Celebrating the Symbolism of the Hippo

This morning… as I listen to the rain pouring down…  and a flash flood warning alert obnoxiously and blatantly takes over my cell phone grabbing my attention (as it should for safety and alerting reasons)…

I recalled my young girl days in Zambia, Africa.

And I thought of the Hippo.  I used to see hippos when we would go to areas where they would hang out.  I am so fond of them… so much so that I am learning how to draw them.

Did you know there is a national Hippo day? 

It is on February 15th.  

The day after the much-hyped and marketed Valentine’s Day.  That seems so fitting and appropriate in many ways.  The number of women who pine for love or lack love and emotional support in their relationships going into Valentine’s Day is high.  Maybe the Hippo can bring some strength to us on that day going forward.

As I contemplate the energy and message the Hippo has for us, I am seeing the connection with Pisces, the fish, and Taurus, the bull.

Hippo is here to remind us to be a stand for ourselves, look for and honor symbiotic relationships, and

Hippo, I honor your grounded, self-protective, all-seeing,
emotional, and stable nature.

The hippo is connected to the water and earth elements.

Water is flowing and emotional; whereas, the earth is stable and grounded.

Hippos know how to navigate waters in a grounded way, with their feet on the mud below.  Forget the iceberg theory where coaches and consultants show how much of our personality lay below the surface.  In comes the hippo who sees everything under the surface, at the surface, and above the surface.  Their eyes have broad views around them, upwards, and downwards. 

Hippos remind us about our intuition, superhuman ability to sense and know things, and our connection with the weight and stability of our bodies to guide us in the flow of life… and even chaos and discomfort.

Hippos do not put up with being a doormat.  They will stand up for themselves, their homes, and their territory.  They will be nice but get aggressive when needed or deemed necessary.

Hippos have magic skin that is thick and changes color when annoyed, aggravated, or agitated.  This is a reminder to us, to feel our emotions, but also balance that with having thick skin.  Not being at the mercy or control by others.

One more thing that humors me about the Hippo… is their tail and how they keep their proverbial crap away from them and toss it out into the surroundings!  They just go about minding their own business, while doing, pooing, or flatulating their business.  They remind us to do the same :-).

My invitation to you...

Your 1 step… is to notice where in your life and relationships you are being downtrodden, or highly emotional or sensitive. 

• What are some ways you can build thick skin, and fan your tail so that other people’s energy blows away from you? 
• What are areas in your life where you can be a solid stand for yourself? 
• In what ways can you be protective and protected of yourself?

May you enjoy connecting with the energy and message of the Hippo as much as I did or more.
From my heart to yours,
Dr. Dar

P.S.  If you want to learn more about your body and its energy, contact me about Your Body Energy Map now.