Slow and Steady

Driving off the mountain last week, heading back home to North Carolina, I came across a turtle in the middle of the road. I stopped the car, got out, and moved him to the side. 

Then the next morning, I bumped into two turtles on my morning walk, one at the beginning of the trail and one at the end. 

Three turtles in less than 24 hours. What's the message here? 

When things like this happen, I read a variety of sources on the particular animal’s medicine (symbolism), and usually, there's something in what I read that resonates with me and could be applied to what I'm going through at the moment. 

Here's the message I received from Turtle: 

Turtle comes to you to remind you to stay true to your path and be at peace with your choices. This may also be a sign that you are carrying too much weight on your shoulders. You cannot fix anything if you’re overwhelmed. Put down negative things that hold your back, go into your shell and meditate. Get grounded, embrace your emotional power and reclaim your serenity. Also, Turtle might appear during times when it seems as though your world is topsy turvy. Use the water and earth energies, which represent turtle's two homes, to flow harmoniously with your situation and to place your feet firmly on the ground in a power stance.

I'd say it's pretty accurate as my life feels very chaotic right now with trying to balance work, a daughter (possibly) leaving for college in a little more than a month, and an unexpected move to a new house. Add in coronavirus and racial injustice, and yes, this definitely feels topsy turvy. 

The cool thing is I shared the turtle message with my sisters in the Rising Rooted Sisterhood group (It’s the free Facebook group for women of the Magic Tree Sanctuary community. If you would like to join, please click here.) and two of them commented that they had seen turtles too.  

Later in the same day, I open an email from a Forest Therapy Guide friend and she wrote about how she’s been looking to the turtles that have appeared around her to learn how to slow down, accept and honor a new pace, as she gives her body the time it needs to heal after an unexpected surgery. 

Coincidence?  

If you don’t know by now, I don’t believe in coincidence.

Here’s a thought to entertain…

What if the turtles are giving us (the collective) a message? 

Perhaps what we (humans) need more than anything is to get grounded as we move forward slowly one step at a time. Perhaps during this time of staying home (retreating into our shells) we go inside ourselves. Honor our feelings. Reclaim our serenity. Find our inner balance…

A dose of turtle medicine for you.

Forest Love, 

Julie

For fast acting relief, try slowing down.   -Lily Tomlin