Animal Energy

Coral - The Right Timing

Keywords:

The right timing. Release. Knowing inner and outer rhythms. Creating your world and the world of others. A solid foundation. Primal structure and support. Trust in where life is taking you. Universal trust.

General Description:

Australia is home to the largest, coral-based organism in the world; The Great Barrier Reef, it is home to over 70% of the world's reef-building coral. Reefs form shelters for a range of marine life, including whales, turtles, sea snakes, anemones, fish, sea slugs, shrimp etc. all which are able to find shelter in the stable reef. Coral is a marine animal, and one 'coral' plant will consist of millions of tiny independently existing polyps that assist in feeding the coral. Corals are carnivorous and nocturnal and will often consume other corals by extruding their internal organs and digesting the coral around them. They will also consume plankton and at times small fish.

Corals create most of the world's limestone, as their bony skeleton which forms the structure of the reef is calciferous and creates ocean sand. Most of the corals of Australia breed by spawning. At certain times of the year - based on climatic, oceanic and celestial factors - the corals will release both eggs and spawn. Corals are very sensitive to environmental changes, salinity, temperature change etc. will destroy vast coral reefs. Coral polyps are delicate, and cannot be 'grafted' easily - or in some cases at all - to create new reefs unless they settle there after spawning. Scientists in Australia are starting to 'seed' some shipwrecks with coral offspring in order to create new, stable reefs.

Lessons and Challenges:

Coral empowers us to create our world, and also to help influence the world of others by providing emotional and spiritual support, as well as literal physical support (such as opening our homes to those who may need it). Corals, and their skeletons, help to create reefs that support a huge diversity of living beings, both other animals and other plants.

Coral asks us to look at how we are supporting ourselves and creating our world to fit who we are. Coral reminds us that we have the power to create great beauty and diversity around us, and invites us to take a greater role in the creation and maintenance of our own lifestyles.

Any animal that teaches about support also teaches about the value of having a solid foundation. In regards to any issue you may be thinking about, make sure that you are aware of the foundations of the issue, including your motivations. If you are thinking about making any plans at this time, make sure that you have your finances, paperwork, legal aspects and all other foundational aspects sorted out. If you do not have the time or patience to ground yourself in a good foundation right now, coral says that you can forget about getting a project or internal change off the ground. Foundation right now is crucial.

A good way to learn the foundation of an issue, is to increase your awareness of the inner and outer rhythms of life. This involves learning how to cultivate both patience during the times when it is important to withdraw and self-nurture, and also to learn how to cultivate an ability to seize opportunity before the time passes. There are natural rhythms in life, both in our own body (i.e. tired times and energised times) and in the world around us. Knowing these rhythms enables you to recognise times to both rest and enjoy a plateau period, or to jump forward into a new phase in your life.

Through knowing the rhythms and cycles of your own life and the world around you, a sense of 'right timing' is developed. Coral teaches us how to really assess appropriate timing for launching career opportunies, lifestyle changes, holidays, internal growth etc. Right timing isn't just about knowing when to make a break for something you really want, it's also knowing about when to back down and take a break.

In our fast-paced world, we are often taught to learn how to see opportunities and seize them. The flipside of this, is that it is just as important to recognise the right-timing in slowing down. Coral may be suggesting that you actually pass up an opportunity in order to recognise your body's need to rest and recharge.

Coral teaches us how to have trust in where life is taking us and trust in the universe. At this time, it is important to release expectations you may have on yourself, your directions in life, and your path. Applying trust in your current circumstances is the act of releasing stress and pressure to 'get somewhere,' and to relax into the rhythms around you. This is a very difficult skill to cultivate in a world where we are taught, in a multitude of different ways, that taking some time to passively trust in the universe, or embrace a quieter plateau period, is a bad thing. Coral teaches us that slowing down, even stilling, is not bad, it is just a phase and it will pass. Until it does pass, trust in the rhythms around you and the universe's primal ability to support you.

The Shadow Aspects:

If you have coral as a shadow energy, you may find that problems with timing have featured in your life a lot lately. You may be rushing opportunity, missing opportunity, or never paying attention to how your own sense of timing can positively or negatively affect others. Coral helps you to integrate timing and patience into your life more affectively.

Sometimes it's difficult to let go of an issue or an emotion (like anger or grief) and trust in the universe to take care of it for you - but that is exactly why coral has come into your life as a shadow energy. Let go! Release! Trust! Don't let excuses come in your way, they are just excuses. Trust in coral, and coral will help you trust in the universe.

Communion:

Like all animal helpers, this animal will only appear when right and appropriate, and cannot be forced to visit you, commune with you, or share messages with you. Coral is a quiet energy that is witnessed more often in visualisations in the background, as a supportive reef to other lifeforms. Its lessons tend to pass us by, especially as it is ultimately a slow-growing, slow-moving creature in a world where those creatures that move fast or flashily are privileged.

Coral is a gentle and wise teacher, and as a guide, tends to stick around for the long-term. It responds well to calmness and stillness, and offerings are something that you can negotiate with coral. If you are seeing certain types of coral, remember to research to narrow down what type it may be; as different species tend to have different lifestyles and live in different regions. This can influence the lessons that coral will be imparting to you.