This summer, two of our strongest symbols are the Sand Dollar and the Anchor. One teaches us of the values of remaining stable and grounded; the other encourages us to be at peace during times of change.
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The anchor is a symbol as old as the very first ships. It has stood, over the ages, for security and strength – an iconic device that brings hope to seafarers adrift on the open sea. Binding the land to the ocean, the anchor also represents harmony: the peaceful existence of two elements, earth and water.
Anchors ground us. Their unshakable construction is a reminder to hold fast, to stabilize ourselves among flux and choppy waters. They are the steady part of our being, the unwavering core at our center. Look to the anchor in times of strife; use it as an example of confidence, a reminder to live a life anchored in your truth.
Originally a kind of sea urchin, sand dollars have a mythic history. Some believe they symbolize God’s presence on creation; five doves are said to reside within their dusty white shell – the five angels that sang to the wise men on Christ’s birth. Others think they are coins, weathered over time, dropped by the people of Atlantis – or tokens forgotten by mermaids.
Sand dollars flow with the ocean. We can learn a thing or two by watching them move. Carried whichever way the tide pleases, sand dollars teach us to welcome change, to accept shifting phases in life. We must trust the intricate process; drift through uncertainty, with faith that we’ll wash ashore.
