s the bat. She’s crazy about bats, and when I look into the life cycle and strangeness of bats, I see this woman’s life and decisions reflected there. For other friends, it’s the spider, the scorpion, or even a mythological creature, like the phoenix. And these people come from all walks of life and work in many different fields, not just the so-called “creative” fields.
Animals as creative motifs change over time, depending on where we are in our lives, what we’re doing and what we need. Sometimes the creature that speaks to us most strongly is one that terrifies us – snake, roach, rat, you name it, you own it. Fear is as strong an attractor as love. In this story, one of the earliest we posted, a woman who is afraid of scorpions dreamed of one after surgery on her ovaries. By working creatively with the dream and the scorpion motif, she accelerated her healing.
Other times, a seemingly random encounter with a creature holds particular significance, as in this story that involved ladybugs. To recap: during a long weekend in the Muir Woods, a young couple had repeated experiences with hundreds of ladybugs and then saw a lone ladybug on a rock on a beach, an unlikely spot for this insect. They researched ladybugs and discovered they are symbolic of luck, but can also indicate a time when we’re pushing too hard for a wish to come true. They also found out that the ladybug’s life cycle is nine months, the exact time they had been together. The night they returned home, they broke off their relationship. By using the synchronicity creatively, they realized their relationship had run its course.
Recently, I’ve been noticing dragonflies everywhere – in the yard, outside my window, or as emblems on jewelry, clothes, decorative pillows. After starting this paragraph on dragonflies, for instance, we went to the gym and Whole Foods and I encountered two more dragonflies. One graced the front of a candle holder I was admiring and another was on a wine label. Those two occurred within minutes of each other. Dragonflies symbolize luck, creativity, messages and news, and discovering the Zen of the moment. I bought the wine! Beyond that, I’ll have to see what develops.
Fun blogpost :)! Kinda surprised the Cardinal isn’t mentioned ~ This is my messenger – well the strongest one. I have other birds that i feel are messngers too – but always the cardinal!
jeni
I think we mention the cardinal in 7 Secrets, Jeni.
Dragonflies have long held a dear place in my heart – I have one in the dashboard altar of my 71 Buick, and pay attention when I see them around … for me their primary meaning is Transformation; they live highly specialized and successful lives as underwater hunters for a long time, before climbing from the water, metamorphosizing, and becoming the aerial experts we know and love.
Oh – and the other night I saw a flying squirrel – watched this mysterious creature climbing a tree all the way to the top, and then LEAP off – I was certain I was witnessing a rodent suicide and winced waiting for it to splat on the sidewalk, but then it glided across and upward, into a nearby tree – I’ve lived here since 1997 and have never seen one before, and had no idea they even lived in the city or state. It felt like a mystical moment when it happened, and left me ruminating on it. It wasn’t until I was about to go to sleep that night that I got up and checked my old blog posts – and realized it was a couple of days from the anniversary of the death of Binny, my albino squirrel friend – somehow it seemed like this squirrel sighting was a hello from my old friend …
I remember the Binny story, thought of it as soon as you mentioned the flying squirrel. Seems like Binny is playing you a visit, Gabe.
Oh no, Gyps! NOT Knott’s Berry Farm? Can’t believe it! My Mom and Dad took my sister and me there, too. We saw the Wild West shows, etc. The good thing about the place has always been the wonderful jams and jellies, etc, that carry the name and are still apparently sold there. Can’t believe we went to that rather obscure touristy place. I have a box of photographic slides my Dad took there. Just another parallel, dear Sister Daisy! 😉 Regarding the alligator farm, the only thing I enjoy there is the many species of birds, and the monkeys. Get no thrill from the gators, however.
Lovely post, Trish.
Uh-oh, DJan! That was another one of my long-winded ones! 😉 Where you been, lady? Haven’t heard a peep out of you for a few days!
You’re right about the flooding, Gyps. It’s been on the news here in the U.S. for probably two or more months now because of the massive snow blizzards and then the oppressive heat, which is melting the ice caps besides melting the snow run-offs into the Mississippi River and its tributaries. I keep up with this because my sister and her husband and families live in MO and are impacted when the Mighty Mississippi floods, as it has been doing now off and on for a couple of months. The midwestern states on the west of the river have flatlands, and they’re being deluged for weeks. Also, the federal authorities are preparing to blast one of the Mississippi River levies as a means of saving one of those small towns. It will cover the plains with water but will save the town. So, lots of flooding going on now for many weeks. My sister calls to let me know they’re OK because they were also in the path of that recent first rush ot killing tornadoes. Know this was off-topic, but was worth mentioning! Mother Nature has been cleaning house for quite a while, using everything at her disposal! Loved the stuff about the elephants, people, and all the other critter comments! And Nicolas, is there a particular species of non-human creature that you feel a connection with? If you do, that may be your totem, I’d imagine. Down here, lots of folks are collectors of sea-life creatures: dolphins, whales, starfish, turtles, frogs, etc. If you had to choose a creature as a companion or one that you most enjoy seeing, what would it be? That’d help you decide, maybe.
