The elephant is a majestic creature, reflecting in its symbolism the energetic associations we can learn from the elephant. Here we look at the key qualities of the elephant, its spiritual significance, and how to embody and connect to the energy of the majestic elephant.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS
The spiritual symbolism of an elephant varies across different cultures and belief systems, but it often represents positive attributes and virtues.
In many Asian cultures, particularly in India, elephants are considered sacred animals and are associated with deities like Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles and a symbol of wisdom and good fortune. Elephants are also seen as symbols of strength, longevity, and memory.
In African cultures, elephants are often associated with wisdom, leadership, and family bonds due to their strong and protective nature within their herds. In some Native American traditions, elephants symbolize the importance of grounding oneself and connecting with the Earth.
Overall, elephants are commonly seen as spiritual symbols of qualities such as wisdom, strength, good fortune, and protection, and their symbolism can vary based on the cultural context in which they are considered.
The spiritual symbolism of the elephant
In addition to the main qualities shared below, elephants symbolize good luck, fertility, protection, and community. This animal brings luck and protection through its primordial powers, their connection to Mother Earth.
Ancient and intuitive, elephants are quite psychic and clairvoyant in their own right. They’re clairsentient, clairaudient and claircognizant too.
Video about the spiritual symbolism of an elephant
Elephants are known to respond to music and other extrasensory experiences. So, one message of the elephant is to get in touch with your musical and artistic talents! Make time for creativity and imaginative expression, because wonderful wisdom and insight can arise from these spaces.
Also, the capacity for multidimensional awareness is birthed from the infinite forces of creation, creative energies. You may find yourself accessing knowledge from past lives, future lives, or holographic astral sources such as the Akashic Records.
| Culture | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hinduism | Associated with deities such as Ganesha, representing wisdom, intellect, and remover of obstacles. |
| Buddhism | Symbolizes strength, wisdom, and good fortune. Often depicted in Buddhist art and as the white elephant in Buddhist mythology. |
| African Traditions | Represents power, strength, and royalty. Often considered a sacred animal and associated with gods and ancestral spirits. |
| Chinese Culture | Symbol of longevity, fertility, and good luck. The elephant is often depicted with the trunk up, symbolizing the accumulation of wealth. |
| Native American | Symbolizes patience, honor, and spirituality. In some tribes, the elephant represents the connection between the physical and spiritual realms. |
Related:
3 Powerful Deities for Fertility [& How to Ask for Their Favors]
3 Deities for Success and Luck [& How to Ask for Their Favors]
Perceptive and Gentle
Elephants are perceptive, gentle, and wise animals. They are highly self-aware, aware of their surroundings, and conscious of their immediate environments. They can teach the skill of intellect combined with fine-tuned intuition… Wisdom arises through these qualities.
Wisdom is equally linked to gentleness, as being so in tune with subtle energy allows them to embody grace and serenity. Patience is another key trait.
Further linked to this is their capacity for memory. Elephants help to teach us the power of connecting to the infinite time-space complex for improved memory functions. Due to their sensitivity, they are able to access hidden and once forgotten information, from both the past and future!
Noble and Regal
If you’ve ever been blessed to be around elephants, you will know their majestic vibes. Elephants are regal and noble with powers of magnificence- being in the presence of an elephant can instantly transport you into a magical realm. They possess an ethereal quality.
They’re strong, loyal, family-oriented, and thrive off of close bonds. Emotionally, psychologically and spiritually aware, and connected, elephants seek to create close bonds and long-lasting friendships. This majestic animal lives in harmony with nature and is matriarchal.
The nobility of an elephant really shines through in its matriarchal (motherly) nature. Females often help to raise other female’s young, a strong sense of community is developed and they give their love and affections abundantly. This then increases wisdom and inner harmony.
Compassion, Care and Nurturance
Elephants embody a very strong female energy. Firstly, this female energy relates to the aspects described above; they live in communities and care for each other’s young. The second element of this is the connection elephants have to the ether and spiritual planes. Elephants are known to be multi-dimensional.
They have acutely developed senses, instincts, intuitive powers, and psychic sensitivity. They can feel and sense the energy of the universe around them, and they achieve this directly through their own body’s connection to the earth- through sensing vibrations through the ground. And, through their advanced levels of compassion.
Elephants are evolved beings with big hearts! Compassion, empathy, and the ability to visibly show emotions such as through tears, pain, love, affection, and other key forms of expression are embraced.
One prime real-world example of the awe-inspiring level of sensitivity and love they show is in the case of Lawrence Anthony. Lawrence Anthony (L.A) was known as the ‘elephant whisperer’- he built a protective enclosure for elephants to keep them safe, and a pretty big one at that. Upon his death, the elephants instinctively trekked for hours to visit him. There is actual footage of them standing just outside the fences of his home paying their respects….
The message? Elephants are not only capable of showing us how strong family bonds are and can be, but they are also here to show us unconditional love; the bond between species that transcends separation.
‘Shadow signs’- things to be mindful of
If you are doing a reading with a Spirit Animal deck or oracle and the elephant card is pulled, upside down, it can mean a number of things. Ask yourself…
- Are you being patient with yourself and others? You may be needing to embody more patience and understanding. Take it slow… elephants are a symbol of stability and steadfastness.
