By medicine, I'm obviously referring to the symbolic qualities of the turtle and what these fascinating creatures can teach us. Turns out turtles have been showing up quite a bit lately in my life. The other week on my walk around the lake, I spied 2 large turtles foraging around in the mud. I stood and watched them for a long time, although I wasn't close enough to identify them. A day or so later, I spotted a box turtle on a path very close to my home. And over the weekend, I spotted another box turtle not far from the main road.Then I thought, "maybe the turtles are talking to me!" Because I recalled that the theme for the upcoming Fall session of the Cherokee Full Circle workshop is--turtle medicine! I'm still planning to attend, and the entire workshop is based around the symbolism of turtles in the Cherokee tradition.
Funny how these things come together. So I've been reading up on turtle symbolism and taking notes. If you'd like to know more, just google "turtle totem" and you can read for days. But here's what stood out to me.
- Because of their longevity and slow mannerisms, turtles can teach us new perspectives on time and our relationship to it. It may be time to slow down and and go with the flow of life rather than against it.
- The turtle's shell has lots of symbolism. It may indicate we should withdraw to nurture our ideas until they're ready for expression. Or it may signal that we need to set up boundaries for personal protection from situations or persons.
- Turtles often symbolize the Earth itself, and some traditions even once believed the Earth sat on top of a turtle's shell. It can be a call to ground yourself more closely to the Earth, to the basics, to nature, and to tune into the Earth's energies rather than your own to better navigate life.
- Since turtles can live on land or in the water, they are often seen as a symbolic bridge between this world and the Faerie realm (not exactly sure how that works--but it sounds fun!).
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