Wombat at Tongarra, NSW.
Wombats are slow, solitary creatures, looking cute and comical whether they are sleeping away the day or ambling through the night. A vegetarian, wombat is nocturnal and lives in a burrow; in fact, the wombat is the biggest burrowing animal in the world. Strong, solid animals, Wombat can bring up weighty matters. Are you comfortable with your weight? Or is something weighing on your mind?
A Dreaming about Wombat highlights issues around the home environment, and accepting others’ views. In the beginning, Wombat was very comfortable at home in his burrow, and he could see the benefits of avoiding the winds, rains and searing heat of the day. Alternatively, Kangaroo lived in the open and enjoyed the fresh breezes and the starry night skies – rather than a stuffy, airless hole. They were very competitive about their homes; each certain theirs was by far the best. However, one stormy, wild night Kangaroo changes his mind about where he wants to be and his resulting unannounced stay causes friction between the two.
After a very uncomfortable night, Kangaroo gets so angry with his unwelcoming host that he hits him on the head, which is why it is large and flat today. And Wombat, in revenge, aimed a spear at Kangaroo, which we now see as his tail. If your encounter with Wombat also includes Kangaroo, any conflict you have in your life might be changed through a surprise twist in circumstances.
The image of a wombat emerging from his ‘womb’ in the earth can be related to the reasons you leave what you see as your home, such as for work, food, socialising, commitments, and so on. When and why do you leave your burrow? How do you feel venturing out? Have you stayed in the same ‘hole’ for years, or have you moved recently? The home environment is strongly in the personal spotlight, if you can relate to Wombat’s warm, cosy hole. In your deepest heart of hearts – where do you feel most at home? Where are you most comfortable?
If you see Wombat, why is he out of his hole? Where is he going? Where were you going, and how? (ambling, determined, by chance, a planned visit, rushed, leisurely…) What were you thinking about just before you saw him? (Can you remember?)
There may also be an aspect of competition around your home environment, perhaps an urge to impress others, or to live up to some personal, unreasonable, expectations. Wombat can teach acceptance and open your heart to other possibilities. Any emotional insecurity (for example, a desire to ‘keep up with the Jones’ or to always be right,) indicates a need to validate ones’ position in the world, especially in comparison to others. The focus here is external, rather than an inner awareness that practises and fosters self-acceptance and inner peace regardless of what is happening around. Wombat’s lesson of acceptance can grow into empathy – his big, generous heart beats to the tune of caring for others without needing to be better (superior) or right. (The word ‘bat’’ in wombat reinforces these issues around self-esteem; more so if you see a bat as well!)
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