Animal Medicine #20

Have you heard the Japanese story of how a dragon accidentally lost an ear?  It fell off and landed in the sea – and that is how seahorses came into being.  Because of this, the seahorse is the symbol used in Japan for people who are deaf. 

They do look a bit like baby dragons, and I certainly prefer that picture to the one of fierce, giant seahorses in Greek mythology  who pull the chariot that is ridden by Poseidon.  Whatever the story is that we tell ourselves about seahorses, there is no doubt that they are beautiful, fascinating, and mystical creatures. 

Seahorse is, perhaps surprisingly for a fish, a poor swimmer!  He can move forward, backwards, up, and down, but it’s not easy.  He prefers to float with the current.  They also need to eat frequently – up to 50 times a day in order to replenish energy.

When we are in ‘drift’ mode, we still need to replenish our self with good food, exercise, and rest.  We can allow ourselves to go with the flow, but also need to be consciously aware of the current and be able to recognise the right time, and place, to anchor yourself and focus on your goal.  To do this you need to be persistent yet flexible. 

The seahorse is the only creature where it is the male who gets pregnant.  In every other species it is the female.  He carries the eggs in a pouch on his tail that is the equivalent of the female uterus complete with placenta.  It is the male that goes through the pains of labour and gives birth to up to 1,000 baby seahorses!  With this he reminds us that it is OK when things seem out of whack – sometimes, that is exactly the way it is meant to be.

For us humans, this message shows that whilst there are definitely times when we need to work hard to maintain our place or goals in life, there are also times when it is OK to relax and see where life takes us.  We need to understand when to stop procrastinating too long in a place that makes you feel safe, and when to let go and continue the work needed to make dreams into reality.