Covid Symbolism: Bat & the Shamanic Death

Living in Melbourne, Australia taught me a lot about death. Not in the physical sense, but in the equally transformational and sometimes morbid sense. That phase of my life was fraught with extreme betrayal and disappointment, which was followed by a cycle of instability and deep mourning. Further, Melbourne is in direct alignment with my astrocartography Mars frequency, which I truly don’t recommend living within, unless you’re keen on your reality mirroring the epic battles of Arthurian lore. Intense? Indeed. I had to gather some baser survival instincts, adapt endlessly and maneuver with profound strength and courage in a foreign country where few were on my side. Also at this time, I couldn’t escape the daily, ominous presence of bats in the city, flying overhead. I always felt that they were a sign; that their consistent presence held meaning I should not overlook. My previous years of living in Hawai’i had greatly expanded my spiritual awareness, including that of animal symbolism, so it’s with particular empathy that I share this comparative experience about bat symbolism with you.

Currently, a widely held theory positions the bat as the point of origin for the Covid pandemic. Whether that is true or not, we can look to the spiritual message woven through bat’s flight. As passed down through shamanic tradition, these creatures symbolize shamanic death...not necessarily literal death, although sometimes, both intersect. Primarily, bat reflects the complete end of a realm and reminds us to fly with purpose into a new plane of existence. Each time this occurs, it is a spiritual initiation. Bat also teaches us to hold space for grief without physically carrying it. Are we willing to allow aspects of our societal template to die, which have been lingering in a state of dormancy at the expense of our growth? Or will we continue grasping at frayed ends? It was difficult to accept my given reality at the time of all those events, but as soon as I did, I was able to begin integrating the deeper wisdom initiated and quickly after; manifested an easy exit route which enabled me to let go of the outgrown situation and literally fly into a new plane of existence. Also, that experience imbued within me, the ability to healthily apply those lessons as a template for other experiences. In short, that spiritual initiation made me much wiser, more forgiving, discerning and resourceful; all attributes which further growth in all of life’s arenas. Bat energy also summons us to mirror their supernatural abilities of echolocation and swift survival instincts to sharpen our own perceptions. They can also biologically process a state of frigid dormancy with advanced hibernation techniques, then quickly return to their usual stasis upon environmental cue; an ability we can all adapt psychologically, while we take refuge in our domestic caves and process this collective, spiritual initiation before we build anew.