- Are you living up to your full potential and accessing your wisdom? Elephants are wise, intelligent, and perceptive above anything else!
- Have you become too masculine- have you lost touch with your inner femininity? Seek ways to connect to your female energy, the “mother within,” and your role as big sister or motherly guardian in someone’s life.
- Are you currently disconnected from your feelings, emotions and instincts? IF so, work on your intuition and emotional intelligence. Strive for emotional wisdom, intelligence, awareness and openness.
- Is there a portal or bridge open to past lives, and/or to subtle and ethereal energy?! Elephants are in tune with the cosmic life force, the spiritual energy of the universe. They see beyond the veil of illusion, sense things above and beyond the physical senses, and ‘know’ things instinctively. They’re also capable of telepathy and advanced forms of non-verbal communication… Are you accessing yours?!
How to embody the ‘Elephant spirit’?
You can do exercises and activities to connect directly to the elephant spirit within. All of the elephant’s qualities- wisdom, patience, loyalty, sensitivity, compassion, empathy, emotional intelligence, motherly instincts, nurturance, and past life access- all stem from one key source: subtle connection. A bond with Mother Earth.
Try to increase and amplify your psychic powers and innate sensitivities by engaging in cyclic third eye and aura strengthening exercises. By cyclic I mean do these daily or weekly, in cyclic nature.
| Characteristics | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|
| Strength | Represents physical and inner strength, resilience, and the ability to overcome obstacles. |
| Wisdom | Symbolizes wisdom, knowledge, and intelligence. The elephant is considered one of the wisest animals in many traditions. |
| Loyalty | Signifies loyalty, devotion, and strong family bonds. Elephants are known for their deep emotional connections and protective nature. |
| Protection | Seen as a guardian and protector, providing strength and protection against negative energies or harm. |
| Good Fortune | Associated with good luck, abundance, and prosperity. In some cultures, elephant figurines or charms are believed to bring luck and wealth. |
Activate your third eye through sun-gazing, working with crystals, and mediating against a tree. Grounding with nature while being aware of your intrinsic connection to the universe and cosmos allows energy to flow more freely. Prana, chi, universal life force, and source energy all flow effortlessly and more powerfully when “at one” with nature. ‘Heaven and earth,’ elephants are both connected to Father Sky and Mother Earth- they’re deeply aware of their ancient roots and connection with the stars up above (hence their ability to recall past lives!).
Making small or significant changes in your diet and lifestyle are ideal ways to spark your third eye, the seat of psychic abilities and intuition. Eat more plant-based, vegan, and nutritious high-vibrational foods. Reduce or eradicate the number of chemicals you put on your body and seek to limit your intake of artificial preservatives, additives, and intoxicants. Food choices play a large role in your susceptibility to subtle energy. People who have a strong spiritual vibration and therefore are able to perceive subtle energy, astral project, receive wisdom from their higher self, and tune into the mysteries and pulses from the world around, the divine, are the ones who commit to healthy and balanced lifestyle choices. Such as immaculate diets! And, of course, regular spiritual and daily self-care practices.
Dancing, creativity, artistic self-expression, movement, and holistic or herbal medicine can all connect you with the elephant spirit. The movement itself is a medicine, as it allows your emotions to be released, in addition to trapped energy and distorted frequencies (beliefs, mindsets, attitudes, etc.) easing. Meditation and chanting, mantras, and sound therapy are other powerful routes back to the Self.
Oh, did I mention that elephants are deeply connected to the subconscious and the world of dreams…? It’s true. Elephants have active and aware psyches. They also dream, frequently entering periods of REM sleep (although this only happens every 3 days, around). More on this next.
Tree meditation: a grounding and vibration-raising exercise
If you’d like to try something new and increase your capacity for aligning with the elephant spirit, attempt this tree mediation. The elephant is connected primarily to the earth element and they’re extremely grounded creatures, with ancient energy. Trees are ancient too, it’s the roots of the trees of our world that establish a cord to the greater universe.
Find a quiet spot in nature. Sit with your back against a tree and your feet on the ground. Your knees should be bent slightly, intentionally upright but also comfortable. For the best effect, take your shoes and socks off, this way your feet are completely connected to the earth. Close your eyes and go within, taking some deep breaths. Visualize the tree in its entirety; the roots below the earth, the trunk as its support system, and the leaves and branches up above.
Now, create a mental link of yourself to the tree. Just like this ancient tree, you have your own roots- the invisible but very real cords grounding you with Mother Earth (your feet). You also have your own support system, your spine. And, the top of your head ‘aka’ the crown chakra links you to the heavens and celestial entities up above. You are similar to a tree in many ways.
Once you’ve felt and embraced this connection, start to take some deep breaths.
- Breathe in and picture life force energy (chi/prana) entering through your feet. This life force travels up through your feet, legs, spine, heart, throat, and into your third eye and crown chakras. As you breathe out, watch it leave you.
