Jellyfish

Jellyfish symbolism represents mystery, survival, and beauty. The jellyfish is one of the oldest forms of life on earth, representing mysterious things in many cultures.

Jellyfish

What Does a Jellyfish Symbolize?

Intuition and instinct

The jellyfish symbolizes intuition or instinct. While the jellyfish doesn’t have a brain, it has managed to survive on Earth for 650 million years. Since they do everything by instinct, the jellyfish is associated with the subconscious.

Regeneration and immortality

As one of the few animals that is capable of regenerating itself, jellyfish symbolism represents regeneration and immortality. When the turritopsis dohrnii jellyfish becomes injured, they can shift their cellular structure in order to revert to an earlier stage of development. They can then become a full-grown jellyfish again.

Movement

Since jellyfish never stop moving, they are a symbol of movement. Throughout its life, the jellyfish will never remain stationary. The jellyfish can remind us to continue moving forward as we should also never stop moving or just let life happen to us.

Survival

The jellyfish is a symbol of survival. During the winter, they have to move closer to the equator. They use their tentacles to sting and catch their prey, and their translucent bodies allow them to blend into their surroundings. The simplicity of the jellyfish is what allows them to thrive. Since the jellyfish is able to survive in many kinds of conditions, they can survive in every ocean and climate.

Beauty

Because of its natural bioluminescence, the jellyfish symbolism embodies beauty. The jellyfish glows as it travels through the water and reminds us that true beauty shines from within.

Hidden strength

Because the jellyfish are an underestimated creature, they are considered to be a symbol of hidden strength. While the creatures are passive, they have deadly and poisonous tentacles. The jellyfish can remind us that regardless of how someone outwardly appears, they may have hidden strengths that aren’t visible to those on the outside.

Being in flow

As it moves throughout the ocean, the jellyfish is a symbol of being in flow. They are guided by the wind, ocean, and Mother Nature since they don’t choose their own path. They are also highly efficient swimmers due to their umbrella-shaped bodies that push the water away from them.


Different Kinds of Jellyfish Symbolism and Spiritual Meanings

Celtic Mythology

In Celtic mythology, the jellyfish is associated with fuath, a kind of water spirit that is sometimes compared to a mermaid or a banshee. The fuath is a malevolent spirit that is capable of shapeshifting.

In one Celtic myth, a man set out to destroy a fuath that was living in a nearby stream in the man’s village. The fuath was haunting an old mill. When the man caught it, the fauth was able to get away by shapeshifting into a jellyfish.

Greek Mythology

While there aren’t any known Greek myths that involve jellyfish, a full-grown jellyfish is called a medusa. It’s thought that the tentacles look like the hair the Greek monster Medusa is known for.

Once a beautiful woman who tempted the gods, Medusa was turned into a hideous monster by Athena after she became pregnant with Poseidon’s child. Just like Medusa, Jellyfish are beautiful, but because of their sting, people view them as monsters.

Japanese

In Japan, the jellyfish is associated with Ebisu, the Shinto deity. According to Japanese legends, Ebisu was the child of two gods Izanagi and Izanami.

Once the parents realized Edbisu was born without any arms, they threw him into the sea, but Ebdisu didn’t drown. He was able to survive, and he became a powerful ocean god who commanded the jellyfish and the other sea creatures in the ocean.

Oceania

According to a local tale home to the Papuan village of Mawata, there is a large jellyfish goddess named Erumía. While she is a patron saint of the village, she is the mother of the small jellyfish living on a reef called Tére-múba-mádja near Gésovamúba Point.

When Erumía is happy, there is an abundance of fish to eat. She offers blessings and good luck to the people. During times when Erumía is not happy, she will sting anyone who crosses her path to the point of death.

Leave a Comment