Gaia Angel 
She who Dreams with Dolphins
Posts: 545
(1/14/04 8:04 am)
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~Otter~
Otter:
Playfulness
Did you ever have the feeling that you didn't want to grow up because adults seemed to be so serious? Do you find that you are now too serious about life? If so, Otter is ready to introduce you to play.
Otters are honored in both Celtic and Native American cultures as the masters of play. To watch an individual or a family is to begin to understand that it is possible to see life as a game to be enjoyed, rather than a burden to be somehow endured.
Part of Otter's vibrant energy is associated with its deep connection to water, where this animal spends most of its time. Water symbolizes receptivity, allowing life to be rather than stopping the flow by worrying about things which have already happened and about things which may never come to pass.
For those of us who wonder how we can surrender our seriousness and learn to be playful Otter's behavior provides a clue. These animals are intensely curious, often appearing alongside a human's canoe or rowboat so that they can investigate its occupants. When we are curious we are interested in our world and eager to explore it. We treat what we already know as pieces of information which can be discarded if they lose their relevance. As we shed that which is not needed we become lighter and more playful.
In this context a healthy dose of Otter energy can also teach us to detach from our problems, to be interested in them and curious about possible solutions. With this perspective we can find answers as easily as Otter catches fish.
We can take heart from another aspect of Otter behavior. Baby otters aren't born knowing how to swim; their parents teach them. So we can learn to swim playfully and joyously in the flow of life.
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