The Ocean Oracle: Journey to the Shore and Beyond...

shell oracle

Hi Natalie,
I can understand your confusion, and as far as I am concerned, no question is ignorant. I welcome questions because that is how I grow. In fact, a question is what led to my research for Ocean Oracle and for my second book too.

So, let me respond to your question by explaining that when I began shell reading 20 years ago, I used real shells. At my home, I continue to do so with a collection now numbering around 500 shells from all over the world. I wrote Ocean Oracle to try to export this experience by creating a deck comprised of 200 of my shells. This allows people access to shells from all parts of the world that they may not encounter otherwise.

There is much I would like to share about Sand Dollars. Before I do, it is my turn to ask a question. I need some guidelines. Aeclectic is the first forum I have ever visited, and I don't know what is proper. For instance, is it OK to speak about the science behind a shell's meaning...such as the behavior of the animal or its interaction with man...or should I narrow the response to just the meaning of a shell? Also, is there a limit to the length of a posting, or is it OK to write many paragraphs in a reply? The lesson of Sand Dollar has many layers, and I don't want to overstay my welcome.

I will hold off on speaking about Sand Dollar until I am clear on the boundaries, and then will be happy to share some information with you.
 

Satori

Hi Shelley,
Rule of thumb is that since this is a study group thread I believe we are ok talking about all aspects of the shells as they relate to the oracle. Ao if the scientific piece is part of getting a better reading then by all means let's talk about it.

Like in the pearl discussion, the science was really necessary...so let's have at it.

Also, the AT moddies know their jobs pretty well and aren's shy. ;) So if we get off topic or a current sweeps us away, I'm sure we'll hear about it!

So please, let's talk sand dollars. I found one recently myself on a new england beach. And I hadn't seen any locally for a long time. So as we discussed on the phone I had thought there was a scarcity of sand dollars around...but it might be my own wealth or poverty conciousness working on me.

I'm very excited about learning more about the shells. So please, post away.
 

shell oracle

Hi elf,
Thanks for that clarification and permission to post away. The first thing to know about Sand dollars is that they are not mollusks, like clams or oysters, with shells. They are echinoderms, like sea urchins and starfish. However, I am by no means a purist, so I have included echinoderms in Ocean Oracle because they share their environment and contribute to the vocabulary. Sand dollars have many traits that have been connected to the life of Jesus.

If you find yourself drawn to Sand Dollars, their message is to inform you that something is being overlooked. Initially, this may be at a very superficial level, but at the deepest level, Sand Dollars are a reminder of the fact that Divinity dwells within us all. Many years ago, someone noticed the connection of the Sand Dollar to the life of Jesus. This was expressed in the poem, The Legend of the Sand Dollar.

Written on this little seashell
There is a beautiful story
About the birth and death of Jesus
In all its wondrous glory

His wounds were five
And if you look closely here
You’ll see four from the nails
One from a Roman’s spear

There is also the Easter Lily
And in its center a star
One to remind us of his resurrection
The other of shepherds from afar

Now turn the dollar over
And here on the other side
A reminder of his nativity
The Poinsettia, sign of the Yuletide

Also during that season
We speak of Good Will and Peace
So if you break open the center
Five doves will you release

The five “doves” in the center are actually the Sand Dollar’s teeth. Whatever your religious beliefs, whether you consider Jesus to be the Son of God, or a masterful teacher, Jesus represents the possibility of a connection to Divinity. If we recall that we are all composed of the same energy, than if the Sand Dollar contains evidence of God dwelling within it, it reflects the fact that God dwells within all of us. If we are feeling victimized in any way, Sand Dollars are here to help us understand that we create, or co-create, our lives and sometimes this creation is occurring from hidden parts of ourselves. Consciously, we may feel miserable, but some inner part of ourselves is benefiting from the situation. It may be the part that feels “nothing ever works out for me”, or “everyone abandons me”. However, if nothing does work out, or everyone does abandon you, that part is delighted to be right. It is creating your life exactly as expected. If you constantly experience some negative pattern in your life, the source of that experience lies in your belief system. We often assume our identity based upon what society, family or friends dictate we should be. Sand Dollar energy is designed to aid you in gaining awareness of those imposed hidden beliefs to grant you the opportunity to change any belief that no longer serves you. Altering beliefs is what allows you to change the direction of your future. It may seem difficult to accept the notion that we create our misery. However, if we didn't, then everything is imposed upon us and we are powerless. Sand Dollar is teaching us that, far from being victims, we are powerful beings who create our lives based upon our belief system. The good news is we are not victims. We have the power to create a Hell on Earth or paradise…through awareness, the choice is ours.

