Spirit Animal 1.25-inch Hippo Dolomite

A hippo carved in dolomite. Hippos hold territory in deep water and are far less placid than the shape suggests. They also secrete a reddish fluid that works as sunscreen and as an antiseptic, which is where the old talk of blood sweat comes from. It is neither blood nor sweat.

It is the piece for stillness that has weight behind it rather than stillness from having given up. Good on the desk of someone who has been mistaken for easy-going once too often, and good for emotional work that needs you to stay in deep water a while.

How to Use It

Small carvings work best when they are somewhere you actually pass. On a desk, in a coat pocket, on the windowsill above the sink. Pick it up when you want the reminder and put it down when you do not. If you keep an altar, it can hold the animal's corner of it, and it travels well in a pouch if you are working away from home.

Good to Know

Carved by hand from dolomite, roughly 1.25 inches. Every piece is worked from natural stone, so color, veining and the exact set of the features shift from one to the next and yours will not be identical to the photo. Dolomite is a soft stone. Keep it off the edge of a hard surface and wipe it with a dry cloth rather than washing it.

Pair It With

The rest of the shelf is carved from the same stone, so they sit together without anything clashing: Buffalo Spirit Animal and Seal Spirit Animal. Give it a proper seat with the Goddess Sphere Stand or set it beside a lit chime candle in the white ceramic holder. More carved pieces in crystal carvings.