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My experience with slugs
Jan. 23rd, 2006 05:42 amI dreamt of slugs last night. I was getting up for work. My alarm clock said 5:30 am, but the sun was already up and every other clock in the vicinity said it was 7. Mike was still at home and he was complaining to me that I had turned the tv off wrong last night. I got my things together, worried about having to call in to work that I was late. I almost couldn't find my phone. I got my shoes on and went downstairs. Shannon was there and she was asking what Mike was all upset about. I told her that I only used one remote to turn off the tv. All you have to do is hit the tv button and then the satellite button and that's it. She didn't understand why he was upset either. We went outside.
She called to me and said, "Hey, look at this." She had found a trail of slugs crawling up the support post up to the balcony outside of my room. I said, "Get some salt." She said, "No, you're supposed to eat them." I looked at her incredulously, though if you think about it, I have eaten escargot. The trails were entertwined with each other, there being about 5 slugs immediately noticeable. One had feelers out that looked like mini dishes; it was getting ready to mate.
There is more to the dream, involving a little boy making a mess in the kitchen, but I found the slug portion the most relevant, especially after looking up slug medicine. It spoke directly to events and feeling that have been happening in my life right now. Now all I have to do is work with the slug and incorporate it's wisdom into my life. I hope I am ready.
Slug's Medicine
A Slimey Spirit Animal
Slugs are gastropods and mollusks with a soft body and no shell, or only a rudimentary shell inside the body. The Slug spoken of here is the terrestrial slug, such as the banana slug or garden slug; not the Sea Slug, which would be looked at seperately. Slugs are hermaphroditic, and the gender-neutral pronouns "sie" and "hir" will be used for this page.
Slug is a very "mystical" sort of Spirit Animal. While animals like mountain lion or raccoon are very earth-based, Slug has a more ethereal quality to hir teachings. Slug leaves trails that are iridescent... seemingly magical. These trails are often interpretted to be signs and totems left by Slug, and can be interpretted. Slug is a great communicator, both mundane and spiritual. Slug is nocturnal and has ties with the moon.
Slug Medicine is in its most primal basic form that of a healer. Not too long ago, Native Americans used to let Banana Slug crawl around in their mouths when they had a toothache, because Slug's mucous is an anaesthetic. Slug's wisdom includes that of healing body, mind, and spirit, and represents the connections that must be healthy between these for overall well-being.
Slug can cling to glass, upside down, yet to the touch, the "slime" is slick and is used to rid hirself of gunk... like anything wet and sliming around in the leaves and dirt would collect. It just slides off of Slug (you can see it at the end of their tails sometimes). This is another part of Slug's wisdom -- letting go, or leaving behind the "junk" and garbage of life... rumors, bad feelings, stories, material ties, attachment and so on. Slug is of balance, represented by sticky mucous to help hir hold on when it is important -- a solid base -- versus slick slime to help hir shed the trivial things.
Slug is not very connected to the physical world. Slug may lose part of hir body during mating; this is for the continuation of the species and is not mourned (it does in fact help slugs in the long run). Slug sheds hirself of all material things. Sie eats on the move. Sie shelters wherever there may be shelter.
Slug's medicine also includes incredible strength. Particularly hidden strength. It may not seem like it, looking at that little squishy critter with no bones and only a rudimentary shell inside. But Slug is almost pure muscle. Sie moves by tiny ripples of those muscles. The foot muscles are the most evidence of this... you can see them moving watching a slug on a piece of glass, from underneath.
Slug also has the Wisdom of self-protection and hiding. Slug can pull hirself almost entirely under hir mantle, protecting most of hir vital organs. Sie protects hirself from predators in this way. Sie also protects hirself from the harsh sun and dryness by hiding under a stone or piece of wood or in a crack, emerging in the gentle night.
Part of Slug's teachings include simplicity. Slugs live simply (survival -- food/shelter/reproduction) and are simple organisms.
Also, Slug's wisdom is that of seeing the world of spirit and shadow -- seeing beyond the mundane and clairvoyance. Slug can't "see" in terms of shape and color. They see in pure light and shadow.
