An experience of a lifetime! (pictures below may have a tiny piece of dragon fruit in my bottom teeth & I’m not editing it out to encourage authenticity)

Maribel looking up and touching an elephant’s trunk posing for a picture.

Interacting with any animal is sacred — let alone one as majestic and humongous as an elephant. I knew I always wanted to have an elephant experience in Thailand, but for reasons far beyond the aesthetic I had seen on social media. A few years ago, on my birthday, I was given some cozy pajama shorts by a dear mentor of mine — that story for another time — and when I asked why elephants?

She told me: “Elephants signify strength, and you are strong”.

Maribel posing in front of 4 elephants extending her right arm out and smiling facing to the right.

Before that I hadn’t ever really put much thought into spirit animals, or what animals mean/symbolize, or even what animal I resonate with. I was always just fond of them, mammals to be more exact, due to their similarity to humans. Fast-forward to deciding to spend my birthday in Thailand, that small gift influenced me to see their so-called strength in person.

I started to research the different options for an elephant experience in Phuket (city in Thailand). So many different choices: A full day in a jungle-like setting with elephants, a quick exhibit where the elephants were seen from afar, even bathing in large bodies of water with them! I chose a feeding experience with “Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (EJS) - an award-winning, ethical, and sustainable tourism project in Thailand. Founded in July 2014, it was established as a collaborative effort between members of the Karen hill tribes and local Chiang Mai residents. [Their] shared vision was to provide a safe home for elephants in Thailand and promote elephant conservation.”

For those unaware: “An ethical elephant sanctuary is a safe haven dedicated to the well-being and conservation of elephants. It’s a place where elephants can live freely in a natural environment, without being forced to perform or participate in activities. The focus is on their health, happiness, and freedom, guided by the expertise of veterinarians and experienced elephant caretakers who have been trained alongside them.”

1000/10 recommend. Upon the start, the very knowledgeable staff informed us about the history of the sanctuary and how to properly feed/interact with the beasts. Very quickly in the info session, I found out what my mentor meant by saying they’re strong and comparing me to them years ago. I was taken aback when the instructor told us to be careful with excessive hand movements as its triggering and causes them to use their trunk instincts to knock you out!

Maribel taking a selfie with an elephant caretaker. Both are smiling and maribel is throwing a peace sign.

Looking back at the time in my life when my mentor gifted me the pajama shorts and compliment, I had hit what felt like a rock bottom. I was carrying so much pain from my past and I thought strength meant that I had to carry everything I was feeling or thinking, even if it meant I had to stop caring for my health or my wellbeing to carry it all.

Boy, do some messages and meanings just hit you at the right time! Here I am years later, reflecting on the gratitude that my mentor didn’t really expand on the comment/comparison, or that I didn’t fully understand and believe it, because I saw, or better yet, I felt the message that day.

The elephants helped me realize strength didn’t necessarily mean they could lift heavy burdens or carry massive weight on their backs/shoulders. It meant they were capable knowing when to put it down and reach for their trunks to protect themselves. That they were born with the ability to stand up and defend themselves in a profound way. That they can endure anything, but only to a certain point, then they can do something so instinctual like raise their trunk, or take a step and have it shake the ground in front of them. The juxtaposition I witnessed in person was that yes, they can send you flying, but they were also so soft and gentle when they had no reason to use their trunk powers.

Maribel posing with an elephant while its eating. Her hand is touching its cheek.

As I walked around feeling the energy and being up close & personal feeding them, I felt connected to their majesty, to that strength. It felt calming & grounding. I felt like I was floating, and that floating feeling was knowing that I had the same capability of putting down any heaviness I ever carried, and deciding for myself to “raise my trunk” and take steps to take care of myself. To defend & protect myself — in any metaphorical way. There’s so much more than the message of strength that elephants are known for. Here are some more below, with the help of Gemini, Google’s AI:

Other core spiritual meanings:

Wisdom, Intuition, & Longevity: Because of their long lifespans and capacity for deep memory, elephants are revered as ancient, wise souls who connect us to our inner knowledge. [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Family and Community: Elephants are highly social, matriarchal herd animals, making them powerful symbols of protection, community ties, and devoted parenting with an ability to pass on its ancestral wisdom. They are known for their compassion, empathetic treatment of each other and even other species. [1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7]

Strength, Power, & Leadership: Their immense size represents mental fortitude, endurance, and unshakeable grounding. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Good Luck and Prosperity: Widely found in charms and decor (often specifically with the trunk facing upward), they are believed to draw in positive energy and ward off misfortune. The most common symbol for good luck, prosperity, and success acting as a channel for showering good fortune over those who display the trunk up symbol. A trunk down symbol is believed in Feng Shui traditions and culture to represent stability, the ability to overcome obstacles, and the accumulation of wealth and wisdom. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]

Cultural meanings:

Hinduism: The elephant is embodied by Lord Ganesha, the highly revered deity who is the "Lord of Beginnings" and the "Remover of Obstacles". Ganesha represents intellect, wisdom, and the balance of strength and focus along with success. [1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7]

Buddhism: The white elephant is a sacred symbol of mental purity, spiritual awakening, and peace. The removal of obstacles. Queen Maya famously dreamt of a white elephant before conceiving the Buddha. [1, 2, 5, 6, 7]

Africa: In many traditional African cultures, the elephant is viewed as the wise elder of the animal kingdom, symbolizing leadership, longevity, and royal authority. It is also seen as a symbol of fertility and abundance. [1, 5, 6, 7]

SOURCES

1: https://fauna-protect.com/en-us/blogs/spirit-animals/spirit-animal-elephant

2: https://7chakrastore.com/blogs/news/elephant-symbolism-and-elephant-spiritual-meaning
3: https://www.satyajewelry.com/blogs/blessings-of-truth/the-spiritual-meaning-and-significance-of-the-elephant

4: https://www.artofliving.org/us-en/spirituality/symbolism-ganesha

5: https://elephantjunglesanctuary.com/blog/symbol-meaning-elephant/

6: https://buddhastoneshop.com/blogs/news/elephant-symbolism

7: https://www.spirithoods.com/blogs/spirit-animal-guides/spirit-animals-is-the-elephant-your-animal-guide

—

The sun was beaming its heat, causing me to have the sweatiest glow, which in most cases would irritate me a lil bit, but in this case, made me sparkle the more. That sparkle caught the attention of what I presume was a teenage girl who stopped me at the end of the experience and told me: “You are so pretty, you’re famous, right? You have to be famous”.

Selfie of two girls throwing up a peace sign.

Unknowing to her, being called pretty is one of my favorite compliments. And although I wouldn’t call it famous, I do envision being in front of people in way that could attract fame, though it’d not be what I want. I told her all of this and told her she was pretty too. With her mother’s permission, we took a selfie, and I took with me a beautiful ending to a spiritually beautiful experience.

P.S.

Bet you’ve never seen elephant poop before. lol

They had us hold it and guess what it was. Turns out it’s versatile and can be used to make paper & souvenirs like this one.

Elephant Sanctuary Experience