Spirit animals, The Turtle, the Totem Teachings and the Spirit Animal meaning

Spirit animals and their symbolism seem to be all over the place these days.  They can be found on t-shirts, necklaces, charm bracelets and in movies.  When someone mentions spirit animal to me the first thing that comes to mind is the movie Couples Retreat (one of my favorites) when they get their spirit animals from Marcel and an instagram post I saw that read Tequila is my Spirit Animal.  I have to agree if we get choose I pick tequila.

One of our more recent designs has a giant turtle on the back and while they always make me think of the beach, ocean and longevity it made me wonder what the true meaning of the turtle is.

In Native American symbolism the turtle is a sacred figure, it represents Mother Earth. The meaning of the Turtle symbol signifies good health and long life. The turtle has great longevity living up to 150 years.  In totem teachings the turtle symbol symbolizes Mother Earth and earth symbols of groundedness and patience. The turtle teaches us about walking our path in peace and sticking to it with determination and serenity. The turtle while slow moving on earth, can be incredibly fast and agile in water. Individuals who have the turtle as totem or spirit animal are  encouraged to take a break in their busy lives and look around or within themselves for more grounded, long-lasting solutions. This goes hand in hand with the Don't Monday my Sunday® mentality and message of living in the now.  Traditionally, the turtle is symbolic of the way of peace, inviting us to cultivate peace of mind or a peaceful relationship with our environment.

Turtle Symbolism

• Symbol of the world, of the Earth
• Ability to stay grounded, even in moments of disturbances and chaos
• Slowing down, pacing yourself
• Determination, persistence
• Emotional strength and understanding
• Ancient wisdom

Turtle totem symbolizm teaches our peaceful walk on this earth. It represents the path we take as we embark on our journey through life. Unlike spiritual development that occurs in fasts bursts, the turtle anchors our personal unfolding in a slow, grounded series of steps and long cycles of transformation.