Turtle Clan (for Jan

“The Turtle’s teachings are so beautiful. So very special. It teaches us that everything you are, everything you need and everything you bring to the world is inside you, not external, and you carry it with you, and are not limited to a place, space or time.” – Eileen Anglin

One day Creator was in a weird mood, a cranky mood, he never got enough sleep and he was hungry.  That will do it, for sure.  

He went to the nearest village where the smell of cooking fish drew him in.  He asked for some and they warned him, "it is still too hot", but he was absent-minded due to lack of sleep and as he reached for some, it burned his hand.  His day just got worse. 
He ran to the river to cool his burned hand, and on the way there, tripped over a turtle that was warming herself on the beach.  Sad to say, he almost squished her because she did not yet have a hard shell.  He cooled his hand and went back to his own wigwam, deciding it was best to start again.  He had a nap to soothe his burned mind, hand, and thoughts.

Later, when he woke, he realized he must go back to Turtle and tell her he was so sorry for driving her deep into the mud and ask if she had and bumps or bruises from his misstep.  She was still on the beach, stuck in the mud and blinking sand out of her eyes.  "Oh, what can I do to make this up to you?  I am so sorry for landing on you."  She would not answer for she had sand in her mouth, so Creator went back to his wigwam to think u a way to show hr he was sorry.

He sat for hours trying to find a way to make it all up to her.  He smudged and spent time really trying to solve his accidental misdeed.  Turtle was such a gentle soul and he certainly never meant to hurt her.  Finally, he decided to go back down to the riverbank to see if he could come up with something.  He wandered and wandered, through the shells on the beach until he stubbed his toe and he knew he had the answer.  He collected two of the largest and carried them back to where Turtle was.  The story came to him as he walked back to where Turtle was.

"Turtle, Turtle, where are you?"  A muffled, sandy reply, weak and unsteady, called from the sand, "I am here where you bumbled me."  "I have a gift for you," he said, and he carefully pulled her from the sand.  "Look, he said, as he put one shell over top of her.  This is like Mother Earth, " and underneath, he put a flatter stone and cupped them together.  She blinked again and again at this wonder.  

"Here", he said, "now you can never be squished by mistake again.  If danger comes, you can quickly pull into your shell and be safe. And, he turned her to face him and said, "Look, there are mountains and hills and plains and your shell is divided into segments like Mother Earth."  He became quite excited at what he had done, "And, look, your legs will each point to a direction and your head will tell you where you are going."  His story came the more he told it:  "And you will always carry your home with you.  In fact, now you can float on water, swim on water, and walk on land."  He was quite excited and Turtle was quite grateful.  

She is still that way, today.  Turtle has this earth named for her, "Turtle Island".  In her gratitude, she carried the Earth on her shell and lives so long that she carries the history of the very earth on her back.  She teaches us to realize that our very soul is inside our own shell, our aura, our elastic skin.  She teaches us about persistence and how to gather earth knowledge in our journey.  She reminds us that 'fast' is not the best way to go, to think, to do.  She teaches us to walk in peace, knowing you are protected. She teaches that we must stay grounded.  

Turtle carries her thoughts, her knowing, her emotions, her very soul, inside her aura, her shell, and shares little so she might be where she needs to be, focused and serene in her journey.  Yes, a few of her progeny learned to snap, but she and hers are mostly peacefully becoming what they need to become.  

Learn to retreat when danger.  Make your own decisions from within your own well-set boundaries.  She also asks, "Have you been hiding from something?"  "  Is it time to come out and share your gifts?"  

I started this art journal page with a quick pencil drawing and outlining my pencil marks with charcoal.

I painted a horizon line and she took shape quickly, for me.

 I decided to carry the them on to a repurposed frame.  Sea Glass and shells and turquoises and quartz and crystals and many other semi precious stones I gathered through the years.

Know your journey is ancient, you were bestowed a gift of protection from Creator.  Seek him when you are in need of help on your journey.  Fear less and move more.

©Carol Desjarlais 3.11.20