It’s been a while since our last post. A lot has happened since then. If you follow us on Shaman’s Blog, you know that Gary had a small heart attack (if you can call them small) at the end of September. It’s been somewhat crazy since then. He is doing well and is back to his feisty self again. So, we have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
But, since it’s Thanksgiving, it seemed right to pay some homage to the honorable bird who will grace many of our tables on Thursday. So, with this blog, we honor Turkey.
According to Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small the keynotes for Turkey are shared blessings and harvest. No wonder the turkey has become the symbol of Thanksgiving.
Sometimes called the Earth Eagle, the turkey has long been associated with spirituality and honoring of Mother Earth. It is symbolic of all the blessings the Earth contains and the ability to use these blessings to their greatest advantage. Almost every part of the turkey has usefulness…they are used for food, the feathers for decoration and the bones were used among the Aztecs, Mayans and Native Americans to make whistles.
According to some Native American Myths, Turkey helped to create the world, showed humans how to raise corn and fight off evil spirits. In some legends, Turkey is portrayed as a wily, overly-proud trickster character. In others, he is shy and elusive.
Turkeys can live to be twelve years old, often significant of the earth’s rotation, those who have Turkey for a totem can often expect a year of “harvest”. If Turkey shows up in your life, it could mean that you are about to receive a gift — material, spiritual or intellectual — meaning anything from winning the lottery to a simple and profound gift such as witnessing a beautiful sunset or a shining rainbow.
Turkey may also show up if it is time to shift your focus from your needs to the needs of the community or the Earth. Called the “Give-Away Eagle” in some native cultures, the turkey can highlight the need to break away from the energy of materialism and give away your excess for the support of the community. This could mean organizing a give away ceremony or donating your time and energy to an organization or cause.
If Turkey is your totem animal, you are a very communal person, willing to share and help others, often willing to consider others needs over your own, without playing the martyr.
So, as you consider Turkey today, give thanks for it’s blessings and wisdom.
Happy Thanksgiving to all and until next time –
Mitakuye Oyasin (A Lakota prayer reminding us we are all related),
Debbie and Gary