Some Sort of Symbol

If you truly hold a stone,

you can feel the mountain

it came from.

Mark Nepo

THE BOOK OF AWAKENING

When I was a little girl, I was always collecting stones.  There were never any two alike.  In the summer, I especially liked to hold a stone in my hand and feel the energy stored from the sun.  I   had an old cigar box to keep my treasures safe. 

My cigar box is long gone, but my habit of collecting stones continues.  I have some from Maui, Sedona, Key West, and Boulder Junction.  Some are from farms, fields, oceans, rivers, and neighborhood walks.  The stones are all different shades of color and a variety of shapes. 

My one time favorite I discovered on the ground at a market in a small village in Mexico.  It was shaped exactly like a heart.  There is a huge boulder in Wisconsin that I sat on during the summers.  I would read, watch my children play, and day dream.  When I still had the statue of Hebe in the yard, I would come home and place my new rocks around her feet.   Enjoying a feminine vortex near a river bed, I was overwhelmed to come around a bend and see thousands of rocks piled singularly one upon another, reaching towards the sky.  I was even more surprised years later  to discover the very same scene along the ocean.

I believe stones must be some sort of symbol for me.   Perhaps I feel the energy within them and the shared energy grounds me to this earth.  I associate them with medicine wheels or sweat lodges I have helped to build.  I have used stones to form energy grids or to experience them as a hot rock massage.  I can hold river rocks and hear the water flowing. 

For whatever reason, I respect rocks just as much as flowers or birds.  Before I have ever removed a stone from its nesting place, I always ask permission to carry it away and thank the earth for its gift.  The earth does not belong to us, we belong to it.  And as temporary residents, we need to care for it in a more respectful and honorable way.

Star Fish: Healing and Regeneration

“Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said,  "It made a difference for that one!"

Loren Eiseley

The Starfish has been used to represent the Virgin Mary (Stella Maris which means Star of the Sea) who creates safe travel over troubled waters and is also seen as an emblem of salvation during trying times. The Starfish can also be seen as a celestial symbol and as such, represents infinite divine love. In addition to love, the Starfish also holds characteristics such as guidance, vigilance, inspiration, brilliance and intuition. To see a starfish in your dream, suggests a period of healing and regeneration. Alternatively, it may indicate that you have many options to weigh and decisions to make.

There are many symbols surrounding us every day.  If we would take the time to decipher the meaning of such a symbol we would discover extended reflections about our lives.  Learning about symbols would bring deeper meaning into every day.  It is a matter of investment ... in our selves.