Part of the Sky Above Earth Below Oracle Deck I created in 2014. Mixed Media

Orca (Communication, Social)
Orca descends the depths of the ocean. Sometimes referred to as killer whales, this large aquatic mammal is found in all oceans; from the frigid to the tropical. Although called ‘whale’, the orca is actually a large cetacean. It belongs to the same family as dolphins and porpoises. As an apex predator orca is sometimes called the ‘wolf of the sea’ because of their highly structured hunting habits. It was likely the ability to hunt and communicate so well that made orca synonymous with communication. Groups of orcas are called pods and are matrilineal. Orca young will stay with their mothers for their entire life. These pods will link up with other groups for the purposes of mating. Orcas use complex vocalizations during social interaction. These vocalizations change from pod to pod and can be viewed as dialects that may, or may not, overlap. Orcas use their intelligence to teach their young how to hunt and interact, often by making them imitate behaviours.

The genus name Orcinus means ‘of the kingdom of the dead’. It was the ancient Romans who applied the plural orca to these animals. The indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest feature orcas throughout their art, culture, and religion. The Haida saw orcas as the most powerful beings in the sea and believed that orcas became human when deep underwater. In Haida tradition people who drown are thought to live with orcas in underwater cities. In other Native traditions the killer whale is seen as the ruler of the undersea world, and may embody the spirit of deceased chiefs. The Siberian Yupik people believed that killer whales would appear as wolves in the winter, and wolves would appear as killer whales in the summer.

When orca descends into a reading you may want to focus on how you communicate. How well are you communicating? Are you diving into your emotional depths? In what ways are you engaging with the community around you? Orca is connected to the biome of ocean, and the element of water.

Stars and Constellations
Pop Up, Dive Deeply, Teamwork, Make a Splash, Gather in Groups