Slug has a great deal to teach us about gender and sexuality. Slug may be considered to be a combination of both male and female, or an independant gender. They can reproduce with any other Slug (and suffer no sexism!), and also by themselves if a suitable partner can't be found. Slug, like many other living things, challenges the duality of deity. Exceptionally fertile, many slugs lay hundreds of eggs at a time.
She called to me and said, "Hey, look at this." She had found a trail of slugs crawling up the support post up to the balcony outside of my room. I said, "Get some salt." She said, "No, you're supposed to eat them." I looked at her incredulously, though if you think about it, I have eaten escargot. The trails were entertwined with each other, there being about 5 slugs immediately noticeable. One had feelers out that looked like mini dishes; it was getting ready to mate.
There is more to the dream, involving a little boy making a mess in the kitchen, but I found the slug portion the most relevant, especially after looking up slug medicine. It spoke directly to events and feeling that have been happening in my life right now. Now all I have to do is work with the slug and incorporate it's wisdom into my life. I hope I am ready.
Slug's Medicine
A Slimey Spirit Animal
Slugs are gastropods and mollusks with a soft body and no shell, or only a rudimentary shell inside the body. The Slug spoken of here is the terrestrial slug, such as the banana slug or garden slug; not the Sea Slug, which would be looked at seperately. Slugs are hermaphroditic, and the gender-neutral pronouns "sie" and "hir" will be used for this page.
Slug is a very "mystical" sort of Spirit Animal. While animals like mountain lion or raccoon are very earth-based, Slug has a more ethereal quality to hir teachings. Slug leaves trails that are iridescent... seemingly magical. These trails are often interpretted to be signs and totems left by Slug, and can be interpretted. Slug is a great communicator, both mundane and spiritual. Slug is nocturnal and has ties with the moon.
Slug Medicine is in its most primal basic form that of a healer. Not too long ago, Native Americans used to let Banana Slug crawl around in their mouths when they had a toothache, because Slug's mucous is an anaesthetic. Slug's wisdom includes that of healing body, mind, and spirit, and represents the connections that must be healthy between these for overall well-being.
Slug can cling to glass, upside down, yet to the touch, the "slime" is slick and is used to rid hirself of gunk... like anything wet and sliming around in the leaves and dirt would collect. It just slides off of Slug (you can see it at the end of their tails sometimes). This is another part of Slug's wisdom -- letting go, or leaving behind the "junk" and garbage of life... rumors, bad feelings, stories, material ties, attachment and so on. Slug is of balance, represented by sticky mucous to help hir hold on when it is important -- a solid base -- versus slick slime to help hir shed the trivial things.
Slug is not very connected to the physical world. Slug may lose part of hir body during mating; this is for the continuation of the species and is not mourned (it does in fact help slugs in the long run). Slug sheds hirself of all material things. Sie eats on the move. Sie shelters wherever there may be shelter.
Slug's medicine also includes incredible strength. Particularly hidden strength. It may not seem like it, looking at that little squishy critter with no bones and only a rudimentary shell inside. But Slug is almost pure muscle. Sie moves by tiny ripples of those muscles. The foot muscles are the most evidence of this... you can see them moving watching a slug on a piece of glass, from underneath.
Slug also has the Wisdom of self-protection and hiding. Slug can pull hirself almost entirely under hir mantle, protecting most of hir vital organs. Sie protects hirself from predators in this way. Sie also protects hirself from the harsh sun and dryness by hiding under a stone or piece of wood or in a crack, emerging in the gentle night.
Part of Slug's teachings include simplicity. Slugs live simply (survival -- food/shelter/reproduction) and are simple organisms.
Also, Slug's wisdom is that of seeing the world of spirit and shadow -- seeing beyond the mundane and clairvoyance. Slug can't "see" in terms of shape and color. They see in pure light and shadow.
Slug has a great deal to teach us about gender and sexuality. Slug may be considered to be a combination of both male and female, or an independant gender. They can reproduce with any other Slug (and suffer no sexism!), and also by themselves if a suitable partner can't be found. Slug, like many other living things, challenges the duality of deity. Exceptionally fertile, many slugs lay hundreds of eggs at a time.
