MEANING: Those with Turtle as their animal totem can relate to the "sure and steady" message this creature brings to our lives.
It is also a powerful totem for protection as withdrawing into it's shell is an amazing self-defense mechanism.
The turtle has few predators, which gives it an innocent energy. This also increases its lifespan, and so holds the symbolic meaning for longevity in many cultures.
Did you know the turtle is one of the oldest living animal ancestors walking on the earth today? The oldest fossils of turtles are dated at over 200 million years old. This is highly symbolic. It indicates the turtle is a symbol of longevity, endurance, persistence, and the continuation of life (sometimes against incredible odds). And perhaps is part of the reason Turtle shows up in so many Creation Stories!
Ever hear of the old adage "slow and steady wins the race."? Not only is the turtle's walking pace sure and steady, but so is its insistence at being a part of biological life on this earth. Something to consider when connecting with Turtle as a guide and mentor in living a dynamic, long life.
Because of its seemingly wide-eyed, long-lived, carefree attitude the turtle is often thought to be the wisest of souls among the animal kingdom. We would all do well to take this as a lesson and move at our own pace as the turtle does.
Furthermore, the turtle takes its wisdom one day at a time - not reacting, simply accepting and moving on in its natural methods. Again, this is a powerful analogy for humankind, and we would benefit from adopting this harmonious behavior pattern.
Turtles share an association with water which teaches us to embrace the flow of physical motion, intuition and emotion.
- Order
- Creation
- Patience
- Strength
- Stability
- Longevity
- Innocence
- Endurance
- Protection
- Wisdom
- Water
- Flow
THE CARVING:
Our carvings are single pieces of western red cedar, designed and carved to be wall hangings. Each carving begins as a 1 X 12 inch cedar board. While we use power tools (Scroll Saw, Rotary shaft Tool, handheld detail sanders etc.), we use no laser’s, CNC machines or computer operated cutting machines. All work is done with our hands and eyes…
We cut the 2 dimensional blanks with scroll and jig saws (double-sized custom orders have to be cut with jigsaw). Carving is done with rotary shaft tools and disc grinders. The 80 grit sanding is the final phase of the carving process, removing the nicks and gouges from the carving tools, and finishes the shaping of the weave. The next 2 sandings with 120 then 220 grit finishes the smoothing and polishing. They are finished with Clear Danish Oil to seal the piece, bringing out the grain and the color.
The back of the cross is keyholed for hanging. (That is why the cross on the wall is just a little crooked...I'm set up for non-keyholed pieces...it should hang straight for you).