I think my husband’s must be squirrels, because there are about two dozen that he hand-feeds every evening in our backyard. And I forgot to mention BIRDS! Oh gee, there is a pair of the most gorgeous redbirds now inhabiting our birdhouse with babies. We have every species from the tiny wild miniature finches to the ravens to the flocks of flamingos and multi-colored parrots that fly over from the Alligator Farm a couple of miles from here before they settle back into their farm roosts for the night. Always there are cooing doves in pairs, and robins and bluebirds. Who can choose from such an array of feathered friends!
oh, yeah, cj – flooding happening and expected everywhere in the south – do you remember my commenting about the mississippi river when i crossed it a couple of months ago – it had already overrun its banks and had covered land for miles and miles along the road – just a vast lake as far as one could see – i remember thinking about the poor farmers there with all their fields under water – even then – i’d never seen the river overflow that much before – anyway, a sad sad thing which will only worsen, according to the experts!
ok, this has absolutely nothing to do with ANYthing – but you mentioned an alligator farm – and i had flashbacks to when our parents took us to visit one at knotts berry farm in california one summer – now, it’s JUST ME i know, BUT why any parents would think an alligator farm FUN is beyond me! and it was not fun for us –
does anyone here have alligators as their creative motif/totem??? i’m sure they have some redeeming qualities of which i am unaware –
this is so off the subject here but i was checking the news coverage about mississippi’s impending floods etc when i came across this great little crop circle house –
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/02/crop-circle-house-photos_n_856335.html#s272641
How fun! I seem to find the elephants all around me. My sister recently gave me some glass elephant salt and pepper shakers for my collection. ‘Collection?’ I thought, I don’t collect anything. Then as I am looking around my dining room, I notice a glass elephant on my mantle, a leather elephant on my corner shelf, two wooden Ganesh on the shelf below that. There is brass ink well from a Mala King on my writing desk with Ganesh on it as well. And my tea cozy is a beautifully embroidered elephant. I guess I collect them after all. Nice link Nancy.
Elephants! How cool is that? And Ganesh.
Friend of Nica – Thanks so much for the link. Here is the link on elephant totems.
https://www.shamanicjourney.com/article/6034/elephant-power-animal-symbol-of-commitment-royalty-strength
thank you SO much, nancy!! i just finished reading it! an incredible and incredibly evolved creature, for sure – again, thank you so much –
Great post. I love your dragonfly motif. They are very magical.
Recently in life, the reindeer has been my motif.
Reindeer is most certainly your animal, D.
P.S. I also have an absolute passion for yellow butterflies! There are many here this time of year, and I could sit in the yard and watch those lovely tiny fairy-like beings all day. But I don’t need to go outside, because for some reason they appear to be pulled to my glass doors and flit closeby. They literally DANCE in the air! So very beautiful.
Oh, Nic, I own the movie DRAGONFLY and once in a while pull it out and watch it yet again! Such a beautiful, touching story of afterlife contact from a beloved, and finding his baby in the midst of a virtually unknown tribe? Tears and goosebumps! Love this post! From the moment of my birth, almost, horses were treasures to me. I collected them, collected pictures of them, rode them, drew them, cherished them. When I became an adult, for many years my totem was white rabbits, and I had them everywhere. They had to be white, and they had to be realistic. No character rabbits. Then a few years ago as my soul began to be drawn back to its Egyptian roots, HOME, the camel has become my totem. Yeah, I know, they’re often bad-tempered and stubborn and smelly. But….they are magnificent load-bearing creatures, aloof, regal, mysterious, when one peers into their luminous eyes. It’s as if they hold the secrets to the universe behind those eyes and are keeping secrets. I love my camels!
and OMGosh!!! i just remembered the film dragonfly!!! i saw it long ago – and was totally mesmerized by it! who wouldn’t be! magnificent film and magnificently done, i thought – so glad someone mentioned it – i think i may have to grab a copy at amazon now! thanks so much for reminding me of a beautiful film – oh, and i’ve never paid much attention to movie ratings – i just go with my own “gut review” 😉
I loved that movie!
maybe this on topic,, animals live in caves right,, and this is a blog about what??? for years the boy (to many coincidences) has known about a certain 3 digit # that was around in his life back about 30 yarn ago,,, it was a highway # a “grocery store” # and a license plate # (as far as the grocery store ,, if I find myself a senior citizen,, bagging,, which I never did start out doing,, in your area Rob you make sure you send Trish into to buy,, cans on top for guys),, but this number was around all, it pointed to and tied the 2 famous dates of the century,, first 2 #’s 5/1,, the guy does like to stay current
Have you ever seen the film “Dragonfly”? Its a great spiritual film worth checking out. Didn’t do well in theaters, though.
How do you find out what animal totem or motif is at work in your life? Would love to find out mine.
I own a copy of that movie in my DVD collection,I haven’t watched it for years. I’ll have to pull it out and give it another watch.I can’t understand why it didn’t do good at the box-office.It’s a great movie.Thanks for the reminder Nicholas.
Cheers / Daz
Spiritual films don’t do well, for the most part. “Hereafter”, “What Dreams May Come”, “Defending Your Life”, “Peaceful Warrior”, “Conversations With God”, “The Celestine Prophecy” all did not do well at the box office. The exceptions are “Ghost” (which had comedy to offset the serious tone) and “The Sixth Sense” (which had the twist that people raved about to friends).
But ghost and the 6th sense were really stellar movies, sansego. Great storytelling, solid characters.I enjoyed the other movies you mentioned – and loved defending your life – but we'[re not there yet as a nation, as a people, not in terms of a tipping point.
I agree that “Ghost” was a great movie, but the comedy helped. “Hereafter” was a great film, too, but the tone was too melancholy and thus why I don’t think it did well. In order to sell a film that’s about death, there has to be some comedic element to balance out the serious theme. Whoopi Goldberg as the phony psychic who became real is truly one of the most memorable supporting characters ever. “Hereafter” lacked such a character.
The main selling point of “The Sixth Sense” was the unique twist that blew audiences’ minds. It was a huge word-of-mouth hit, much like Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity.
For the most part, though, spiritual films don’t do well because we are too shallow as a country. I know a lot of people are afraid of death or even to talk about it. They think its morbid anyone who is comfortable talking about it.
ps, nancy – i’m sure you are familiar with the magnificent ashes and snow photography project of gregory colbert? if you’ve not seen this, you absolutely must – and so must you, trish and rob, and all others here: https://www.ashesandsnow.org/
Very powerful and impressive photography.Thanks for the link Friend of Nica.
Cheers.
Great post. For me right now it is the elephant, and has been for quite some time. For my husband it is the whale and sea turtle – he is absolutely obsessed. Here is what I found on the elephant, now I’m intrigued:
Elephant’s medicine includes strength, royalty, connection to ancient wisdom, removal of obstacles and barriers, confidence, patience, using education opportunities, commitment, gentleness, communicating in relationships, discernment, intelligence, compassion. If this is your animal guide, these virtues are a part of your natural character. By applying them in your life, soul evolution is accomplished.
oh, nancy! i cannot believe you just said elephants! i had just finished writing my own comment above and scrolled down to find yours – after i had “sent” my comment, in that instant, i thought of how i love elephants and what they mean to me in such a deep sense – i’ve always always had a spiritual/even physical connection to them for some reason unknown to me at this time – since i was a child – and saw them only in movies – i’ve always been fascinated by their compassion and loyalty – and thought if only we humans could more closely follow the dictates of their hearts! beautiful description of these magnificent creatures, nancy – thanks so much! and i think the elephant in all those ways suits you so very well!
You stole my thunder.I was going to say dragonflies would be mine at the moment,or more specifically mayflies (but who sells mayfly ornaments) because the only live for a day,so it reminds me to live for today.But,goldfish would come a very close second,as I like the idea of floating and being an observer of life.
while reading your beautiful story, just as i was literally wondering to myself if one’s creative motif would change with change in one’s life, your next sentence answered my mental question – now, would the notable deer during that one particular time in my life of which you are aware a few years ago be my own creative motif for that period? it certainly “inspired” my actions and thoughts and emotions – and pardon my ignorance, but do i assume correctly that the creative motif is in and of itself the same as a “totem”? are the terms used interchangeably? in other instances of “writing creativity” my own creature motif would have to be that of the phoenix i think and certainly in my life in general, as well –
in any event, your post has certainly given me the little nudge i needed to begin again being more observant and receiving to our little critter friends – unfortunately, the only little critter of which i’ve been aware lately has been swarms of large bees outside my patio wall that keep my neighbors from being able to enter their front door – i wonder what lesson i can take from them! 😉