Animal Guidance Series: Rabbit Medicine

Animal folklore and symbolism can be found across the world… from culture to culture. I find the similarities to be amazing. In early times prior to social media, the synchronicities abound. In almost all cultures, rabbits are associated with positive symbols of luck, good fortune, abundance, gentleness, sensitivity, and intuition. White rabbits are believed to symbolize purity, longevity, and abundance. Many cultures believe the rabbit brought life to early Earth. We see this with today's customs of rabbits, delivering easter eggs. Due to this association with Easter, the Christians see rabbits as symbols of good luck, kindness and fertility. Rabbits are part of the Chinese zodiac and considered to be the luckiest of all animals. The moon goddess is believed to have had a rabbit by her side, who spends time mixing and grinding herbs to make medicine. Therefore, the Chinese also see the rabbit as a symbol of good health and longevity. In Japanese culture, rabbits are believed to symbolize progress, ambition, and self-devotion. In some areas, their folklore portrays them as tricksters. 

Overall rabbits symbolize fertility, abundance, stillness, shapeshifting, psychic senses, survival instincts and wit… so call in the rabbit to bring these characteristics into your life. Call in rabbit medicine! “Call IT in With Dar!”

Transcript

Animal folklore and symbolism can be found across the world… from culture to culture. I find the similarities to be amazing. In early times prior to social media, the synchronicities abound. In almost all cultures, rabbits are associated with positive symbols of luck, good fortune, abundance, gentleness, sensitivity, and intuition. White rabbits are believed to symbolize purity, longevity, and abundance. Many cultures believe the rabbit brought life to early Earth. We see this with today's customs of rabbits, delivering easter eggs. Due to this association with Easter, the Christians see rabbits as symbols of good luck, kindness and fertility. Rabbits are part of the Chinese zodiac and considered to be the luckiest of all animals. The moon goddess is believed to have had a rabbit by her side, who spends time mixing and grinding herbs to make medicine. Therefore, the Chinese also see the rabbit as a symbol of good health and longevity. In Japanese culture, rabbits are believed to symbolize progress, ambition, and self-devotion. In some areas, their folklore portrays them as tricksters. Native Americans, southwestern tribes associate rabbits with abundance and fertility. Whereas the south eastern tribes consider them to have guile and wit. The most negative symbolism I found in my research belongs to the Aztec culture who associates the rabbit with a local alcoholic, drunk, symbolizing revelry, drunkenness. In Egyptian culture, there was a goddess named Unet who guarded the halls of the underworld depicted as part snake and part rabbit. In African folk tales, the rabbit is often mischievous and a trickster. One story was even the inspiration for the American Briar Rabbit story later on. In Greece, Aphrodite the goddess of love, was associated with the rabbit and symbols of fertility, virility and desire. Two Celtic goddesses were often depicted with rabbits. Goddess Ceridwen w and Eostre. Eostre was the goddess of springtime, and some believe the name Easter came from her name. Ceridwen was a goddess of transformation and rebirth. The Celts also associated rabbits with fairies, believing the two communicated underground. They also believed that some human shapeshifters shapeshifted into rabbits, so it was taboo at that time to kill the rabbit. The Vikings associated rabbits with the moon and the goddess of fertility Freya.

The Norse goddess of domesticity Holda, would ride a chariot pulled by several rabbits. The Japanese, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese also associated rabbits with the moon. The Chinese viewed the rabbit as the incarnation of the moon, and it is part of the Chinese zodiac. In Hindu mythology, the moon is associated with femininity, wellbeing and happiness. In some Buddhist stories, Buddha is said to have been a rabbit. In an early incarnation, there's a story of how Buddha, as a rabbit, traveled with an ape and the fox as companions. In the mind and culture of the US, we have incorporated the rabbit as a trickster based on Native American symbolic beliefs with Brier rabbit which I previously mentioned, and with Bugs Bunny… also the first animal that Alice in Wonderland meets when she falls down the rabbit hole is of course a rabbit. Although rabbits are a symbol of fertility, the modern-day rabbit is actually in danger of extinction. In some parts of the world, they are exploited for their fur, as food, and also in scientific experiments. It is a sad fact that around Easter, people buy bunnies to give to children. And then these bunnies end up in a shelter when pet owners don't want them anymore and can't take care of them. In the Rider, Waite Smith Tarot Deck, the queen of Pentacles has a rabbit at her feet, symbolizing abundance, compassion, communication and transformation. The rabbit mirrors the Down to Earth nature of the Queen and her respect for all of nature. This podcast would not be complete without mentioning the tradition of a lucky rabbit's foot. In early history, up into the late 1500s…one might find a rabbit's foot in a healer's toolbox used for cramping and arthritis. There was also a prevalent belief that witches could transform into rabbits. You might even have had a lucky rabbit's foot as a child. I remember that we had one in our home. Overall rabbits symbolize fertility, abundance, stillness, shapeshifting, psychic senses, survival instincts and wit… so call in the rabbit to bring these characteristics into your life. Call in rabbit medicine! “Call IT in With Dar!”

Transcribed by https://otter.ai