There is one more spirit animal to add: the Turtle. The turtle has been with me decades longer than both the Osprey and the Sturgeon. It has been with me as long as I can remember. Even when a newspaper executive and publisher at the Kokomo (IN) Tribune, the turtle was an image on my memo pads. It was on every note I sent to others. I have several framed photos of turtles close by on the wall in my bedroom still.
Some things to think about: My wife is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa (Anishinaabe) Indians. Her great grandmother was a shaman and healer; what I see in my wife as well. We travel this life together.
In the teachings of the Anishinaabee, there was a time long ago when the Creator saw that the Beings on Mother Earth were living in great turmoil and fighting amongst each other. Creator decided to send a great flood to wash away the evil and cleanse Mother Earth for a new beginning. After the flood, the surviving animals searched for many days for land to begin again. The legend goes the Muskrat swam to great depths under the water and brought up a handful of soil. The great Snapping Turtle offered its shell as the carrying place for the soil and Turtle Island was created. Then the Creator sent Anishinaabe ancestors from the stars to live in this new land on Turtle Island. Members of this clan tend to be determined, loyal, and goal oriented. And maybe most of all, they revere and honor their connection with the Earth, Water, and Stars.
Celtic mystics as well tell us that the Turtle stands guard over the entrance to the world of the Fey, a parallel Plane to ours. This creates an intimate connection with magic and other realms normally just beyond our awareness. The Celtic shamans used Turtle energy to help keep them grounded when traveling between the Planes. My ancestry includes that of the Celts.
For both the Anishinaabee and the Celts, it is a sacred duty to care for our animal brothers and sisters and take care of our environment, Mother Earth. Somewhere along the way, most of mankind has forgotten this.
Turtles tend to be slow, careful, and calculated in what they do. When danger confronts them, they have protection inside their shell until the danger passes.
So, the Turtle is the third Spirit Animal I hope will help guide my path forward. What could be better: Turtle, Osprey, and Sturgeon.
