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Tuesday 6 OcTOber 2020

Frogs & fertility Episode LXXIV -74

NOORD — The symbolism of the frog appears in many traditions around
the globe. This animal is generally associated with the water element
and its cleansing attributes. Different cultures associate the frogs with
fertility due to the large number of eggs it lays, which in parallel is re-
lated to abundance.

From the oldest cultures words such especially for travelers whose cross-
as luck, purity, rebirth, renewal, fer- ing involves crossing a sea or river.
tility and leadership are related to In relation to the fact that travelers
frogs. In Egypt, Heket, was a god carry a frog amulet with them, it
with the head of a frog and this is because the word frog in Japa-
was related to fertility and births. nese "kaeru" which also means to
The Celts viewed the frog as the return in Japanese.
lord possessor of the land and be- In current Western beliefs it is
lieved that it represented healing thought that frog amulets can help
and leadership powers due to its us in different transitions in relation
connection to water and rain. to vital stages of our lives; when
In Japan the frog is seen as a sym- we need an element that provides
bol of good luck so it is common us security and when we want to
to see a frog amulet in any bag or improve our intuition, strength and
purse to avoid losing money and our connection with the spiritual

The Dori Mako or cane toad Bufo marinus has glands on it back that secretes a
potent psychoactive.

world. Kuna tribes, the rare golden frog is
In many Native American mythol- considered as a fertility animal and
ogy frogs plays a variety of roles in associated with wealth and a hap-
different tribes. In some tribes, frogs py afterlife.
are considered to be medicine The frog is a symbol of: Cleansing
animals that have healing pow- - Renewal, Rebirth - Fertility, Abun-
ers and the ability to bring rain. In dance - Transformation, Metamor-
others, they are associated with phosis - Life, Ancient wisdom and
disease and bad luck. To the An- Poison.
ishinabek tribes, who are resident Even though that the cane toad,
in what are now Canada and the who is associated whit rituals and
United States, frogs represent trans- hallucinations, is present on the is-
formation and growth. To North- land and has been here for a long
west Coast Native people, frogs time, the Dori is Aruba`s only en-
are associated with springtime and demic frog species and an ances-
renewal. In some Southern Califor- tral fertility totem.
nia cultures, frog is a major mytho-
logical character who killed their
Creator god with evil witchcraft. Continued on Page 9
A stylized dori, part of a bigger picture.
And among indigenous tribes of
Panama, such as the Guaymi and