Seagull Symbolism: 10 Spiritual Messages Of The Seagull
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What does the seagull symbolize? What is the message of the seagull? Below, learn the spiritual symbolism we can glean from Jonathan Livingston Seagull.
Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a literary tale about a seagull trying to find his way and fit in with the other seagulls. He tries to study hunting food, as his mother and father suggest, he tries to fit in with the other gulls, but he just felt it was all so pointless -
He wants to study the mastery of flight, not something as mundane as hunting food.
He will be outcast if he doesn’t do what the pack says: study food and stop your pursuit for knowledge.
However, he continues in his pursuit of the knowledge and mastery of flight, and he makes an illuminating discovery - by flying just on his wing tips, he can reach a speed of 200 miles per hour.
Despite this amazing discovery, Jonathan resolves he can be just one of the flock. He can just be grateful for what he’s learned so far and let that be that.
He begins to feel everyone would be happier if he just did what all the other gulls wanted him to do: hunt food and leave the higher questions of the flight mastery alone.
Alas, he just can’t change his nature.
The wind would catch him and he would become immersed in the pleasure and art of flying, breaking all his commitments to be a normal gull.
He felt bad about not being able to keep his commitment to himself and the other gulls to just fit in. Yet he reasoned, those commitments were only for gulls who were content with the ordinary. Nothing was meant to confine gulls destined for greatness.
Though because he could not accept conformity, he was cast out from the flock.
As a now outcast of the flock, one night while flying alone, a pair of Luminous Gulls approached and promised to take him to his True Flock.
With his True Flock, he will be welcomed as himself, feel at home and among other gulls like him who pursue the higher questions of flight.
Jonathan accompanies them into the darkness to a realm he believes to be Heaven. There are only a few gulls there, and he encounters many new thoughts, questions and ideas about the mastery of himself and his wings.
In this new place, he meets a new Seagull Teacher, who eventually tells him that this new place isn’t Heaven; it’s just a new place where he can learn and grow.
Better yet, if he wants to pursue the perfection of flight, his journey can be infinite here.
So Jonathan kept at it, continuing to perfect the mastery of flight. Then, his teacher informed him there was only one mastery of flight left that he needed to keep working on: love.
The love level of flight included speaking his truth in the face of the flock.
He realized his way of speaking his truth and demonstrating love was teaching what he learned about the mastery of flight - high performance speed - to all.
To begin sharing this true nature, Jonathan took on students in this realm, other outcasts like him. His students loved ascending to this version of self mastery and they had fun pursuing excellence in speed.
Still, he knew one day, he must go back and show the gulls that had cast him out what he had learned. His teacher advised him they wouldn’t understand, but he knew he had to do it.
So he took his students and held his practice sessions right over his old flock’s beach.
The younger gulls from his old flock were impressed, wanting to fly like they did and the elders were offended, threatening to cast out anyone who asked to learn. It took a month, but the first young gull from his old flock did ask to learn to fly like Jonathan. This gull instantly became both an outcast and one of Jonathan’s students.
The next night, a second student asked to learn. Jonathan granted his new student total freedom to fly how he wanted and the outcast gulls stopped fearing that the other gulls would see them flying free.
He assured the flock that the only true laws are those that lead to freedom and that it was right that all gulls had the freedom to fly.
Jonathan’s teachings were now complete and he vanished into air.
What can we learn about seagull’s symbolic nature from this tale? What is the message of the seagull you can gather from this text?
Below Are 10 Meanings Of The Seagull
1 - It’s OK To Break Away From The Pack
Seagulls are pack species. While the pack can be helpful, sometimes it is important to go your own way and pursue your own truth. If a seagull appears to you, it can be a sign that it’s okay to pursue a path that is different from others.
2 - Seek What Makes Your Soul Feel Free
Many rules that are created, are created as a means of controlling others, but at the end of the day we are really meant to be happy and free. When a seagull appears, it can be a reminder that having pursuits that make your soul feel free is important. Prioritize them.
3 - Be Mindful Of Imposing Constricting Rules On Others
It is easy to control others with rules: do this for success, do that for misery. Rules can be confining and no one likes to be confined.
If a seagull appears to you, maybe it is time to question the rules that exist in your life and if they are all still needed. Maybe there are a few rules you can let go of.
4 - Seeking Higher Wisdom Brings Freedom
When you seek a higher perspective, it can release you from focusing on the mundane processes of life that you may or may not even agree with.
When a seagull appears, symbolically, it can mean it’s time to take a higher view on boring Earthly matters. As Jonathan Livingston Seagull says, “The gull sees the farthest who flies the highest.”
5 - Do Question The ‘Old Guard’
In Jonathan Livingston Seagull, it is really only the old guard elders that are enforcing the rules which cast out birds who seek new ways of flying. The younger birds are intrigued and willing to adopt new ways.
If a seagull appears to you, it can be a sign that perhaps some ‘old guard’ character in your life is imposing rules for no good reason and new, fresh guidelines for living may make everyone happier.
6 - A New Teacher Is Needed
Jonathan Livingston Seagull was depressed listening to his old flock's guidance about the way he should be. He began questioning his own heart’s truth. Sad over listening to conforming guidance, he almost gave up on his own happiness. If it weren’t for the Luminous Gulls appearing in the darkness of night, he would have.
When a seagull appears, it may be a sign it is time to accept a new teacher with a new perspective into your life.
7 - Find A New Pack
Jonathan wasn’t free to be himself until he found a new flock who accepted and appreciated the messages (and love) he had to share about self mastery.
When you see a seagull, it can be a message that it’s time to seek a new pack.
8 - Don’t Give Up On Your Dream
Jonathan Livingston Seagull almost gave up on his dream. He thought about giving up even as he practiced his dream - but he didn’t and in the end, he found freedom.
When a seagull appears to you, it can be a message to persist in seeking your version of excellence and not give up on your dreams too soon.
9 - Loneliness Is Temporary And Can Lead To Better Things
When Jonathan first started flying alone as an outcast, he had no idea that Luminous Gulls would appear and lead him to more gulls like him. He was just flying for the pursuit of pure excellence in flight.
While he was alone for a short time, it wasn’t for long. If a seagull appears to you, it can symbolize that a period of loneliness may be temporary and could lead to better things.
10 - Look At Things With Your Understanding
"Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding, find out what you already know, and you’ll see the way to fly."
This quote is a message about transcending the present physical ideas of what’s possible.
When a seagull appears to you it can be a sign to look at things with your own understanding of things, and trust it, regardless of what is currently accepted as possible.
All in all, the potential seagull messages you can take from this text will depend on your own perspective.
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