The Elephants Know

A new mixed media collage art I’ve just begun working on inspired by Elephant.

It was during a recent morning meditation that I felt this intense grief come over me. While I can’t give a specific reason to what the grief was related to, I did feel as if it was from the collective.  As a sensitive person I’ve realized over the years how I feel so much of the world around me. Something I’ve had to consciously continue to work on and not absorb into my being, especially when it is of the collective that I’m feeling.

Something I now know from the inner work I’ve done, and continue to do, the importance of feeling difficult emotions and allowing them to pass through. Recently I heard that emotions which feel challenging only stay with us for ninety seconds. Though we can feel like they will last forever. And the reality is that if we push them down and don’t acknowledge them, they will resurface until we really feel them.

Thinking back on that meditation I realized that the intense grief wasn’t with me for that long as I allowed myself to feel it and tears ran down my face.

And then I noticed something special and that there were many animals with me as they began cheering me on. One of which was an Elephant who swung its trunk into the air in a joyous celebration and that I’d walked through the grief.

Mentioning this to a group I attend monthly the facilitator shared that elephants hold the memories of the land. Doing some research I found this from AnimalWised.com:

Elephants, known for their emotional depth, capacity for empathy and grief, demonstrate mourning rituals that reflect their complex memory and understanding of loss. They approach the deceased with gentleness, using their trunks to touch and explore the body. This suggests a deep emotional connection and recognition of the individual.

Herd members may stand quietly beside the deceased for extended periods, paying their respects. This silent vigil displays their emotional memory and understanding of loss. Elephant mourning rituals are intrinsically tied to their memory, as they recognize not only the deceased but also the circumstances surrounding the loss. Elephants can recognize specific individuals even after a long separation, and their memory of the deceased plays a crucial role in their mourning behavior.

The memory of the herd as a collective is evident in these mourning rituals, as herd members gather around the deceased individual. This indicates a shared understanding of loss and a collective expression of grief.

During this challenging time on our planet I see the Elephant as encouraging us to grieve those things we still have not. To do the inner cleansing in order to bring in a new world with more love, joy, and peace. So then we can all raise our vibration in celebration!

XO

Barb