Lexicon of spirit animals: elephant

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Mode of life:

Standing roughly four meters high at the shoulder and weighing 4-7 tons, the elephant is the worldwide second biggest mammal home to Africa and Asia. The pachyderm's most striking characteristics are trunk and tusks. In the animal kingdom the elephant's trunk is a unique tactile, prehensile and olfactory organ with various application possibilities. Whether used for drinking or washing by sucking in water, snatching leaves from trees and disrooting trees, or delicately picking up tiny fruits on the ground: the trunk is a vital tool in the elephant's life. The tusks, on the other hand, which are elongated upper incisors made of ivory, are used for defense and to remove obstacles in the way. Elephants are vegetarians eating roughly 150kg of hay, bark and fruits per day. They are very social animals living in hierarchically strict herds which predominantly consist of one matriarch and female elephants with their baby elefants. Herd members communicate by means of low-frequency infrasound beyond humans' hearing range. The male elephants on the contrary live more solitarily in bachelor herds. Only when searching for a a mate, male and female elephants temporarily build family groups dedicated to mating and the earlier stages of child-rearing. Female cow elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals, usually carrying their baby for about 22 months before giving birth. Elephants have virtually no natural enemies, only very rarely they need to defend their babies from predacious lions or tigers. Average lifespan ranges from 40 to 60 years.

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Spiritually light aspects:

Elephants embody majesty, longevity and empathy. As rock-solid towers of strength on the outside yet of a fragilely empathic and compassionate nature on the inside, the elephant teaches us that opposites are not necessarily contradictive but can be merged into a harmonious unit. "Don't judge me by my looks. Only when you look with your Heart instead of your eyes you will grasp the true nature of things behind the surface", is the message they fervently trumpet with a spirit of respect, shelter and love for diversity in all its forms. With its large ears the elephant endows us with the gift of lending a sympathetic ear so that we can provide emotional support for those who need it. The elephant heals through being there for others and listening, while at the same time calling for patience with oneself and others: everything is in perfect order and for everything there is a time. Don't waste energy by forcefully trying to make things happen. That which is meant to manifest will manifest at the right time in the right place bringing you exactly what you need. This is how we beget true longevity.

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Spiritually dark aspects:

Elephants are being associated with clumsiness and constraint. More often than not they have a difficulty with freeing themselves from the fetters imposed by societal structures, and therefore create an illusion of safety by obsessively clinging to inculcated behavioral patterns. Combined with an apprehension about sudden and unexpected events, the elephant prioritises stagnation over change. Since change is a cosmic constant, however, with us being an inevitable part of it, resistance will aggravate the letting-go process of bygone times. Having said that, the elephant prefers dwelling on the past instead of awaiting the future. Moreover, the elephant tends to succumb to peer pressure and quickly ends up belittling itself and becoming quite resentful about trifles due to overvaluing others' opinion.

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Much Love and Light,

Alex