Dead Possum – Spiritual Meanings:
It is about the cycle of life and death
The passing of a possum can be seen as an inevitable expression about the transience of life.
These nocturnal animals are threatened by a wide range of potential threats — ranging from the likes of other predators to cars.
They die suddenly, without warning which so reflects the capriciousness of life.
When it happens we are forced into our acceptance of the impermanence.
In fact, this acceptance is the exact opposite of nihilism — it reveals contentment in accepting that dying itself can be as expected and sensible an element of life.
The lesson that life is impermanent it’s easy to forget.
Courtesy of the occasional bouts with mortality, I am consistently reminded about the value of each moment.
This is where I am beginning to feel a little freer in the cycle of everything dying and being born again.
It frees me from a fear of the future, of not knowing what lies ahead and enables me to live in the now.
It is a level of acceptance that changes the urgency and desperation in which I experience challenges or failures for what they really are: part of my humanness.
It is about adaptability
The possum is known for its adaptable nature and instinctual survival skills.
Nocturnal by nature, they make their way through danger as a species able to survive in challenging environments.
When a possum dies, I take it as the end of some portion or adaptation phase in my survival.
Thinking about a dead possum makes me think of areas in my life where adaptation was necessary.
Possums are known to “play dead.” This behavior is a message for us about the power of surrender.
It is about rebirth
If you see a dead possum, an old chapter in your life has ended.
In nature, death is not the end but a change.
Something that ceases to end makes space for something new.
It has helped me to feel what it feels like for everything to change and how not only will I be okay, but that every time something ends or shifts a new beginning is right around the corner.
In my opinion, most people are afraid of change because it means moving out of their comfort zone. But seeing the dead possum is a reminder to me that with every end, there is always the beginning of something new.
I allow myself to create space for new possibilities, expansion and change by shedding my old skin.
Looking back on my life, when endings in the past had come and I was unable to hold onto them any longer, they would lead right into new beginnings for me.
This insight enables me to experience death as part of an infinite process in which new life arises from the old being replaced.
It is about vulnerability and humility
Possums are vulnerable creatures.
Society looks at vulnerability as a weakness, but in spirituality, it is a strength.
It is about introspection
A dead possum is a catalyst for contemplation.
They move in the night with finesse. This trait might also be seen as my journey through the dark.
This will allow me to explore the parts of me that have been hiding from my awareness.
A dead possum also emphasizes how vital inner work is.
It is about hidden truths
Possums represent what I do not see or know about myself.
The clutter of life can easily make me forget these more profound truths about myself, my relationships and the journey.
Seeing a dead possum is a reminder that it’s time to wake up to these hidden elements.
Having to look at the ugliest parts of myself takes a lot of courage and honesty. But what I do know is that by doing so, the door unlocks and swings open to a deep wound in me with massive potential for personal growth.
In this way, the dead possum is a totem, beckoning me into my underworld and offering light in places unnamed.
It is about mortality
When I see a dead possum by the side of the road, and start thinking about how we are all finite creatures in temporary vessels.
We tend instead to focus on the continuation of life, avoiding talk of mortality. But the sight of a possum, lifeless by the side of the road, is an undeniable example that death has to happen sooner or later as we make our way in this world.
Knowing that life is finite motivates me to live fully.
In doing so, I am then free from the ongoing fear of what comes next in life, knowing that death is inevitable.
This freedom enables the curse of adventures with my full heart as I relish in the gift of each moment.
It is about being of service
For the ecosystems, possums are a critical animal to have around.
They help curb the population of insects and provide variety in their ecosystem. In the death of a possum, its work for this world is done.
For the possum, death represents its perfect gift in having done all it can with beings as themselves – fulfilling their place within nature.
This point of view helps me reflect on what I have given up so that others will reap the benefits.
It will be through kind gestures, helping loved ones and giving back to the community.
Every one of you matters.
These are the threads that interlace to create a compassionate, connected world.
Accepting the contributions that a possum makes in its ecosystem tells me about how everything on Earth is connected.
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I’m Bulgarea Candin Stefan and I have started Spiritual Whirlwinds to pass my learnings from my spiritual journey. Spiritualwhirlwinds.com provides a space of spiritual awakening with guided meditations, e-books, mantras, and pendulum readings.