Introduction to Mermaids: The Undine Queen Amue
(Pronunciation is varied. Some people pronounce her name Ah-MOO, while others like me pronounce it as AHM-way. You can take your pick. =)
Amue Appears
I sit on the beach just off the Pacific Coast Highway in California, breathing in the salty, morning air and watching a pair of sea lions play-wrestle each other. My feet burrow deep into the sand, each of my toes wanting to know the story of each grain as if they are newfound family members. I am not far enough south to be very close to any major tropical coral formations (due to colder ocean currents drifting down from Alaska), but still, I feel something. To a mermaid, every drop in the ocean is “right here, right now.” Every place is home, even if they have a preferred domain of reference. Clearly, I am close enough to the coral shelf down the coastline, because I sense movement further on the beach… all the way near the edge of the Californian peninsula… As I sit, “taste-testing” the incoming energy, I suddenly smile. Amue has sensed my presence “close” by (in her terms) and comes to greet me. I have just spent three months meditating with greater frequency on the merfolk more endemic to the northern sphere, with cold, dark, and mesmerizing depths, so Amue’s vibration is easily distinguished from the prior locus of my attention. She is sunlight and warmth, laughter, and friendship. If Tolkien’s beautiful elves “walk in starlight,” then Amue cuddles up to a central sun, weaving her heart and mind with its life-giving magic and using it to nurture her inner being. Many creatures are in her sphere, and I sense them all as they come close, with their many “dialects” (nitrogen cycles, nutrition cycles, swimming patterns, social inclinations) beaming through in a gentle rush… Any coral is within Amue’s mental reach, but her favorite place to reside, in a physical sense from our human perspective, is on a sun-warmed shelf with tropical fish and sea life. Her thoughts are interweaving and dancing with the ebb and flow of the oceanic every day. She is the sudden realization one might have when it dawns on them that a person in their life has shifted into being their best friend. It feels cozy, good, and satisfying. Communication develops this ease one may cultivate in intimate relationships where they can feel what the other is feeling even if no words are said. “Everything is okay,” pulses through the lines of our connection. Her demeanor is collected and peaceful, and she too can extend far into the northern icebergs and frozen domains, but to me, she feels like warmth and hearth-medicine. Fishes (I use the plural to indicate the individual lives fish have.) think of her as their greatest ally and nurturer. She knows every story and journey each one takes, and her consciousness unfurls in the realms of the coral kingdoms. She is a relational and inviting mermaid, which I find great resonance with, having spent many lifetimes contacting and learning how to “know” many species throughout the universe. Amue has no words for “contact specialist” as starseeds do, but instead considers every fish and member of the coral plane a part of her heart and very being.
She cannot “save” every being from the journeys they need to or want to experience, but she often shows up with supportive care which can relieve pain, help even the smallest entity in her realm heal from trauma, and can affect one’s constitution on a physical AND spiritual level. Her love is the cozy and encompassing “found-family” type of magic that creates a tapestry of oneness within her realm, even with great diversity present. She sees each unique and identifying detail of the beings she cares for, with none being too low or unimportant to be regarded as the heartbeat behind her love. Unlike humans, mermaids do not think in terms of “worthy” and “unworthy.” Amue is no exception to this essence, and as I sit on the beach with her consciousness nearby, I have this overwhelming sense of being gathered into a warm embrace and carried home.
Notes on Mermaid “Research”
I have received endless support while talking about my experiences with mermaids and elementals, from people who simply love them to those who dedicate their entire lives to the path of magical erudition. Occasionally though, someone who dedicates more of their time to a rigorous path will ask me why my analyses of mermaids and elementals seem more familial or personal than the previous research of historical magicians (such as Franz Bardon), for example. They want to know why or how my analyses, yes, do mention these old-school conceptualizations (not bad, just older), but why I seem to deviate from the rote, “academic” perspectives and speak from a more emotional plane. My answer is that, to me, there is no point in engaging with a form of magic or spirituality if it is not something that can be translated on a personal level. Instead of just reading off a script and taking it for granted, I want to live… experience… connect. <3 To those who want to align with someone else’s research or definition for elementals, that is lovely, and you will probably get a lot out of it! For my part though, I have delved much more deeply into the mermaid and elemental realms because I did not limit myself to what was written in a book or guide. Those guides have been invaluable to me for sure… I do not know where I would be without Bardon’s book, The Practice of Magical Evocation, where he outlines the personalities and domains of hundreds of spirits. Still, it was never enough for me all by itself, and the mermaids came calling either way.
