Cayelin K Castell

 

We Inform The Mysteries
As Much As They Inform Us

Gila Monster (MoonStar) Medicine

by | May 31, 2026 | Events | 0 comments

Stay Tuned for more insights…

.

.

May 24, 2021 Peter and I saw a Gila Monster on our morning walk. It is rare to see a Gila Monster because they spend as much as 98% of their time underground. May 25, 2026 I saw another Gila Monster on My Morning walk. (will include photo soon)

These ancient reptiles always show up for me when I ask for a sign from the ancestors. Southwest Native Americans view the geometric patterns on the Gila Monster as a representation of celestial objects.

The Gila Monster (Or Heal a Moon Star as I like to think of it) is rare to see in the wild. There are many who have lived most of their lives in the SW Deserts of Arizona (or other places Gila monsters dwell) who have never seen one. I have been blessed to see over a dozen in the wild over my nearly 50 years of living in Southern Arizona.

I didn’t see my first one in the wild until I had been in Tucson over 10 years and declared to the universe I was living a magical life. It wasn’t until I started working ceremonial magic that they started to show up for me as a confirmation I am on the right track.

Gila monsters are believed to have the ability to go for a year or more without food or water. Hence why some native tribes believed the Gila Monster had healing abilities.

The Gila monster symbolizes survival, hidden power, and healing/transformation. Because this desert reptile moves slowly, conserves its energy in the harsh landscape, and carries potent medicine, its spiritual themes center around grounded resilience and the strength found in quiet observation. 

Because this desert reptile moves slowly, it is thought to be conserving its energy in the harsh  desert landscape. The Gila Monster carries the medicine, of grounded resilience and the strength found in quiet observation. 
 
Gila Monsters represent:

Patience & Timing spending most of its life underground. It rarely wastes movement or energy. It teaches the value of waiting for the right moment rather than rushing into decisions. 

Cultural Significance in Native American Traditions varies among Indigenous Tribes where it is located.

The Navajo (Diné) revere the Gila Monster often considered as the original medicine man or woman. It is connected to the ancient art of “hand trembling” (a form of divination used to diagnose illness). The Apache had a similar view.

Seri and Yaqui: Tribes in the Sonoran region have folklore that attributes significant healing properties to the hide and skin of the Gila monster.

Apache, Tohono O’Odham, and Pima: Due to its venom, these cultures historically viewed the Gila monster as a creature of immense spiritual power capable of both causing illness or acting as an omen. 

 
Modern Metaphor and Totem
In modern earth-based spirituality, the Gila monster spirit animal is called upon when you need to endure a difficult “desert” season in your life. It encourages conserving your emotional, mental, and financial resources until you are ready to use them. It reminds you to stay cool, calm, and deliberate in your day-to-day interactions.

I woke up from a power Gila monster Dream on May 18, 2018 having just completed a breatharian retreat where we dry fasted for 3 whole days. No food, no water. It was a life changing event for me reminding my body it isn’t as dependent on food and water as I have believed.

Gila Monsters are desert creatures who can go many months without eating or drinking storing what they need to survive in their tail.

.
In the dream I was in our backyard when I saw this enormous gila monster. It was at least as tall as me and as wide as my arms could stretch. The Gila monster looked a bit like the picture here only bigger and more orangey pattern like the Gila Monster. It was intimidating and a bit scary but it seemed friendly and uninterested in doing any harm.

I was surprised to see how HUGE this Gila Monster was. I have seen many in my desert hikes and though they are a big lizard this one was bigger than me. It looked orangey but didn’t have the black and orange patterning of the Gila Monsters I have seen. However, in the dream it was clearly a Gila Monster. It was on the other side of the fence and the gate seemed to have a lot of missing slats so I could see it very clearly. I could have reached out and touch it – though I didn’t do that? And yet I was that close.
I was trying to get Peter (my husband) to come and look at it. By the time he got into the backyard it had moved to a place where it was camoflaged (laying on its back so its tummy blended in with the surroundings) no longer looking like a huge gila monster but rather blending into the back ground. I was disappointed that he didn’t get to see it.
The feeling was mostly wonder at this huge creature – where did it come from? How did it get here? I was nervous knowing Gila Monsters are poisonous but this one was friendly and even had a kind feeling to it.
**More on the Gila Monster**
The Gila monster (pronounced hee-la) is a large lizard found in the Arizona desert and one of only two truly venomous lizards in the world, the other being the closely related Mexican beaded lizard.
The Gila monster can go up to a year or more without food or water and spend up to spend 95% of their time underground. The Yaqui tribes believed that the hide of the Gila monster had healing properties.  The Gila Monster symbolizes Preservation, survival, careful use of resources, and being careful to not over extend oneself.
The lizard, specifically the Gila Monster, is the god or medium of divination by sensation in some rites, as in the wind chant… When abroad in the desert, crawling around his domain, Gila Monster’s forefoot trembles as he walks. Navajos say that he is the original hand-trembler, meaning he can foretell the nature of mortal illness and protect against it.
**Peter’s Insight**
The Gila Monster can go without food or water for a year is similar to a breatharian, and it was there for me. Only I could see it because he isn’t “seeing” the breatharian thing – though he is totally supportive. And it’s a big thing for me. Yes…I get it. It its bigger than me.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *