Saturday, November 1, 2014

Symbolism of...

Water

Water is marvelously expressive stuff, full of deep meaning to all of humankind, perhaps the most beautifully symbolic stuff of all...”
Molly Wolf (Hiding in Plain Sight)

I'm going to Smith Lake with my friends, Harry and Sharon, today. I'm looking forward to being near water, to watch its ripples, and to hear it lap along the shoreline. The sight and sound of water can take me to a meditative place quicker than any other part of nature. It's no wonder that water features so prominently in all the world's religions. As Molly Wolf reminds us, the symbols go on and on. It is the element that gives life in the water of the womb, and it is  the sacrament of baptism that blesses. Water breaks down and destroys, and it also lifts and floats us to shore. Water, like spirit, can rip and swirl, it can swamp your small craft, and sculpt you like ice. In Jungian terms, water, especially the ocean, is symbolic of the deep unconscious. One of my first meaningful dreams involved casting into moving water and pulling out fish of brilliant hues that seemed lit from within. It is no mistake that John baptized in the Jordan River, and Jesus frequently taught beside the Sea of Galilee—sometimes, even from a boat on that sea.

I grew up in North Carolina, where there are miles and miles of mountains, some thousands of feet high. Between them, rivers have sculpted the land and hollowed out the gorges. They were running in the stone age, and they are running still. Old, old rivers, considered holy by the Cherokee, and by the settlers who came there—because they are sacred. They are the lifeblood of this earth.

Wherever you are today, I hope you encounter water—a river, or a lake, or even a pond, or a creek. Allow it to speak its wisdom to you. It will calm your spirit, and heal your very soul.

                                                     In the Spirit,

                                                          Jane

No comments: