Stillness 6-9: We’re all faced, at various times, with the dilemma of choosing whether to sink or swim. We find ourselves in situations that force us to flap our fins wildly in our effort to get to safety or shore. This can happen during intense argument, an ultimatum, pressure to do something that doesn’t seem right, or simply feeling overwhelmed by our emotions. We get trapped between a rock and a hard place and can think of no escape.
When that happens to you, bring the image of seal into your heart. Seals are supple, playful, and dreamy. They symbolize imagination. They’re helpful in channeling frustration or fear into creativity. They understand your innate need for harmony and balance. Their acute hearing (even in so-called “earless seals”) reminds you to listen to yourself. Trust your intuition, whether that tells you to rest, nourish, respond, or act. Invite the selkies into your dreams–selkies are the elemental seal-people, or water spirits, who live off the islands off Scotland and in Iceland. At night they come ashore, shed their seal skins, and play—often amorously—in the moonlight. Trust your dreams, and you’ll discover they become increasingly vivid and meaningful.
Our inner seal spirit reminds us of this: Today we don’t have to choose whether to sink or swim. We don’t even have to go with the flow. Today we can choose to simply float.