Ocean Mother's Song: A Dolphin's Journey

By Heyoka Merrifield

The young dolphin Morning Star, who feels different and estranged from her family pod, is captured and taken to a petting zoo aquarium. During her captivity, she helps discover a method of interspecies communication. Star also realizes that humans are causing the many ecological problems in the sea. Determined to restore balance, she escapes and goes on a quest to find a way to heal her Mother Ocean.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 5, 2010
• ISBN: 9781450058209

Heyoka Merrifield

Heyoka Merrifield is a storyteller, artist, and medicine man. Heyoka has embraced the shamanic traditions of his Native American ancestry. His sculpture and jewelry evoke the ancient mythologies of the Celts, Egyptians, Indians, and Native Americans. Since 1980, he has been an adopted member of the Crow tribe. He lives in Stevensville, Montana. Visit his website at www.heyoka-art.com.

Book preview

Ocean

Mother’s Song

A Dolphin’s Journey

Heyoka Merrifield

Copyright © 2010 by Heyoka Merrifield.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

73331

Contents

Preface

Prologue

Chapter 1 Morning Star

Chapter 2 Captured

Chapter 3 Coyotee’s Insight

Chapter 4 Escape

Chapter 5 Ocean Thunder

Chapter 6 Raven

Chapter 7 The Frozen Seas

Chapter 8 Aphrodite’s Temple

Chapter 9 Guardian

Chapter 10 Grandmother’s Wisdom

Chapter 11 Swift Turtle’s Totem Pole

Chapter 12 Star Geek

Chapter 13 Council Circle

Epilogue For our Grandchildren

Resources

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Preface

This book is dedicated to our relations in the sea. For most of my life, the mountains have been my home, even though I grew up near the ocean. At various times, it was my honor to swim with both whales and dolphins, delighting in our eye-to-eye contact. The deep soulful fellowship I experienced in their presence ranks highly among the peak experiences of my life. I hope as this story unfolds you will touch some of the ecstatic joy I felt in my meetings with these majestic People of the Sea.

I would like to give a special thank you to the Muses who helped to inspire this journey. Also, thanks to my family, friends and Xlibris for their help with editing and design: including Terry Croghan, Katherine Straus, Janice Taylor, and Willow LaLand Yeilding. Cover design is by Kathy Kahnle. Interior dolphin and whale photos are by Atmo Kabesa of Wild Quest and the orca photos are by ©iStockphoto.com/cmeder, ©iStockphoto.com/jamirae. Front cover photos by Atmo Kasbesa and Nasa with back cover author photo by Jim Van Gundy and Ocean Mother artwork by Heyoka Merrifield.

www.heyoka-art.com

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Prologue

Morning Star had suffered severe wounds in the shark attack. The young dolphin’s blood flowed unchecked into the surrounding water as she grew weaker, swimming ever more slowly southward.

Star’s consciousness expanded as she swam and little by little she seemed to become one with the sea. She felt as though a beautiful dream enveloped her. She knew her body was returning to the ocean and that her spirit yearned to join Guardian and the other pod family members who had gone to the spirit world before her.

Star could not help but think of her many friends who were left behind—Grand Father Ocean Thunder, Path Finder, Mary, Coyotee, and Ocean Mother. She wondered whether they would continue the quest she’d begun with their help. They may still be able to realize her sacred vision. Then, her life’s experiences began to parade through her mind and she quickly flashed back to her very first recollection . . .

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Chapter 1

Morning Star

Mother, I want to swim today."

Not now, Little One. You are too young. Be patient. When the time is right, you may swim with our pod. Be content to reach out with your song and touch all around you in the sea as I swim for you.

Mother, the song of awakening this new day is so beautiful. What does it look like?

"In the night, I see as you do now with your song and, with the coming of morning, the light of Father Sun is joining with our Ocean Mother. Rays from our Father stream deep into her body, illuminating all of our relations in a glowing radiance. Wispy clouds are high in the sky, giving form to the spirits who dwell in the heavens. A few seagulls are gathering a meal of small fish, which are feeding on smaller food on the surface of the water. Below the heaven spirits are thunder beings bright with the coming of morning. They are billowing upward, reaching higher and higher on a spiraling current of air. The thunderheads are whispering a gentle song in the distance, which tells of rain later this day when their singing will become very loud.

"The top of the water is lightly touched by the wind spirit, creating the morning breeze as she dances in front of the approaching day. Mother Moon is in the middle of her cycle high above the farthest clouds. She soon will decrease in size until she disappears into the sea to be born anew to grow again into her fullness.

Enjoy the warmth of my body and continue becoming a baby dolphin. It will not be long before your birthing. After that time you will join with our pod of the Sea Shepherds and we will swim together. Our gift to the Great Mother is to herd and protect the fish in our keeping.

The planet Venus, known as the Evening Star, slowly edges toward the sunset. After a while, it joins the sunrise and is called the Morning Star. This brightest star in the sky shines above the ocean as Shining Pearl’s birthing contractions begin. Little One is frightened, when her mother’s soft, comfortable womb becomes a squeezing, pushing, rhythmically pulsating enclosure, launching her on her journey through the birth canal. The confining cave like path tightens around her until she is propelled free into the fathomless body of the Ocean.

It is Shining Pearl’s firstborn, and she gently nudges Little One to the surface for her first breath. The other dolphins in the Sea Shepherd pod swim in a spiral of ecstatic joy, honoring the newest member of the pod. Shining Pearl tells Little One to nurse at her breast to start gaining strength. The baby dolphin feels the sweet energy from her mother vitalizing her small body. She hovers close to Pearl, missing the gentle warmth and comfort of her womb.

Mother and child surface for air and linger for a while. Little One sees the sky for the first time and watches Mother Moon in her fullness setting into the sea, accompanied by her sparkling star children. In the East, a faint glow sings the approach of day with the Morning Star reflecting a path of light on the quiet