As I prepare for tomorrow’s workshop, I have been going
through my notes on seashell divination.
Unfortunately, I have not yet gotten around to writing an article on this
topic. However, although these are my
rough draft thoughts, here are some things to think about when working with
seashells:
Mythical Associations: As symbols of the Sacred Feminine, it can be
said that all shells are emblems of the Goddess. Also, their elemental Water symbolism links
them to the Moon Goddess, who is ruler of the tides as well as the watery world
of the Unconscious, as do their often globular shapes. Of course, shells’ spiral structures evoke
the Goddess’s dance of life.
Additionally, many shell names honor goddesses, including the groups
known as Venus, Astarte, Lucine, and Semele clams; the Turban and Star-Shells
of the genus Astraea; and individuals such as the Junonia. Neptune and Triton also get their due, though
male mythical figures are more seldom referenced. A study of shell names would reveal other
mythical figures, including nymphs and muses.
Goddesses may also be alluded to through their epithets and other
imagery and associations. Thus, the
cowries, genus Cypraea, evoke Aphrodite, who was called the Cypraen, because
she was believed to have come into being off the coast of Cyprus and had
a central cult there. Cowries can also
allude to Demeter, because they reminded the ancients of little pigs, and pig
images were offered as votives to Demeter.
If you are attracted to a shell which suggests some mythical figure,
consider what that iconology may mean to you.
Tarot Symbolism:
Persons familiar with Tarot card meanings can make some creative
connections with the symbolism of certain shells. For example, snails, especially moon snails,
have obvious associations with the Moon card, and also with the High Priestess
and Empress, who are often depicted with lunar emblems, and the members of the
Cups court, who are often depicted with shells.
As spiral forms, shells’ growth symbolism may be suggested in card
illustrations which feature spiral lines, as in Crowley’s Thoth card deck’s Fool and
Star. Tarot associations may also be
made through other graphic images. The
miter shells, so named because they resemble the headgear worn by leaders in
certain religious hierarchies, suggest the Hierophant, and therefore his
concern with the transmission of spiritual teachings. (The Pontifical Miter is especially
suggestive of the Hierophant’s crown, and so would make a good amulet to evoke
Hierophant qualities.) Because carrier
shells attach other shells to their backs as a form of camouflage, they suggest
the 10 of Wands, which depicts a man carrying a heavy load. However, some species of carrier shells limit
their attachments or even remove them when they get to a certain stage, and the
man portrayed in the 10 of Wands appears to be headed toward a destination
where he can unload.
Diet: A
mollusk’s feeding habits can be considered when contemplating its general
symbolism. While some of them graze on
algae and other plant materials, others are predators who devour other mollusks
after drilling holes in their shells, smothering them, or prying them
apart. The cone shells are noteworthy,
here, for being able to paralyze their prey with their venomous stingers. Therefore, I sometimes interpret cones and
others as “The Dangerous Feminine,” which can be positive or negative,
depending on the overall context of your interpretation. That is why cone shells have been suggested
for use in protective magic.
Colonial animals:
Some of the main forms in which we find corals are in tight, compact
colonies (e.g. brain, star, or rose corals), branching colonies (as in
staghorn, tube, or bush corals), and as free-living, individual polyps. As corals are best known to us for their
collective lifestyle and their ability to build structures, your choice of a
piece of coral may say something about your linking to society and how you
structure your life. A compact form may
indicate that you recognize a need to be more connected to others. Consider how the Japanese have a word for an
emotion that we haven’t recognized as an emotion: the joy of being part of a
group. Also, how can you bring
collective action into your personal goals?
Branching corals may indicate a desire to take your community in new
directions, while the choice of a single polyp may point to a more solitary
existence. Of course, as human beings,
we are not confined to any one of these lifestyles, but can make different
choices at different phases of life.
Your choice
of coral may also point to some survival strategies. Branching corals have a fast and spreading
growth pattern, while the more compact corals are slower growing, but are able
to take more of a pounding from the surf.
The symbolism of the coral also gets into issues of rival communities
and resources, which is why Michelle Hanson’s “Ocean Oracle” labels the coral
card, “competition.” Because corals vie
with mollusks for the calcium in their environment, they produce substances
that repel mollusks.
Clinging:
Limpets and barnacles are remarkable for their ability to cling to rocks
in the roughest zone of the surf, so they suggest qualities of tenaciousness
and the ability to survive in a hostile environment. (Barnacles are more of a nuisance for humans,
because they create drag by covering the hulls of boats; cleaning them off is a
very difficult chore.) The question for
you as a human is how survival conditions affect your choices. For example, in a hard times economy, a job
seeker may be advised to take the first job that he or she is offered, and hang
on to it for dear life. In other
contexts, limpets and barnacles may indicate clinging to people or to faith, or
other such metaphors.
One or Two-piece Shells: When we think of shells, the forms that
usually come to mind are either the Univalves (aka Gastropods) such as snails,
whelks, periwinkles, and conches, or the Bivalves (Pelecypods) such as the
clams, cockles, oysters, mussels, and scallops.
This symbolism brings up issues of Self and Other, and how they affect
our experience of Wholeness. Selecting a
clam or cockle may express your need to somewhat modify your actions and take
another person into consideration. If
you select a shell of which only one half is present, there may be some issues
regarding a partner who is not present for you in some way. A special case is the jingle shell, which is
seldom found with both halves, because one half is more likely to remain
clinging to its rock. Jingles as well as
some other types of ark shells, oysters, and others which have asymmetrical halves
may also say something about inequality in a relationship.
Well, those are my thoughts for now. For those of you who have some treasured
seashells, I hope this will enhance your enjoyment. Always remember that they once housed living
beings, so we have to be respectful of their ecological needs.
