Lexicon of spirit animals: bat

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Mode of life:

Bats are highly adaptable mammals living preferrably in caves and forests around the globe. With nearly 1,300 different species bats are the second richest species within the group of mammals after the rodents. In the daytime bats sleep while hanging down headfirst with their bat wings being wrapped around their body like a coat. All bats are capable of warming up or cooling down their body temperature as needed, and during their hibernation period from November until March they get by without any food. Some species switch between a summer and a winter habitat. Bat wings are comprised of extended phalanges between which a leathery patagium spreads over up to the bat's neck, hind legs and tail, while the clawed thumbs are not part of the patagium but freely movable fingers used to cling to uneven surfaces. By means of an excellent auditory sense and ultrasound bats are able to perceive oscillations and take their bearings without needing any light. Similar to a radar they emit ultrasonic waves the echoes of which allow them to recognize their environment. Bats achieve sexual maturity after one year and don't give birth to more than two babies per year. A bat's life span can extend up to 25 years.

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Spiritually light aspects:

When the bat flutters into our life it teaches lateral thinking, withdrawal and ease. As an animal which spends the daytime relaxedly hanging down headfirst the bat advises: "take a rest, reinvent yourself and look for the unusual pathways of life, because here lies the power. Dare to look at life with an upside-down perspective and don't uncautiously exhaust your vital energy during your daily activities." Bats never get in each others way thanks to their refined auditory senses, and therefore demonstrate how keeping a tactful distance to our fellow human beings will allow us to serenly follow our path without mutual interference. Cloaking themselves in their bat wings, they divulge to us how to liberate ourselves from unspoken dependencies. Once the lesson has been learnt we will be able to master life effectively in the most energy-saving way by simply receiving and emitting vibrations with our inner radar system, which henceforth will be our natural healing gadget number one.

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Spiritually dark aspects:

Bats symbolise hypocrisy and a disinterest in the world. With the bat as our spirit animal we tendentially refuse to come to gripps with the world as it is and enjoy covertly hoaxing those who become emotionally too embroiled in the reality experience. Even though a healthy dose of world detachment is certainly wise for the sake of sanity, going overboard with hypocritically cloistering ourselves away engenders empathic deficites. Most likely the bat won't even share its honest take on the world, which on a deeper level roots in the fear of being misunderstood and ostracised as the odd one out.

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Much Love and Light,

Alex