Animal Medicine #19

I once rode a camel in Tunisia, and I know why they are called “Ships of the Desert.”   I was definitely sea-sick during that ride and absolutely sure I was going to pitch completely over-board when this wonderful lady first stood up.  The back end went up first and just as I was squealing and thinking that I was going to do a face-plant in the sand, the front end also, majestically, rose up.  Me, sitting on her back, was far less majestic especially as she turned her head and blew me a raspberry!  This camel was laughing at me!

I have carefully kept my distance ever since.

The Ship of the Desert represents the illusion of life.  The beliefs we hold that we project into our world as mirage.  Is the mirage truth, something nebulous we are aiming for, or something that is hidden over the horizon and only brought into our field by the sorcery of science or magick?

Whatever the illusion is, when camel pays us a call we need to recognise that we are on, or about to start, a long journey.  That journey is more than likely not going to be in the physical world, but in the emotional and/or spiritual realms.  You are at a point where you really need to focus, because the illusion is showing us that your focus is wavering or even lost.

You may be wondering where this journey is going to take you.  It is an internal journey that leads to empowerment, and the recognition that you are the leader in your life.  You make the choices, and you take the responsibility for the actions you choose.  This journey is to help you to understand yourself, and gain clarity for the direction you want to travel through life. 

With camel as a companion, you know that you are well-equipped for that journey you are about to undertake, however harsh it may become, and preparation is going to be very beneficial.  Camel thrives in difficult terrains and can give us many tips for our survival, and the biggest one is to preserve your energy.  Some beliefs state that we come into this world with a finite amount of life energy, and when we have used it all up, we die.  But we can preserve that energy, maintain it, and enrich it.  To do that we need to look to the health our of bodies from the physical, emotional, and spiritual standpoints.  This journey requires that you provide good nutrition, appropriate exercise, and rest in meditation and in sleep.  To discover whether or not you are using your energy wisely – a good place to look into, is how much your ego is involved in your every day activities.  Do you even recognise when ego is involved?

The reason for this journey is to look deep within at the burdens you carry.  What fears do you hold, and is it now time to release them?  What is your Truth?  Do you have people around to you support you, and what do you need from them in that support?  Seek within for times of independence, of when you stood in your strength, and when you persevered in your beliefs even when your focus was challenged. 

This journey, if you are willing to undertake it, can be difficult, but can provide a huge growth opportunity.