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Symbolism of the Octopus

Saturday, January 19th, 2008



I recently had an email from a woman, whom after a great many years, discovered the octopus was her totem or guide.  She asked for the symbolism of the octopus, and I respond:

Dear Cuttley: 

Identifying the symbolism of the octopus can be daunting  & not for reasons you’d think.  

Namely because the octopus participates in the universe on many different levels.  As such, it’s symbolism is vast and related discussions could potentially last forever.

As if the massive depth of the symbolism wasn’t overwhelming enough - try to getting past the visual effect the octopus has on us. 

We look at the octopus and it draws us in wholly.  Mesmerizing & chilling, it’s motions are hypnotizing.  So I’ll start there, the symbolism of the octopus born from it’s sheer physical presence.  The more ethereal symbolism’s deserve an entire book for room to expound, but I have written more about this amazing creature here.

 Of its many aspects, here are just a few symbolic meanings of the octopus:

  • Complexity
  • Diversity
  • Variability
  • Intelligence
  • Insight
  • Vision
  • Mystery
  • Illusion

With eight arms, the octopus shares some symbolic meanings with the spider as well as the meanings of number eight. 

Observed these eight arms circle out in motion – calling to mind the concept of spiral - this forms a symbolic bond between the octopus and the meanings of the spiral or whirlpool.

Being a creature of the sea, the octopus also shares commonalities with and symbolic meaning of fish.

Adornments like octopus medallions were worn by sailors to ward off evil.  Seamen understood the eerie magic of the octopus.  It’s black ink-jet expulsions and other-worldly appearance struck awe (and terror) in the observer.  Hence, it makes an incredibly powerful totem, carrying great status – a symbol of protection and good luck.

Minoan art depicts the octopus (particularly on bowls or vases) unfurling.  This is thought to be symbolic of the creating and the expanding of the universe.

Other associations of the octopus include:

As a side-note, the octopus is also associated with the Priestess and Moon card in the Tarot deck.

Take the time to research more about the octopus – it will be worth the investment of your time.  Meditate upon the octopus – focus your awareness on this amazing creature.  You will find it an empowering agent for your growth.  Consider yourself blessed.

More information on the animal symbolism of the octopus can be found on this page.

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Symbolic Meaning of Frogs

Friday, October 26th, 2007

Symbolic meaning of the frog deals with:

  • Creativity
  • Fertility
  • Luck
  • Cleansing
  • Intuition
  • Transformation

Due to the fascinating transitions the Frog goes through in its life, it is a symbol of metamorphosis. Furthermore, the Frog’s dual time spent on land and water represents duality of the soul. The Frog also symbolizes creativity and forward thinking.

Frog Animal Totems Facilitate:

  • Patience in undergoing life transitions, clarity of thought during transition
  • Embracing of personal transformation, welcoming internal morphing
  • Jump into creative thought, and leap out of habitual thinking patterns
  • Acceptance of our diversity and celebration of our opposite poles found in personality and lifestyle

More information on the symbolic meaning of frogs along with its Celtic, Asian and European meanings in cultural history can be found here. 

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Symbolic Meaning of the Seahorse

Tuesday, August 21st, 2007

seahorse meaningThe seahorse is quite a unique creature, and thought to have mystical significance among the Ancient Greeks, European (alchemists) and Asians.

The Ancient Greeks and Romans believed the seahorse was an attribute of the sea god Neptune/Poseidon and as such, the seahorse was considered a symbol of strength and power.

Further, the ancient Eurpeans believed that the seahorse carried the souls of deceased sailors to the underworld – giving them safe passage and protection until the met their soul’s destination.

Chinese cultures believed that the seahorse was a type of sea dragon, and as such they were revered for their power and thought to be symbols of good luck.

Sailors have long viewed the seahorse as a good luck charm too.

Symbolic meaning of Seahorses carry the following significances:

  • Patience
  • Friendliness
  • Protection
  • Inflexibility
  • Perspective
  • Generosity/Sharing
  • High-Perception
  • Persistence
  • Contentment

A relatively calm, and mild-mannered creature, the seahorse is seemingly content to roam the seas.  Their bodies are geared for ambling-type motion – not for speed.  Thus, they are symbolic of patience and contentment – they are happy with being where they are, and are in no hurry for advancement.

Further testimony to these attributes is the lack of evolution of the seahorse’s body style.  They have remained with this body style without change since their inception.  Content to be who they are, and not feeling the need to change – these are a few profound lessons the seahorse provides us.

However, along with a resistence to change, and a carefree approach to progress, the seahorse can be a symbol of inflexibilty or stubborness.  To wit, the seahorse wraps its tail around the nearest object in order to anchor itself in turbulent waters.  This is a lesson to be persistent in our goals, but be mindful that we are not too inflexible or stubborn in our achieving them.

A unique aspect of the seahorse is that the male is impregnated by the female and carries the offspring to term.  This is a message of sharing the load in the home, and gaining perspective of both sides (genders) of an argument or situation.

The seahorse has a boney exoskeleton which is a message of protection. Often when the seahorse comes to us it is a sign that we either need protection from our external circumstances, or we are building walls that aren’t needed.  Their armor-bodies are a sign that sometimes we might need to let our guard down – or perhaps we are leaving too open to get hurt.

Lastly among the long list of symbolic meanings of the seahorse and its lessons is the idea of perception.  The eyesight of the seahorse is incredibly sharp, and each eye moves independently.  We take this as a symbolic message of perception and awareness of those around us and our situations.  When we are lost or confused, the seahorse asks us to take a good look around – not just with our physical eyes but with our spiritual eyes in order to get a better persepective of the situations.

For more information on sign and symbol meanings of all manner, please visit the author’s website: www.Whats-Your-Sign.com

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