Mermaids—the mystical word conjures up age-old images of sea sirens, beautiful half-fish women who live along the shores of all the major oceans of the world. Their relationship with humans has always been one of mixed emotions and reactions on both sides. Perhaps this is because humans are closer in physical form to the mer-folk than to any other mystical creature. Perhaps it is because we expect a similar-looking species to think and act as we do.
Are mermaids real? Just because a number of different creatures can transport themselves quickly and easily between the astral realms and this world does not mean they are illusions and do not exist. It simply means humans must be much more aware of their surroundings if they wish to see these beings. We tend to be aware of the big picture and forget to look at the small, lovely details in life.
It is very difficult to explain about the Earth and astral realm issue with the mermaids and other water creatures, because the old tales speak of them as actually having been in this world. However, at some time this species and many others decided to move completely to the astral realm for safety. The mermaids, other beings, and their habitats and civilizations are now entirely found in the astral realm, although they have the ability to visit the physical plane whenever they wish. I have seen only one mermaid personally, and because I had binoculars, there was no doubt what the being was. Clearly, I saw the long pale flash of arms and head as the mermaid leaped and played in the waves.
Each time she went beneath the water, her iridescent fish tail was very visible. In her last dive, she smacked the ocean waters with her tail, as if laughing at my astonishment. However, physical sightings are rare in modern times. Therefore, most of the information I entered into this book is a combination of very old tales and personal experience in spiritual interactions and deep meditations. Rather than sound like a dull professor reading from a textbook and reiterate this throughout the book, I have chosen to write as if these occurrences and meetings are ordinary physical events.
Mermaids are not seals, nor are they manatees. No human could mistake either of these physical, earthly water creatures for a half-human mermaid with bare breasts and pearly white skin. Mermaids also speak the language of the coastline near where they appear and are known for their beautiful singing. Seals and manatees do not speak or sing.
The mer-folk—mermaids, in particular—have powers far beyond human capability. This fact about mermaids goes back as far as there is verbal or written history about these water creatures. They have been known to grant humans wishes and gifts, such as healing.
The mer-folk are more widely spread than most people realize. They exist in all kinds of water, an element that is not friendly to human habitation. Although most of the remaining legends concern the world’s oceans and human-sized mermaids, smaller mer-folk and related water creatures inhabit every type of water on the face of this planet. Some mermaids exist only in lakes, reminding us of the Lady of the Lake that gave King Arthur the sword Excalibur. Others inhabit rivers, waterfalls, tiny streams, and even the wetland areas where water is almost under the surface of the earth instead of on top of it. The mer-folk are not the Elemental undines associated with the Element of Water. Rather, the mer-folk are a separate species, male and female, who work with the undines and have a distinct life and powers of their own.
The mer-folk are also adept at shapeshifting. If they do not wish to be seen, they can blend in with the surrounding environment so well that they become invisible to humans. The mer-folk can also remove their fishlike tails and walk on dry ground with two legs. There are only two ways to tell if an unknown person is a member of the mer-folk community. First, they will not go far from whatever water they inhabit. They will have slight webs between their fingers and toes, and their skin will have a pearly sheen to it.
Mermaids are far less aggressive than mermen, the males of this species. This trait may be based on negative past experiences with humans. However, both male and female mer-folk have been known to interbreed on rare occasions with humans. Eventually, though, the mer-folk always return to their water home, leaving behind their human lover, and frequently the children born of that union. Certain human clans and families of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales claim descent from a human and mer-folk union; these families are marked with distinct webs of skin between their toes and often their fingers, too.
Among the powers of the mer-folk is their ability to affect the weather, particularly calling up or calming storms. Some stories tell of these creatures raising storms as retribution for a human breach of behavior or in self-defense. Other tales remark on their powers to calm storms so that friendly fishermen or mariners can make it safely to port. Because the Element of Water is closely connected with human emotions, the mer-folk also have the ability to affect human emotions. This can be a positive or negative trait, depending upon the behavior of the human in question and the goals of the mermaid or merman involved. Because they do have this power, they can teach humans how to change negative behavior patterns or life events into positive paths.
The mer-folk and many of the water creatures are great healers and forecasters of the future. Little is known of these traits, probably because humans have never taken the time or made the effort to befriend and learn from these amazing beings. It is time to reopen this ancient door to learning the
secret powers of magick from the mer-folk. If one can learn to predict possible future paths, then we can make better choices in our lives. And no method of healing and magick should be discarded simply because we haven’t heard of it before.
The universe holds so many mysteries of secret powers that we cannot hope to learn them all in a hundred lifetimes. Besides, an open, inquiring mind has been proven to add to human quality of life far into the older years. When one stops learning, one begins to age mentally.
Although the mer-folk have many human characteristics, they definitely are not human in their behavior and thinking, and we should not expect them to be like us. Being human does not make us better than other species, whatever plane of existence they inhabit.
With our present human concerns of preserving the Earth, as well as bettering our everyday life, we need to seek out the friendship and teaching of the mer-folk and other water creatures. Their concerns for preservation of the planet match ours, while their knowledge and powers exceed those of humans. The more we learn from the mer-folk, the stronger the bond we can create between the two species. The stronger the bond, the more power we can use to improve life on all levels for both species. The more you learn as a person, the stronger and more self-confident you become. Add to this the cultivation of an unusual and powerful friendship with a species that has been on Earth as long as, if not longer than, humans, and the future opens up into a limitless series of opportunities. So I welcome you to the world of magickal mermaids and other water creatures. May you learn amazing things that add to your life on all levels.
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Adapted, and reprinted with permission from Weiser Books, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, Magickal Mermaids and Water Creatures by D.J. Conway is available wherever books and ebooks are sold or directly from the publisher atwww.redwheelweiser.com or 800-423-7087
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