Before I dig further into creating content for this website, I wanted to take a moment to thank the whale totem for illuminating my awareness and helping to guide my decision-making over the last many years. As many of you won’t know, the blue and grey whale totems have the honor and distinction of being the first spiritual ally that I journeyed with so many years ago. In the years following, that whale energy has led me down the path of the wolf, and then onto a cougar, and many more, but it’s the creative, intelligent, song producing, and life-affirming relationship with the whale that I’ve always held most dear to my heart.

One reason why I’ve wanted to invite the whale energy into this first conversation has to do with Hollywood’s embrace of this ancient symbol of strength and creativity that’s become evident in recent theatrical releases. And I’m not only talking about Drew Barrymore’s 2012 release of ‘Big Miracle’ featuring a larger-than-life sea mammal and the conflicts surrounding their natural habitats, I’m also referring to more recent releases that include: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ and ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

In each, the audience is captured in part by the wisdom, intelligence, and allegiance that these whales have been tasked with while aiding their human counterparts. While each film holds the whale’s archetypal and collective energies in different ways, it comes as no surprise that the writers, producers, directors, actors, actresses, and other creative forces have come to rely upon the whale for their storytelling processes. To Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, I thank you for inviting the whale into your lives, and to James Cameron and his writing staff, I too, thank you for inviting these wonderful beings into your storylines.

According to Ted Andrews and his 1993 publication of ‘Animal Speak’ the whale totem carries with it the power of creation and the power of song that can arise in a person’s life to help with awakening to their own inner depths. The whale totem also lives in a cycle of power that persists throughout the whole year, and due to the many myths surrounding the sea, and these sea-faring mammals, the whale is an ancient symbol of creation. To the many indigenous communities and First Nations that depend upon the whale for their own sustenance, they may see their relationship with the whale as being more closely tied to sacrifice, abundance, and as a provider of many of the goods they use to sustain their own lives and livelihoods.

In the years preceding the re-establishment of Kusala Integrative Medicine, I’ve become quite fond of those organizations that support and sustain the habitats for these sea-faring sentient beings. One of those, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, which many of you will already know from the Discovery Channel’s ‘Whale Wars’, also holds a special place for me and their continued efforts supporting the natural habitats of marine mammal life. Although I do not have any involvement with their organization or their daily operations, I’ve felt the need to invite their energies into this conversation, and in support of their ongoing efforts against those that illegally hunt, harm, and kill these beings for monetary gain.

It’s this relationship with the Earth and all of those beings that inhabit her planes, that I’ve found profound respect, love, and admiration for, and it’s with the energies that are contained within each of us that we find the capacity to heal, love, and care for in our own ways.

So, take this moment to thank those beings in your lives that have contributed to a better understanding of yourself, and the world around you, as I thank the whale totem for sharing their beauty with us, and I thank the wolf totem for finding a path when it’s not been well-lit. I also wanted to thank the shadowy cougar energy for having the capacity to deliver what is needed, and when it is needed, and for also strengthening the quality of my work in the ways that only a cougar would know best.

Thank you to those that have supported my efforts throughout the years, and thank you to those that are learning how to give and receive gratitude in your busy lives.

Interested in exploring more about meditation, integrative bodywork, and sound therapy? Follow Kusala Healing on LinkedIn for regular updates, tips, and insights into integrative healing. Join our supportive community and stay connected with our journey of wholeness and karmic wellbeing!