- Do this 3- 5 times or as many times as you feel comfortable. Create steady internal sync. Then, take the same breaths but this time visualize the energy flowing in through the tree’s roots, up through the earth into its trunk, and out through the branches and then leaves. You might already, instantly, feel a connection between yourself and the tree.
- Repeat the above 3- 5 times or as many times as you wish to establish a link. Repeat step 1 followed by step 2 again…. Magic and pulsing energy will be flowing through you at this stage. You are energetically connected to the tree! You might want to set some intentions at this point to increase your frequency, raise your vibration, connect to your intuition and higher self, and the like. Sit in silence and feel the shared heartbeat. The tree’s heart is beating just as yours is- you are connected through time and space.
- After a few minutes (or as long as you want) of silence and contemplation, switch it around. Start to breathe in with the vision of life force energy coming in through your crown, and flowing all the way down your body into the ground. Picture this beautiful, loving, and healing energy flowing into you through the skies and ether up above. Then, do the same whilst seeing the energy come in through the tree’s leaves. The leaves are like astral cords and they connect the tree with the subtle-energetic universe around.
- Repeat this process for as long as you wish, always focusing on your breath and the light entering and leaving, flowing and spiraling. Finally, perform some more breaths- inhales and exhales- with total synchronization. This means seeing, feeling, and sensing your and the tree’s energies as one. As you breathe in and see the energy flowing up through your feet, see the same energy flowing through the tree’s roots. Each body part is connected to the tree, you are interconnected and one.
- To end this powerful vibration-raising meditation, send gratitude to Mother Nature and to the elephants of the world. Ask to connect to the elephant spirit. See this gentle, loving, kind and wise creature in your mind’s eye, and set some intentions for a cord to remain intact. You may end the meditation here or continue to stay in this space. Great insight and wisdom, sparks of inspiration, or flashes of insight might come to you from the elephant spirit. Enjoy it, appreciate it, and know that you are blessed.
Paying attention to signs & messages from the Universe
Due to the link elephants have to dreams and the collective psyche, the best way you can look out for signs and messages from the universe is to consciously seek their teachings in dreams. Are you already familiar with dreamwork, or conscious dreaming?
If not, it really is as simple as meditating on the Spirit Animal, so in this case, the elephant, before sleep. Visualize the elephant in all of its beauty. Sit in quiet contemplation and set some intentions: to connect to the elephant spirit during dreamtime, and to receive any message or piece of wisdom this animal wants to give.
Place a cleansed (cold water) and charged (natural sunlight) Amethyst and Lapis Lazuli crystal on top of or under your pillow. These two gemstones are perfect for Elephant connection because they represent the elephant’s energies; using these for dream assistance will naturally enhance your capacity to connect to the elephant’s wisdom and teachings!
Lapis Lazuli: Lapis Lazuli is a deep blue gemstone with flecks of gold for the Throat and Third Eye chakras. It was revered by ancient Egyptians for its psychic and dream-related properties. It is also known as a ‘dream stone’ and thus used by prophets, seers, poets, mystics, healers, musicians, and psychics… Lapis Lazuli is excellent for communication channels, both literal and metaphysical. Lapis Lazuli purifies, connects you with the ethereal realm, enhances dream recall and vivid dreams, and promotes positive magic and manifestation.
It aids in intuition, inner truth, divine connection, and peace of mind. It is a gemstone for a psychic attack as well, therefore having strong self-protective forces. Lapis Lazuli ultimately brings deep peace, feelings of harmony, self-knowledge, alignment with a higher- universal- truth, mental clarity, and deep wisdom. It inspires subconscious, subtle, and spiritual connection and is known for opening channels to past-life recall, lucid and vivid dreaming abilities, and self-expression. It is a purifier.
Amethyst: Amethyst is another Third Eye stone also known as the ‘psychic’s stone.’ It is violet to deep purple in color, and has a range of spiritual effects. Psychic gifts, clairvoyance, positive communication, transformation, mind, body & spirit balance, inner harmony, peace, meditation, self-awareness and nobility are the main benefits of amethyst. It can aid in soul transformation, therefore is perfect for connecting you with the elephant spirit. You’re better able to access your subconscious mind and psyche due to the psychic and spiritual link.
It is protective, shielding, healing, cleansing, inspiring and clarifying. Amethyst inspires higher truths, self-love, intuition, self-mastery, open-mindedness, and the positive pursuit of truth and power, both in the physical world and on the spiritual planes. Activating your third eye and crown chakras with amethyst allows you to connect, through shared sensitivity, to the elephant.
Elephant Symbolism in Dreams
| Dream Interpretation | Symbolic Meaning |
|---|---|
| Elephant Encounter | Represents strength, power, and the need to face challenges with determination. |
| White Elephant | Symbolizes purity, spiritual enlightenment, and divine guidance. It may indicate the presence of a spiritual message or awakening. |
| Elephant Herd | Signifies a sense of community, family, and the importance of social connections. It may represent support and unity in your life. |
| Elephant Trunk | The trunk of an elephant in a dream can symbolize communication, expression, and the ability to reach out for assistance or resources. |
| Riding an Elephant | Reflects a sense of control, confidence, and authority. It may suggest leadership qualities or the need to take charge of a situation. |
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