I know Franz Bardon and many other practitioners have their own experiences with mermaids and otherworldly beings, and most of us agree on the general energies and “feelings” of each spirit, but just as two people may have a completely different experience with a mutual friend, I cannot simply rely on the opinion or narrative of magicians bygone to build a relationship with these entities. Some magicians in the past did not understand the water element very well and almost viewed it with a sense of mild disdain, even referring to mermaids as something akin to succubi, which I have not experienced with them at all. Most people resonate with one or two elements more than others, and in my personal experience, many of the writers within elemental magic and practice seem to gravitate more toward the salamanders or the gnomes. Mermaids are sometimes a little too loving to be interesting unless they are sexualized or mythologized in some sort of haunting way… But my heart pulls me toward them, and they seem to be inclined toward me. So, while I will respect the aura readings, personality outlines, and blurbs on spirit personalities from other practitioners, past or present, none of those nurture me or inform me as deeply as personally connecting with elementals/spirits myself and performing my own “research” in terms of mapping out my experiences and interactions with them. We will all have slightly different stories and approaches to connection, which means that we will fill in the gaps in our understanding much more quickly as we bring our unique slices of knowledge to the collective table. To me, elementals and mermaids are not just a means to a spiritual end or a mere stepping stone on a magical pathway’s checklist, but real people with talents, journeys, inner lives, strengths, stories, and weaknesses. I want to know them all and to build an elemental library of information, as well as a personal life of friendship and connection.
Thank you for being here with me and reading about my personal experiences with the elemental realms! In my books and past articles, I have hoped to put the tools of personal connection in your hands as well. Creating relationships with any entity takes commitment and, in our realm, time, (and some elementals are more accessible than others) but it is possible for almost anyone to do so on some level if their heart yearns for an authentic and personable relationship with the spirits of nature.
Amue’s Outer Aura
I have heard some magical practitioners refer to Amue’s outer aura as icy, but they usually mean it in a sense of timelessness or serenity, not necessarily the physical feeling of coldness. Some people do experience it that way because Amue is versatile and can shift between climates and spiritual vibrations easily. My relationship with her is slightly less composed and full of more giggles, warmth, and giddiness when we meet each other… perhaps because we really do play together. Amue is happy to show up for people who want information, but gosh darn if she doesn’t want to have a good time too. That is what I am after more than anything else because I think of her as my friend. =)
Amue’s outer aura is medicinal… Not quite numbing, since it will make most people feel more fully alive than they normally do, but it is soothing in a way that almost makes me think of palliative care for people who have lived in pain or who have struggled for a long time. She is often able to bring a sense of calm or well-being to someone while she assesses what needs to be healed or what journey is to be undertaken. It is sweet and restorative, but it can also be very playful when healing isn’t needed as intensively. Her outer aura fosters an immediate awareness, not of how small I am, but of how connected to everything my essence truly is. I used to feel like I sounded arrogant when I said nature made me feel big, not small, but Amue’s outer valence confirms the truth of my sentiment. Feeling big does not mean feeling “better” than anyone, but sensing yourself as part of everything. When I sit with Amue, the corals, the fish, the trees, the silt, the currents, the water plants, the wind, the humans swimming on surfboards in the ocean… None of them are above or below each other but are simply joined in the mosaic of life being enacted and fulfilled.
