Turtle Tracks, picture essay, Sarah J. Andrew, photograph Turtle Track at Sunrise 1, copyright 2000, a Suburban Shaman's interpretation of turtle tracks on the South Florida beach.

The 21^st Century Magazine,
at South Florida's www.miami-dade-online.com.

Turtle Tracks
A Suburban Shaman's interpretation of turtle tracks found on the
South Florida beach.
Sarah J. Andrew
with pictures by N. Hopkins
June 20, 2000

48 of 250 kinds of turtles live in the United States. A turtle needs to live in water, while its cousin the tortoise lives on land alone. Shells of many kinds of turtles have 13 distinctive sections. The number 13 is symbolic of the 13 Lunar Cycles and the Moon represents the female energies. Turtle has come to be the symbol of female energy and represents the most powerful Mother Earth.

Turtle Tracks, picture essay, Sarah J. Andrew, photograph Turtle Track at Sunrise 2, copyright 2000, Nancy Hopkins. We followed the tracks back into the water without finding any sign of a nest. The turtle's trail through the sand marks her attempt to reproduce. She came from the ocean where she lives, back to the shore where she will lay her eggs. Her babies will hatch and scramble toward the waiting surf and the promise of long life.

Turtle Tracks, picture essay, Sarah J. Andrew, photograph Turtle Track at Sunrise 3, copyright 2000, Nancy Hopkins. The circle of life is marked by the mother passing life to the children. An even more profound symbol of the Circle is the connection between ocean and land. Water has a long tradition, in many cultures, of representing human creativity. Beach represents the transitional point between creativity and manifestation of creativity upon the land. Land symbolizes life in the Third Dimension.

Turtle Tracks, picture essay, Sarah J. Andrew, photograph Turtle Track at Sunrise 4, copyright 2000, Nancy Hopkins. Mark of the huge flipper that must have propelled this turtle is pointed out. Turtle experienced life in the ocean as she matured; but, to birth the only creation she is capable of, Turtle comes back to the land. Just as Turtle needs to survive in water, so we humans need to exist in a creative environment. Without water, Turtle shrivels up and dies. But, at some point, Turtle must return to solid land where her creation can manifest into reality. Turtle tells us that to impact life, we must leave the ocean. To bring our creations into existence, we must become "grounded".

But, Turtle also understands the concept of timing. Her low metabolism allows for her long life. Her slow movement, laborious in the beach sand, seems to indicate Turtle understands that time is on her side. She did not lay her eggs on this night on this beach. The time or place was just not right.

Turtle Tracks, picture essay, Sarah J. Andrew, photograph Turtle Track at Sunrise 5, copyright 2000, Nancy Hopkins. Cat prints were found inside the track. Maybe Turtle saw the cat whose prints can be seen to cross her trail. She found the loaf of bread, soaked into the sand and may have realized predatory birds would be attracted to the area and threaten the nest. The only thing we know by her trail is the time and place were not right for creation. The trail was searched without finding any sign of a nest.

Turtle Tracks, picture essay, Sarah J. Andrew, photograph Turtle Track at Sunrise 6, copyright 2000, Nancy Hopkins. Human tracks crossed the turtle's track.

We all need to follow Turtle's lead and live creatively, knowing that time and place must always be right to manifest our creations. Time is always on our time. We cannot leave this Third Dimension until we have accomplished our mission.

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