Shell reading is a constant work in progress. After I wrote Ocean Oracle, some shells continued to teach and took on deeper meanings. Sand Dollar was one of these. If you will allow me to go a bit deeper, we can take the lesson of Victimization and the Sand Dollar one more step. Although we create our reality, this does not occur in a vacuum. We are all in this together. What enhances one enhances all, and what belittles one belittles all. It is beneficial to realize that polarization of any kind is of our own making. As long as we function from an “us v. them” mentality, we can’t create the paradise we seek. When we discuss creating our reality, it is apparent that due to human conditioning, the playing field is not level. As long as some are treated as privileged, and others are left in lack, there will be the “haves” and the “have-nots”. To level the playing field, the “haves” must be willing to change the belief that their status is privileged. In order for a privileged position to exist an underprivileged position must exist, too. This thought process creates separation and neither the “haves” (privileged) nor the “have-nots” (underprivileged) benefit. It is easy to see why the “have-nots” are unable to create their paradise due to this exclusion. However, if the privileged must devote their energy to defending and guarding their position, they are not truly free to create either. Anyone who requires the perception of superiority creates from fear. As the Course in Miracles states, “What is real can’t be threatened.” If the privilege requires vigilance to safeguard, it is only illusion anyway. The truth is that there is more than enough for everyone. To manifest a world beyond polarity requires changing our beliefs regarding our identity as human beings. In a level playing field, all are welcome to contribute manifestations from their Divine selves. Sand dollars connect to our crown chakra.

So, since you mentioned that pearls and sand dollars have been vying for your attention, if we combine your connection to pearls and sand dollars, it could mean that your connection to your Divinity will help you recognize that you are not a victim. You can find the gift in the irritation and the purpose for you creating that irritation in your life. (or being the irritant in other's lives :) You also mentioned a preference for pink pearls. Pink is the color of love, and I would guess that this irritation manifested to assist you in growing in your capacity for love, including self-love. I hope you don't mind my speculation, but I felt that this message might hold value for you, and your shells seemed to be speaking loud and clear.
 

Satori

That is so beautiful Shelley!
At first glance it seemed a little negative but the way you put it allows me to see the sheer beauty of the lesson!

And currently with what is happening here at home this is so very much what we are doing here. Learning to smooth over the irritants and living from love.

I'm laughing a little too because I see this lesson over and over in my life as I look back over the years. I find it so amusing because I can think of several people I have found so irritating and when I apply this formula to the equation I see we were helping each other with this lesson of love.

One woman who I remember so well was probably the most difficult person I'd ever met. She didn't really care for me either. And we had some major battle and got right under each other's skin. In the end I had the opportunity to help out...thru my father actually. Her car broke down at work and my Dad helped her get going.

After that we never had another problem!

And in my family right now I have sister who seems to be carrying the lesson to another level!

Amazing stuff Shelley.

And you won't believe this, but my mother has the most beautiful helmut conch in her house. It sits on her piano with her collection of bisque babies and the inside has the most beautiful pink smooth lining. Really beautiful. I believe it is the only shell in her house!

I was sharing the Oracle with some of the people at the Bookstore where I read this past Monday and we were looking at shells and talking about the shells and it was such a conversation about spiritual growth and I kept thinking how I've never before seen shells as having such a huge message for humanity, and now I see shells everywhere.

A CVS pharmacy tech had on a cowrie shell necklace the other day and we had a whole conversation about shells and you.....and she is going to be on the lookout for the Oracle!

There seems to be an energy building around you right now Shelley.
Don't you think so???

Thanks again for a great post.

hugs
elf
 

gravenimages

Hi Shelley!

Thank you for sharing your insights on the sand dollar--I've always been facinated with them. I am using one of the ones that I found as a pentacle for my altar.

I also think that all aspects of being (scientific, symbolic) are valuable resources when doing a reading--science values too and you can derive meaning from it. I just find your whole system enlightening. Your thoughts on the sand dollar were right on for me in several aspects of my life. You also have a gentle way with words. :)

I was able to order the Ocean Oracle from Amazon (I got the email that it is on it's way today). I can't wait to use it. I would also be interested in any workshop you'd be doing (and I also want to read these postings over again--I find every time I read I find something that I missed). Is it possible to do this forum as a study group--even an informal one? It seems that that is what we are doing. I can't wait to get this Oracle. Wonderful work Shelley!
XXXXNat
 

shell oracle

I am so glad you are enjoying learning about the shells in all of their aspects.
I look forward to other people sharing their experiences, I am certain that I have much to learn from you too.

I was touched by this comment from elf:

"I'm laughing a little too because I see this lesson over and over in my life as
I look back over the years. I find it so amusing because I can think of
several people I have found so irritating and when I apply this formula to the
equation I see we were helping each other with this lesson of love."

As I read this statement, I am rejoicing. I also felt the need to discuss Chambered Nautilus. I realize that you are eager for me to write the story of the Helmet Conch, and I will, but this statement you made is so Chambered Nautilus, I had to speak about that first. I hope you don’t mind. It just seemd so organic to discuss the Chambered Nautilus after your revelation. It is another shell that continued teaching after Ocean Oracle was published.