Amue’s Inner Aura
Her inner sphere feels like diving underwater where you can hear the shouts and delightful screams of people on the shore from above… but quieter. Your awareness shifts to focus on things that otherwise might go unnoticed. You are in a different realm, which becomes immediately apparent. Mermaids may have an automatic inclination to heal, but Amue’s inner aura really listens to a soul’s true wish. For example, when I was having some intestinal pain a year ago, I asked her NOT to provide pain relief so that I would be able to accurately describe what I was feeling to my doctor and have a better chance at an accurate diagnosis. In some writings, I have seen people say things like, “A mermaid can’t stop herself from healing,” and in the sense that you can FEEL their magic and peace when you are near them, that is true… But in situations where healing is more targeted and consciously enacted, Amue respects consent and will honor a patron’s request. She really does understand that there are instances where love needs to withhold rather than give.
Something else I recently discovered about her inner aura is that she nurtures life (in a way that we understand it as incarnated humans), but that she also cares for creatures in her domain after they pass on from the physical realm. Sometimes an entity may drift far away into the universe to have a new experience elsewhere, but she is still there like a loving mom who wants to make sure you have a packed lunch, a valid plane ticket, and a comfy neck pillow before you leave. Many spirits who once incarnated as species that are now extinct still hover in her energetic field. To them, having an astral experience with her long-term is just as meaningful as actually incarnating as something else. They may not have as deep of a physical role in the oceanic cycle(s), but they partner with Amue to find creative ways to keep species extant and thriving. The ammonites really love her, and whenever I want to be close to one, I ask Amue if she is up for a “hang out.” =)
From Amue’s perspective, all the fish and beings sustained by the water element are recipients of her love and devotion. She does not think of any of them as pets, but as co-creators who each bring something special to facilitate the nurturance and continuance of life. She is just as fascinated by tuning into the journey of a single coral polyp as she is when meeting a human being, and this is something we have in common. Amue does not think I am weird for being concerned about the energetic wellness of phytoplankton or for cradling each little shell or crab in my consciousness like a beloved. She cares about the sexual habits of many species and seeks to promote functional relationships among all beings so that they can continue to have the experiences they want to have. To her, that is what existence feels like and is inseparable from who she is as a mermaid.
Amue’s Gifts
Apart from nurturing life and being good at healing like most mermaids are, Amue has the other undine ability to access information whenever and wherever it is needed. Unlike memory, as we humans understand it, it is more like she attunes herself to each being she chooses and has all the information available to her at that moment. In human terms, we might call something like this ability “accessing the akashic records.” Or simply becoming aware of what has been, what is, and what can or will be.
When I reference my admiration for the Scleronephthya genus, Amue is instantly off the coast of Indonesia with me… Her mind travels through the polyps and colonies and notes the lack of sclerites in many and acknowledges that some species in the genus are herbivorous. I am nowhere near that good since I am human and rely on scientific research to get information, so I am very impressed by her ability to really KNOW something intimately on both a biological and spiritual level. Her mind easily trickles down the many layers that comprise a spiritual and physical experience. For example, she is also aware of which corals are able to receive nutritional substance from the seawater directly into their cells, so that she can direct live prey (often by influencing elements of oceanic life to swim or drift where they need to go) to the corals who have not evolved this ability. In human terms, we have to go to school for many years just to specialize in one specific area of understanding! The mermaids are on their own path though, and they easily become one with whatever they need to, whenever they so choose. Once we really grasp the ability to connect with everything regardless of physical proximity, research will take on a much quicker and more permissive timeline in terms of gathering information. Is this possible for humans? Is this something we collectively will evolve into? I have no idea, but it is possible, and that is enough for me to entertain the concept with interest and personal attempts at practice.
Amue’s Invitation
Amue’s invitation is relatable and comforting… Fall in love with life and every being that contributes to its existence. If you have the time, or you can find it in your heart to do so, look for the stories from the smallest voices. It only takes a moment to feel eternal and to remember your connection to everything. The following are her words of delight as she observes and holds dear the beings of innumerable constitutions and watery realms: