When I was first called to this island, I made a commitment to the land.
It seemed the natural thing to do to me. The land here is so fertile, so alive. And with that commitment, my family and I have been fed and nourished from her. This land, so much history and bloodshed and magic.
But in the last 6 months or so, while I remain committed to the land, the Ocean has called me.
She has been my Mother, teaching me wisdom and hard lessons and even keeping me out of the ocean when she wants to. It’s been….humbling and beautiful and I cannot believe I have gone my whole life without her!
Recently, on one of my first invites back in (I had been out for over a month with a surf injury), I was met with actual storybook magic.
Imagine….I paddle out on my board, just my sister and I. It’s quiet, there is no one out, and the water is crystal clear. We can see the reef below us as we paddle. A giant sea turtle (or two) acts as our guide and protector as we go out to sea. It’s pure magic.
After a while with no wave catching, a local guy in a tiny boat comes by. He asks us if we are ok (??!) and he is so sweet and caring. We realize WHOA we have really drifted quite far out into the ocean….and thank him for his kindness.
(Side note: the current at this spot is insane, and even though I “know” to be more watchful, my sister and I were really in fun mode. Lesson learned!).
We take his good advice and paddle closer to shore and when I get there, I look behind me to where we just were. There is something in the Ocean. It is moving, swimming and casting a large shadow. I say something to my sister, she takes a glance out and…..
Instinctively, we both get on our boards and paddle in. No conversation, no words, just a deep knowing.
I respect the creatures in the Ocean. I (mostly) do not fear them, even the sharks.
When we found ourselves safely on land, the emotions flowed. Wow! How did we both see a shark? Had we felt it? Had this guy on the boat been our angel messenger?
With feel firmly on the ground, I felt the truth. Animals are our biggest guides and messengers. Truly, animal medicine often leads my life. There is nothing more meaningful to me than these appearances. They are not “coincidence” or “random” and the message isn’t just the 3D version….while it might be “Shark season” very few people have this experience while out in the Ocean.
Shark medicine is one of the most powerful we can encounter. I feel so grateful for the graceful way it was presented, and the ability to access my knowing in the moment. The Hawaiian culture says sharks are “Aumakua” (ancestors) and tied to family and protection.
But the most potent part of animal medicine is that you have to tease out the ultimate message for yourself. There are tons of meanings according to this or that book or website, but taking animal medicine means you tune into your own heart and soul and hear what’s for you. Animals are such high consciousness (way more than human!) so any message I get, I am thankful for and take seriously.
I’m still sitting with this shark medicine and seeing where and how it’s shown up in my life, for me.
Oxox
Maryn
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