Why jellyfish, you ask? I’ve had this question from several collectors—who loved the design but weren’t sure of the larger meaning behind it. For starters, because they kept coming to me, showing up stretched the length of my two favorite beaches. Long tendrils trailing through the sand and seaweed, bodies dried out in perfect crystalized violets and blues. More than one friend said “you should really paint those”, but it wasn't until I looked at them from a shamanic perspective, thinking of the jelly as what it could symbolize, that I finally sat down with my paints.
I was looking through a book of symbols and thinking about shells, after creating my seashell watercolors that themselves turned into prints and fabric. I flipped through and stumbled across the man-o-war, which got me thinking about the energy and feel that the man-o-war would bring to a home. Then I went and checked a book on spirit animals by noted Shaman Alyson Charles, and that was when I got my paints out and began to paint right away.
According to Charles, these ethereal creatures signify the presence of:
light
transmissions
healthy emotions
flow
majesty
tuning in
contentment
silence
receiving
heart
She advises to work with the jellyfish “when you want direct access to the trust and wisdom of the universe, when you want to connect more deep with your heart, when you want to flow but not drift aimlessly.” They are also a good symbol for when you have a clear goal and you want to release control and let the universe step in to support you as you get in the flow.
Feng Shui means literally “wind and water” and that is exactly what the jelly fish and man-o-war represent. These organisms have been around for over 500 million years. They are ancient and adaptive and the perfect symbol for the release of aiming with intention, letting go, and trusting in our journey. Man-O-Wars are a type of siphonophore—creatures that exist as a colony, with various members responsible for distinct tasks. In other words, they live in the ultimate communities, where the whole would be impossible without each individual, making the man-o-war the ultimate symbol of collaboration and community. To me they represent the greater heights we achieve when we work together.
Bringing it back to Feng shui for a moment, these man-o-war represent both the water element and the fire element. The rectangle shape and the cotton material bring in earth element. The violet and blue colors are more water symbols. Water = wealth, so these are excellent throws especially when going in your wealth, fame or career areas of your home.
If you have any questions on the symbolism of these please send me a message! I always love to talk symbology :)