As we seek to keep putting one foot in front of the other, even as the world we are familiar with is falling apart around us in terrifying ways, we can lean on and learn from bird Spirit Guides- they have much wisdom to share as we seek our way forward to collectively living in Sacred Balance with the Earth.
When I first set foot on my Shamanic Path of healing, I began working with four birds as Spirit Guides. I learned the wisdom of Goose as shared leadership, of Turkey as balancing giving and receiving, of Owl as trust, and of Hawk as balancing vision and action.
In 2016, a Wise Elder Woman shared this message with me- that we are leaving behind the time of the Eagle, the time of the lone leader, separate and above all the rest, and that we are entering the time of the Goose, the time of Shared Leadership.
Geese share the work of leadership in their pattern of flight: One leads, flying at the front point of the “V” taking on the brunt of the Air’s strength, and making it easier for the others flying in formation behind. After a time, that leader falls to the back of the line and another takes the lead. In this way, each Goose gets an opportunity to lead, and then to rest. This is also an acknowledgment that leadership is hard work that cannot be sustained by one Bird, one Human, alone.
Turkey is associated with giving and receiving because Turkey gives its life so that the people might sustain or receive life. In recent centuries, the Earth has given and humans have taken, have received. It has been out of balance for so long that the Earth’s ability to continue giving to us is in question.
At the collective level, for a Sacred Balance to be achieved, for the balancing of giving and receiving, humans must begin to remember to give back to the Earth. It is time for the Earth to receive from us, and for us to give- to collectively give gratitude, healing, and protection to the Earth.
At the individual level, we cannot create the change, or “be the change” if we don’t know how to stop, to rest, to be nourished by and receive from those around us. This can be particularly true for those of us socialized as females, for those of us in roles of mother, wife, daughter, sister, girlfriend. It is okay to say “no” to giving too much. It is okay to receive- no, it is essential to receive!
When I first began working with Owl as a Spirit Guide for trust, Owl would perch on my left shoulder and accompany me on my Shamanic Journeys into the Spirit World. When I needed help trusting what I was experiencing there, Owl would squeeze my shoulder with her toes and talons.
More recently though, my work with trust has been about trust in Myself. Trusting myself to know what I want or don’t want. Trusting myself to speak up on my own or someone else’s behalf. Trusting myself to step into that role of leadership that never felt like it was meant for me, but which I now know IS meant for me.
And finally, we can look to Hawk’s wisdom of “Balancing Vision and Action.” Hawks fly high up in the sky and use their excellent eyesight to see both the big picture and the intimate detail of a mouse moving through tall grass. They also know when and how to take action to meet their goal of catching that mouse for a meal.
Some people are good at holding a big vision, some people are good at doing the detail work. There is room for all of us to make a difference, and finding a balance between holding a vision for the better world we want to create, and doing the work of creating that vision is important.
I think the most important thing is believing we can make real the visions that we hold, and then partnering in shared leadership with others that share similar visions, so that together we can take the actions of bringing our visions into being.
I’m not saying any of this is easy. I’m just saying that we can look to these “winged ones,” to Goose, Turkey, Owl, and Hawk, to help us on our journey. Our long ago Ancestors knew how to listen to and learn from all the other living beings they shared the Earth with, and those Beings helped them know how to live in Sacred Balance. We can listen and learn, too, and remember how to live that Sacred Balance once again.
Blessings and Courage,
Betti
Betti Rooted Lionheart (she/her) is passionate about working with Queer People, Teens, Healers, Activists, Change Makers, and anyone who feels despair for the Earth and Humanity. She is a Shamanic Healer, a Spiritual Empowerment Activist, a Fire Priestess, a Writer, a Facilitator of the Work That Reconnects, a Minister of the Church of Earth Healing, the Mother of two Sons, Queer, and the founder of Braided Root Waters Healing Sanctuary in Trumansburg, NY. Betti offers powerfully transformative one-to-one Shamanic Healing Sessions.