Demeter, the ancient Greek goddess of fertility, chose the dolphin as
her totem animal, thus representing her position as Mistress of the Sea.
The serpent symbolized her majesty as Mistress of the Earth.
Since the earliest days of sea lore, dolphins have been credited with saving
the lives of shipwrecked humans. In both old Roman and early Christian art,
the dolphin was depicted as the guide that would bear souls of the dead
across the waters to the Blessed Isles.
For Mediterranean Christians, the dolphin, King of the Fishes, came to
represent Christ, King of Heaven. A rather common Christian image was
that of the dolphin together with an anchor, representing salvation firmly
anchored on faith in Christ.
For the Native American tribes located on coastal regions frequented by the
dolphin, the aquatic mammal was identified as a special messenger of the
Great Mystery.
If the dolphin is your totem animal, you are allied with a spirit helper that has
come to you from another realm of being. There is a playfulness associated
with this totem animal that can be misleading for those who would be satisfied
with superficial teachings. Always ask this spirit helper to take you deeper and
deeper into the mysteries of the other realm from which it originates.
You will quite likely find that the dolphin will increase your respect and love for
all living things and assist you in developing new levels of compassion. Be
prepared to begin looking at the world from a very different perspective as your
"dolphin eyes" consider all beings around you as elements in universal harmony.