Turtle - Schildkröte

( Caretta caretta ) Photo: Andreas Korte

Turtles are one of the oldest living reptiles. The earliest known members of this group date from 200 million years ago, they have a bony shell, four legs and although they have no teeth, they have a beak in their jaws. In case of danger, it can hide its legs, the small tail as well as its head within its protective shell. There are 294 species worldwide; most of them live in tropical areas, but also in more temperate meridians.

Turtle in Mythology: For the indigenous people, the turtle represents the world. Its carapace is Heaven, its body is the Earth and its belly is the Underworld. In Hinduism, the Creation of the World goes back to a turtle. Chukwa, the first turtle, supported on her back the first elephant that, in turn, supported on its back the entire world. There is also the turtle Kurma, the second avatar of Vishnu, emerging from the ocean and forming a mountain from which the continents arise. In China, turtles are taken as a symbol of wisdom as a result of their longevity and, in Japan; they represent that thing that cannot be destroyed, immortality and a long life. In Christianity, it is a symbol of the underworld and the darkness, and as it lays a lot of eggs it also represents fertility. It generally represents those people who are reasonable and patient.

The turtle in the interpretation of dreams: It represents the introspection. It is necessary to recognize that everything needs its time and that from time to time one should have self-examination.

The turtle essence helps us cope with stress and we get a hard shell that does not allow stress to get to us. We learn to stay calm and relaxed instead of reacting to external stimuli.

On the body level: Helps us rediscover our inner peace and our peace of mind. We learn that the permanent stress damages our health, and may cause high blood pressure and make people overweight. Through the essence, we can go back to a state of inner peace more easily, which will benefit our body and our health. It promotes a healthy and restful sleep.

Emotional: We learn to deal with our day to day in a more quiet and relaxed way and to take our lives in our own hands, instead of just reacting, it increases our self-esteem and as a result we will deal with things more calmly. If something does not go immediately well, we will calmly try again. When one door closes, another one opens. When someone attacks us, we'll rely on our protective shell, in which we can take refuge at any time. We learn to do things slowly like a turtle. Our strength lies on doing things calmly and, ultimately, in this way we arrive faster to the goal.

Spiritual: Helps us achieve personal fulfillment. We learn to master our mind, our emotions, our body and the essence connects us with our soul. We learn that we have everything we need within ourselves, as well as the Earth supports us and provides us with everything we need. We learn to trust in Divine Protection. It teaches us patience, introspection and perseverance and so, we will find our inner strength, which is beyond time and space.