Goose Medicine – Caring for Creation

The geese are returning home and their joyful honks used to keep up the flock’s spirits and energy are filling the air. It is a hard and disconnected soul who doesn’t stop and look to the sky to see these beautiful relatives as they fly across our path.

Goose offers us the medicines that we can only find through partnership, community and teamwork. When we are committed to our healing and the vision for our lives, that is the time we begin attracting our helpers and partners. The loyal ones who resonate (or honk!) on the same vibe we’re vibing on. 

Goose is a sacred bird in all our Ancestor’s traditions, and on Turtle Island, the Snow Goose is revered as a sacred messenger of the return of the light. She lives in the North and people born during the time of the Winter Solstice are born in the time of the Snow Goose. 

For Bird Clan Messengers, Goose validates our perceptions that we have come to bring heaven to earth. As a bird that flies, swims, dives, and walks on the land, she represents the elements air, water, and earth.

Part of bringing heaven back to earth is for humans to remember the original meaning of “dominion” as the Great Spirit gave to man upon our creation. Dominion doesn’t mean domination and rule. It means being the protector and friend, using our gifts of human thought and language to communicate with and help the other creatures and all forms of life. For the Great Spirit has given us this beautiful planet and our places on it. We must stop leaving trash everywhere and start the clean-up. 

Part of taking care of God’s creatures is providing for the birds and animals in cities where their natural habitats have been destroyed by human settlement. Goose asks for people to share only healthy food with the creatures. Do some research and make sure that what you’re giving them won’t make them sick. Bread is TERRIBLE for birds!

What to feed Geese and other wild ones in your hood?

This one’s easy. Anything in your veggie compost bin – chopped up lettuce, celery, apples, grapes, berries. Sunflower seeds. Cooked and drained beans. 

Just like our grandmothers fed their chickens – any food scraps (healthy please) can go right out to the birds when you go out for a walk or to garden in the yard.

Goose reminds us that we shouldn’t give the wild creatures (or any creatures) food that we wouldn’t give to our own children.

And she teaches us about faith. When we are faithful to the teachings of the Great Spirit and the Ancestors and do our best to care for creation and learn the wisdom of our Elders, we are walking a beautiful walk.

It is my honour to be your messenger.

Kandace Keithley is a writer and the publisher of Bird Clan Messenger, a descendant of Trail of Tears Cherokee people who teaches and shares Traditional wisdom and medicine. She lives in Toronto, ON, Canada.

 

 

 

 

Sue Coleman Canadian Watercolour Artist Canada Geese AC334 (AC33410)