Dance of the Dung Beetle

As I walked through the sagebrush and juniper trees, I noticed a commotion by my feet. I knelt down to have a closer look. It was Dung Beetle doing the dung beetle dance, walking backwards in a handstand, rolling a pellet through the sandy soil. There were ruts and bumps, twigs and leaves, and rooted grasses to navigate around. A red ant came by to investigate. Dung Beetle steadily stayed on task with pure focus and intent, undeterred by challenges, not distracted by curious passerbys.

Dung Beetles engage in the sacred task of clearing away, of repurposing, recycling, and composting. The dung the shiny black beetles gather up is a place to lay their eggs and a source of nourishment. Soils are replenished by the dung the beetles bury. Seeds are dispersed when Dung Beetles roll their bounty across the land. What others have released, Dung Beetle gathers up and utilizes for the regeneration of life.

This is the circle of life, the interweaving of our relationships – like trees releasing oxygen and humans breathing this in and humans breathing out what the trees need for nourishment. On our earth, life feeds life. Death is the pathway to birth. Endings flow into beginnings, over and over again.

In ancient Egyptian lineages, Dung Beetles are also named Sacred Scarab Beetles. They are deeply revered and honored in art, stories, and ceremony. Symbols of scarabs are found in images of deities and crafted into jewelry and protective amulets.

Dung Beetles are said to be responsible for carrying the disc of the sun over the horizon to initiate the dawn of a new day. After sunset, they carry the sun through the mystery of the otherworld, then again, bring the sun over the horizon for the sunrise. They are bringers of renewal, rebirth, and transformation. They keep the natural cycles, the organic balance of life, in place.

Carry Dung Beetle Medicine with You

Dung Beetle engages in the sacred task of cleaning up and clearing away. What is ready to be let go of in your inner and outer world? What is weighing you down, keeping you stuck, stressed, and out of balance? You can engage in the sacred task of clearing and cleaning inner and outer spaces with gratitude, respect, and non-judgment. This is a purposeful, essential task.

What changes are you yearning for? What do you really really want? Plant the seeds of your dreams. Claim them on the inside and feed them with your attention. Share your ideas, visions, and desires with others. Scatter the seeds so they regenerate. Nourish the potentials so they have the resources needed to grow.

Sacred Scarab Beetle carries the sun over the horizon to bring a new day into existence. What actions can you take, what choices can you make, what words can you speak – even just one step – that sets the beginning of a new cycle in motion?

Dung Beetles engage in their sacred tasks by walking backwards in a handstand while pushing objects many times their own size and weight. From a human perspective, this seems an impossible task. For the beetle, this is not hardship or stress. This is simply a natural expression of who they are and what they do.

As you move through completions and endings and open into renewal and rebirth, allow plenty of space for creative expression, innovation, and ingenuity. Follow your heart. Feel the passions and purposes of your unique ways of being. You, too, can naturally be who you are and do what you are here on the earth to do.

Originally Published on https://joannedodgson.com/blog

JoAnne Dodgson Ceremonial Healing

JoAnne Dodgson’s life is centered in the lineage of Ka Ta See and the path of the kala keh nah seh ~  medicine storyteller, weaver of webs of balance, healer, teacher, and ceremonial guide. She offers ceremonial healing, apprenticeships, and retreats to remember our belonging and weave harmony in our relationships with ourselves, each other, our earth, and web of life.

JoAnne has been learning, living, and sharing the ways of the kala keh nah seh for over twenty years. She has a doctorate in Counseling Psychology with a specialty in Holistic Health. As a therapist and community activist, she worked in trauma healing centers and college counseling centers. She has been on the faculty in Transpersonal Psychology, Women’s Studies, and Holistic Health programs. Earlier in her career, JoAnne was a teacher in public schools and residential programs for adolescents. She also served as the director of a women’s shelter.

To share her passion for the healing medicine of stories, JoAnne has written several books including Spirit of Chocolate: A Woman’s Journey to the Rainforest in Search of Her Dreams and UnLeashing Love. She lives in the enchanted desert mesas of New Mexico.