Mermaid

Swimming in my mermaid energy, a poem, a playlist & an invitation

Dear ones,

when I was a young child, my mother read “the little mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen to me. I vividly remember the beautifully illustrated book. The colors dark and the images dramatic, the story full of heartbreak and hard choices.

In Andersen’s tale the mermaid, burdened by the weight of her longing, is handed a gleaming knife by her sister, who traded their hair to the sea which in exchange for it. To reclaim her mermaid form and her life beneath the waves the mermaid must pierce the heart of the prince, letting his blood cleanse her feet. Her tender love for him, however, makes it impossible for her to kill her beloved and so she surrenders to the sea’s embrace, where her body dissolves into ethereal sea foam.

Beautiful. Sad.

For years, I hadn’t thought about the book, or any mermaids for that matter and then, this spring, in the cheerful oblivion I was swimming in, water poem after water poem after water poem came through like waves crashing over my body.

Like mermaids themselves my poems sing of the elusive. They feel coraline, iridescent and are shimmering with an obscure sensuality. Most of them will forever stay hidden, on the bottom of the sea, but here is one floating to the surface.

“pale round breasts

floating through speckles of 

morning sunlight.

beneath the surface,

everything free.

my mermaid hair wavy,

like sea grass

dancing

around me.”

𓇼 

Here is a story about synchronicities, because I believe they are the way of the universe to converse with me.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to spend the day at a pool party, only for adults.

The morning of, I posted this selfie on my Instagram story - “mermaids coming on shore for the day.”

I was just being playful. I didn’t think too hard about it.

While I had been looking forward to leaving the children behind for a day of sunshine and play, I was in a bit of a melancholy that day, a bit of futility. After sitting by myself for a while, deep in thought, I felt the urge to swim and so I did. When I came back out of the pool, a woman, some years older than me and with quite a wise energy around her said “I’m happy you finally went into your medicine. I felt strong mermaid vibes from you all day.” I asked her, what she meant by that and she said she couldn’t quite place it herself, but that the aura around me and my overall energy reminded her of mermaids and the sea and that she encourages me to look into the spiritual meaning of these beautiful sea women, as it will hold a lot of information for me.

𓇼

As I read up on the spiritual meaning of mermaids I was swept away by the accuracy of the symbolism of meaning not only to the current season of my life, but also as a journey into the depths of my very nature.

Connecting more deeply to the mythical meaning of mermaids, those radiant beings of sea and song, offered me a reflection from the waters of my soul and I think these will echo through many of you.

Duality and Transformation

Mermaids, dwellers of water and land, dancers between the realms, remind us of the play between the conscious and unconscious mind, the physical and the spiritual, the emotional and the rational. In their fluid, graceful movements, we can find a gentle nudge to seek equilibrium in our own lives, loving our whole being and finding comfort in swimming in the liminal.

Mermaids have been singing to me of the beauty in change and seeing the beauty even when the journey of transformation seems difficult.

Softness and Strength

Mermaids, in their divine femininity and sensuality remind us of the beauty of staying in softness, despite the hard things coming our way. They are reminders of the sacredness and strength of our intuitive insights and intuition.

Lately, I have heavily leaned into softness and trusting my own understanding.

Connection to the Subconscious

Water, that deep, elusive element, often is used to symbolize the subconscious mind, and mermaids, as its denizens, are a connection to our innermost feelings, and hidden desires.

What is the mystery of my soul that lies deep beneath the surface, below the waves, in the depths, where my truest self with all its treasures floats in the dark?

Desires and Danger

In many myths, mermaids are sirens, luring sailors to their doom with their enchanting songs. Mermaids remind us that while following our deepest desires can be intoxicating, we have to navigate these waters carefully.

To find the wisdom and discernment within my beautiful yearnings, has been a deep and sometimes painful exploration for me this year.

Independence

Free-spirited and often solitary, mermaids invite us to embrace our independence and to break ourselves free from norms, constraints and beliefs that no longer serve us, in order to align our life with our true nature.

Renewing my lost, childlike sense of independence is something I promise to myself, even if I have to submerge myself into rough waters, barely coming up for air.

𓇼

Bathing in mermaid energy has been beautiful this summer and together with my friend Laura (remember this podcast episode?) I will be hosting a rich and nourishing immersive ceremony where we dive deep into the beauty of “WATER WOMEN”.

We will begin our time with a cacao ceremony dedicated to Ixchel, Mayan goddess of water, rain, fertility and healing.

Laura will also take you into Celtic myth and stories of women emerging from water.

I am grateful to be able to guide you in breath, as we explore a few rounds of potent water breath to take us back into our flow state.

However, I’m mostly excited that I will go deeper into the exploration of mermaid symbolism and sensual poetry writing with you. I hope this will be an intention return to your desires and the sensuality that you carry in your cells.

If you feel called to join me and Laura in virtual circle you can sign up for the event here.

Alternatively, you can send me a message or email me at hello.evamariasmith@gmail.com

I have also made a little Mermaid playlist, if you want to feel alongside me through music in this exploration.

Thank you for treading in these life waters beside me.

In shimmering, glittering, hopeful mermaid light,

ps:

If you are a paid subscriber, don’t forget to join my virtual women’s circle next week (TUESDAY, JUL 23, 10 am CST). Circle medicine is a re-occuring zoom meet-up in which I use the medicines of deep listening, breathe, meditation, visualization and ritual to sit with you in presence and beauty.

This months circle will be dedicated to self-love. Please bring a cup of ceremonial cacao or rose tea if you have it (or other beverage), pen and paper, as well as a flower and a small bowl of water to hold your flower.

To join monthly, you can become a paid subscriber to this newsletter, or if you would like to just drop into this particular circle send me an email to hello.evamariasmith@gmail.com.