Whale - Sacred Breath

Keywords:

Culture. Open-mindedness. Acceptance. The magic of sound, song and chant. Becoming stranded in life. Communication. The sacred breath. Consciousness. Look to reality more than dreams. Mother and child bond. Sacred sexuality.



General Description:

The whale - a mammalian cetacean - features the largest creature ever known to have lived, the blue whale. Australia is regularly visited by about six different species of whale, and even has a whale celebrity; Migaloo the pure-white humpback whale. Whales are finely adapted for sea-life, being streamlined and possessing collapsible ribs that prevent the chest from being crushed during deep sea dives. Whales are toothed or baleen feeders, and consume a mix of plankton, cephalopods, schooling fish and krill primarily using echolocation to find their food. Whales are curious and intelligent creatures, and their large size and aerial acrobatics make them a popular tourist attraction with the phenomenon of 'whale watching.' Whales are intensely social creatures and many have developed unique underwater songs and sounds, they often swim in pods and have sophisticated social and cultural habits.

Lessons and Challenges:

Whale energy teaches us the value of culture and subculture, and encourages diversity and progression in all cultures. A direct cause of the evolution of culture comes through open-mindedness and the acceptance and tolerance of others and their opinion. When we start to accept what is 'other' into our many cultures, that culture begins to positively evolve.

There is magic in all forms of sound, particularly that of song and chant. The energy of whale can encourage us to learn instruments, or to experiment with our own voice, even if we are not pitch perfect! Whale lets us know that this doesn't matter. When whale turns up in your life, it is often a good time to get back in touch with evocative and inspirational music. Music is a healing force, especially when it comes to our emotions, and it can inspire healing and happiness.

Whale draws our attention to the bond between mother and child. It is time to examine your relationship to your mother, and - if you are a mother - your relationship with your child. Look at it and the positive things that it has given you as a person. Have you grown through this relationship? Have you become a stronger person? If you do not have an obvious mother/child relationship, look at any other 'mothers' in your life, or any other 'children' you may have adopted. Whale energy encourages us to see that this relationship enriches us, and helps us to take the time to celebrate this sacred bond.

Whale energy can caution us against become stranded in our lives. Are we stagnating where we are? Are our social groups and our friendships not progressing or evolving? Have we stopped trying to improve ourselves? Take a serious look at where you are in your life, have you 'stopped?' Whale warns against complacency, as it can have serious consequences. The longer we let ourselves lie stranded in our own lives, without helping ourselves, the more exhausted we become and the harder it is to save ourselves.

Whale energy lets us know that it is time to stop focusing on our dreams and that it is more important at this point to focus on 'reality' and our conscious thoughts and actions. Dreams can be very positive forces, but if we focus too much on our dreams of the future, or on our nightly dreams, we can miss the very obvious signs and patterns that come from how we think, talk and act everyday. We can also miss 'living' our life. Stop thinking about the importance of your dreams for a few days or weeks, and focus instead on the importance of the reality around you.

Communication is a crucial part of our lives, it helps our relationships to flow more smoothly, it allows us to understand other people and empathise with them, and it allows them to have the opportunity to understand us. Whale energy places emphasis on the value and importance on communication, it is time to watch what you say, and how you listen to others. It never hurts to work on your ability to communicate effectively.

Whale energy allows us to see the sacredness of our every breath. There are many religions and practices out there which emphasise the sacredness of our breath and the path we can take to wellness through breathing calmly and healthily. Focus on the breaths you take, as often as you can. Do you hold your breath shallowly in your lungs, never giving a chance for your blood to rejuvenate? Allow yourself to see the necessity and sacredness of every breath you take. With it, you sustain your body, you maintain a permanent connection to the world around you. It is a form of communicating with the great spirit, a reminder that we are dependent on something else to live, and that we are part of something much greater than we are.

The Shadow Aspects:

If you have whale as a shadow energy, you may be intolerant and unable to accept yourself or others. This stops you from living a happier, and more meaningful life. Whale challenges any prejudices you may have to help guide you to acceptance.

You may also have problems breathing, or fear slowing down your body. Rushing around isn't helping you, if you refuse yourself the change to just breathe and relax you may expose yourself to chronic or acute illness, if you haven't already.

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. Whale is often a forthcoming energy in meditation and visualisation, and consequently tends to be quite a common oceanic guide. Whale is a curious energy, though it can also be quite stern and uncompromising by nature, it is important to listen to what whale not only tells you, but also shows you. Consider contacting whale physically by visiting the ocean and dipping your feet into the water, letting the distant whale song permeate your skin even if you aren't aware of it. Whale energy appreciates contact made in any environment, particularly watery environments (showers, baths, pools and ocean, for example). Whale energy is wonderful for activating your life again, and learning to become more empathic and connected with others and the world around you.