The basic divination premise of the Chambered Nautilus is about patterns in our lives. Nautilus means something from the past that you tried to leave behind you appears again as part of a pattern. In relationships, you may notice that the faces change, but the emotions experienced are the same. You find yourself asking, "How did I end up here again?" The reason this happens is because the original source of the emotion still resides inside you. It never healed because you chose to close the door and walk away from it. To get your attention, since it has not healed, it is one-upped in the pattern (just as the Nautilus grows larger and larger chambers) until it is so in your face that you can't just turn away from it. When Nautilus appears, it is an opportunity to heal not only the present situation, but also all the ones that came before. If you look at the inside of the shell, it looks like the chambers are sealed off from each other. However, there is a tiny notch in each septum through which the animal sends a tube called a siphuncle. In this manner, all the chambers are connected. The nautilus fills the back chambers with water to make it sink in the ocean, and sends pressurized gas through the siphuncle to expel the water to make it rise. By altering the volume of gas and water it controls its buoyancy. (The principle of the submarine.)

Since all the chambers are actually connected, the Nautilus teaches that when you are reacting to the current situation, you are not just reacting to the current situation, you are reacting to all the other times you closed the door and walked away. This is why you may actually over-react to the current circumstances….they are triggering the rest that lie buried. My thought is that the pattern is designed to eventually allow you to confront and heal the original event. In Nautilus terms, it is providing buoyancy and assisting the event to "rise" in your awareness. Nautilus is in your life to allow for discovering the first, tiny central chamber from which all the others grew. Healing dissolves the need for future chambers. Then, you no longer have to attract that pattern into your life.

When you stated that you now viewed your experiences with irritating people as helping each other with the lesson of love, I think you have healed your pattern !!!!

Since Ocean Oracle, Nautilus has taught me more. In the next book, I explain why I believe it is the shell connected to ascension. Nautilus is about a pattern, which traces back allowing for the discovery of the original chamber. Here is my theory: Besides leaving behind all the pain of the situation each time you close the door, you also have stored with it the gifts you have been given to heal the situation. My thought is that the moment you are confronted with a situation that requires healing, you are also given the gifts to work with to accomplish the healing. If you close the door on the situation, you also leave your gift locked away. So Nautilus is giving you the opportunity to reclaim the gifts as you heal the pattern.

Nautilus fossils date back over 300 million years ago, and their living relatives can still be found today...essentially the same animals just smaller in size due to competition. At one time, they had no competition and ruled the seas.

It is also worth noting that the pattern in which the animals grow their shell is in accordance with the sacred geometry of fibonacci numbers, sometimes called the Golden Section. One of my books says "Perhaps more than any other shell the nautilus's beauty goes beyond that of a beautiful bauble; it is a reminder of the order in the universe." I also read that fibonacci numbers, along with Chambered Nautilus, Orion's belt and master numbers (such as seeing 444, or 1111 or 2222 etc.) are some of the methods our soul contracted for each of us according to our own sequence to trigger our awakening in our DNA.

This leads me to speculate... If you will allow some free association...
I can't help but notice that the Nautilus rises by using pressurized gas. If the Nautilus' rising comes from using pressure to expel the water, maybe we are drawn to Nautilus in pressure-filled situations. This expels water (which is emotion) because we can't turn away from the pattern anymore. This is a gift from Nautilus. The pressure forces us to confront the pattern that we had avoided until now. It was impacting our lives anyway, that is why we repeated the pattern. By forcing a confrontation with our emotions, we are given the opportunity to heal, and to retrieve our gifts.

Maybe the final obvious chamber that is in our face will allow us to connect to the ones we have closed the door on long ago, and allow the source of our original ancient gifts to arise. Nautilus is offering a healing and awakening of the gifts we have hidden in our core. Maybe our buried gifts float up to our awareness. Maybe this will connect us to our own essence...our sacred geometry. That should be valuable in the ascension process.
 

lark

It has been wonderful to go so deeply into certain shells like this.
Is this what your book will be like?
Can it be used with the oracle to get to the deeper meanings of the shells and ourselves?
 

Ruby7

I am enjoying this thread and have ordered The Ocean Oracle from Amazon, it has shipped and should be here tomorrow.

I'm quite busy at the moment (stressed to be honest) and am finding that reading about the shells is relaxing me. I guess in a way reminding me of carefree times on the beach finding shells. Very interesting and I'm looking forward to reading more.

Thanks,
Ruby7
 

Satori

It is true that Shelley makes the shells come alive lark.
The amazing part of the journey I'm taking with Ocean Oracle is that originally I had chosen to be a marine biologist...when I was looking for a major way back in high school. But my math scores weren't high enough and a teacher sort of told me I wouldn't be able to do it. And I ended up changing my major.

I was most interested in being a whale biologist, but it was a scientist talking about shells and the coastal ecosystem who really sparked my interest.

Now, so many years later, I am rediscovering my love of the ocean thru the shells.

Such a gift.
 

Acadia

lark said:
It has been wonderful to go so deeply into certain shells like this.
Is this what your book will be like?
Can it be used with the oracle to get to the deeper meanings of the shells and ourselves?

Shelley's book is really multi-faceted... I think you can use it as a resource book on shells, and as an Oracle. I brought my Oracle to Tortola to try and identify shells I found on the beach. I think there is a lot of indepth information about shells in the Ocean Oracle. In fact, I've used a lot of the information to divy up shells by Elemental correspondence and use them in spellwork. That's a different duck for a different day though, but I'm just trying to share that there is enough information on the shells in this book to make it useful as both an Oracle and as a resource on shells. :)