The Turtle

This is my hand embroidered turtle. He started as just a simple turtle and by the time he was done he was quite complicated. If you believe in animal totems the turtle symbolizes longevity. Turtles have amazing survival skills and strategies. They sense vibrations in the water through their skin and shell. Turtle totems hold the mystery of awakening the senses on both the physical and spiritual levels and can stimulate clairaudience.

When turtle shows up in your life, it is time to get connected to your most primal essence. Go within your shell and come out when your ideas are ready to be expressed. The turtle cannot separate itself from its shell and we cannot separate ourselves from what we do to the earth. The way to heaven is through the earth and both are interconnected.

I have to be honest when I started making turtles and this one in particular I was not very aware of animal totems. One of my friends in Tai Chi told me I should research them and their meaning. I found out the above information at this web site which teaches about animal totems and their meanings. I recommend that you go take a gander if some animal keeps showing up in your life as the turtle has showed up in mine. You can find this information here:http://www.sayahda.com/cyc5.html

I guess you can tell by my posts that longevity is a really big deal for me. It is why I moved to this beautiful place I call home and why I've made many of the decisions I have made since I came here. I am also very intuitive and believe strongly in metaphors and syncronicities. I believe it is time to allow myself to live my grief and liabilities out in the open without the mask. Since I have started self expressing I can't really live with the mask anymore, it no longer fits. It's time for me to use my inner turtle and come out of my shell. Very metaphorical and very literal. Besides my metaphoric turtle, I realize that wearing my mask has held me back from the beauty of my tragedies and the beauty of surviving them.

So if you are stuck in a very bad place, take a pottery class, learn how to knit, read all the books in the spirituality section of your library. Find whatever outlet you can find and figure out what gives you joy and that will give you the answers you need. For me it is my needlecrafts, they have been a constant in my life, they are my one true friend, my biggest joy. Whenever I have suffered loss a good book or a wonderful embroidery project or a wonderful afghan have helped me through. Now they are my life and my work. (btw I don't really make afghans anymore so don't ask me, go to your local craft fair and you will find many lovely ladies whose afghans give them ultimate joy). Keep stitchin.