Elephant: Commitment

To read about the elephant is to have a glimpse into the life of an animal who is so curiously like and yet so unlike our own species.

The average period of dependency of a child upon its mother, the age of adulthood, and the general lifespan of an elephant closely parallel that of a humans. Elephants also have emotions comparable to humans: joy, rage, jealousy, love. For example, when a baby is born, the entire community crowds around the mother and newborn, rumbling with joy, the elephant equivalent of tears rolling down their faces.

Like human babies, elephants learn much more about getting along in the physical environment than they are born knowing. As a human child must learn to walk, the elephant calf must learn the many ways in which it can use its trunk.

The newborn elephant comes into a community of love. From the matriarch, the oldest and most experienced member of a herd, to her offspring and their young, an elephant calf, has not one but many mothers, each eager to teach and nurture the youngest among them. They also teach those who are mothers for the first time how to develop their own nurturing skills.

Elephants teach us that by supporting and loving each other, our own ability to flourish and prosper in the physical world is enhanced. From them, we learn to pass on the gift of nurturing we received in our early years -- whether it is to members of our own biological family or to the human community.

Part of this sharing comes through verbal or nonverbal communication. Elephants communicate telepathically, both with herd members and other elephants. So, as we choose to become closer and more open to those we love, our ability to understand them can deepen to a level that transcends speech.

We can learn to honor the elders of our community and nuture the young. Like the elephants, we help ease the transitions of those who are going into adulthood. By listening with open hearts, we can create strong relationships and community.

Elephant is one of the Wild Earth Animal Essences. Elephants are also available in jewelry.