I am writing to you from the ocean waters of South America. As I write this, in just a few hours the captain of our ship will lead us around the Cape Horn. It is truly a privilege to see the Cape Horn as many times the weather here can be uncooperative making this part of the trip impossible. This trip is one that I would have probably never thought of taking myself. It was my parents that invited me to come along with them. They have been planning this trip for a couple of years. Any of you that know me well enough knows that I have had a penguin fetish my entire life. They said there would be penguins and so I quickly signed up!
Just yesterday we were provided the chance to go see King and Gentoo Penguins in their natural habitat. What an iconic day for me. The sun came out for us at Bluff Cove in the Falkland Islands and it was a perfect day. One of the penguins walked right up to me and I got an awesome video of him/her. I sat down cross legged on the sandy beach as the ocean waves rolled in and the sun shone down. Three penguins were parked a few feet from me and one baby seal. I just sat in disbelief as I tried to take in what was happening. I have loved penguins since I was very little. I remember “becoming” a penguin when I was in the playground at school when I was probably about 5 years old. I would even waddle just like a penguin as I played out on the playground. Now here they were in the flesh and even more beautiful and cuter than I could have ever imagined. Penguins are very special animals and they have significant meaning to not only me but so many in the spirit world. The penguins had a message for me and perhaps for you too!
If you read my last blog post you know that I have been exploring my authenticity. It is something I am focusing on this year. I try to pay more attention to my thoughts and I catch myself thinking about what others will think about how I dress, what I do, what I say and how I present myself in the world. I have always been inherently shy and always very conscientious of any feedback from others. I would determine how I need to show up in the world by using that feedback instead of using my own judgment. Changing my thoughts and habits has been a challenging and curious adventure. Maybe you can relate.
Each animal has a meaning or a message in the spirit world. I have read about the Penguin meaning and message before but suddenly after seeing them in their natural habitat all that they represent has so much more meaning for me. According to spiritanimal.com, “the penguin aligns itself with the water element, happily winging itself in the water even if other birds don’t quite understand the choice”. One of the key messages from the penguin spirit is that being different is truly okay and that not every lifestyle, social restriction or path is right for everyone. They also each have their own unique sound they make. No two are alike. Even though they all look basically the same they actually each have their very own vocals that are perfectly theirs, kind of like our fingerprints. Their sound serves to distinguish one from the next.
Reading further I found out that penguins are unique because they actually drink salt water and are able to filter the salt out leaving the refreshing clean water for their bodies. I find it fascinating that they are able to do this. I was thinking about my need to pay attention to what I take in from this world and filter out what does not serve me. I have really started to be more conscious when something I watch or read is changing my energy and purposely choosing what I want to read, watch and listen to rather than just passively accepting whatever is there. If we pay attention we all truly know what is good for us and what isn’t. The trick is to be mindful and make sure we don’t just ignore our inner messages.
Penguins mate for life but even more importantly are also best buddies and friends for life. Once they find their one true partner they are completely faithful to them. They both contribute to looking after their young ones each taking a turn sitting on the eggs and gathering food. How beautiful to think that they have those relationships. If one of the penguins dies the penguin community actually will help dig a hole in the ice and bury the penguin and they also mourn the loss of their loved one with a sorrowful sound and sometimes not eating for several days. I think it goes without saying how I can relate to the penguins in a very deep way after what I have been through. I am sure many of us can relate to penguins and their feelings of deep sadness and grief and also at the same time appreciate their commitment and faithfulness to one another. They are truly special the way that they support each other.
I noticed as I watched the King Penguins all sitting on their eggs they sat together in groups. It seemed a little like a community just hanging out together, appreciating one another and working together to keep the group safe and warm. We did see some squabbles between penguins but they were short. They just slapped each other with their wings a bit and then seemed to get over it. Ha ha! I find we could probably learn a lot from the penguins. They seem to have a calm and happy demeanor. They don’t seem to get too worked up or worry too much either.
I strongly suspect the penguin might be my spirit animal. Do you know your spirit animal? Have you looked up its message? I encourage you to try googling it. If you do, let me know what you find out. You might be surprised how applicable the message for you might be. Also when you notice certain birds or animals in nature or if one happens to cross your path in a certain way or comes to you in a dream, pay attention. They just might have a message for you!
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