Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 177

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Totem Animals

Page 177

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Bear Medicine	Birth Totems	Coyote Medicine	Dragon Ranks	Dragonfly Medicine	Eagle Medicine	Four Animal Helpers	Grey Wolf Medicine	Hawk
Heron Medicine	Horse	Magpie	Raccoon	Salmon Medicine	Spider Medicine	Swan Medicine	Thunder Being Medicine	Totem Loss Disc

TURKEY
By CinnamonMoon

Turkey represents give-away, sharing, harvest, spirituality, and honoring.
Turkey gives of itself so that others can prosper. It teaches that you must empty your cup so that
Spirit can fill it to the brim with even greater gifts. There is no hesitancy in this giving and it
comes from the heart. He is of the Earth and speaks to you of the earthly gifts that sustain us all.
He knows the hidden secrets of the forest and field and where the new growth is beginning.
Turkey will help you to expand your mind's eye to see further than your own needs to those of
family, community, or world. He is a social creature that demonstrates the value of strength in
numbers. There is an innate understanding that comes with this totem for the sacrifices we must
all make and the heart that must sustain them.

Turkey will help you to see your own virtues, morals, and integrity as you walk your path. He
recognizes the inner spirit of all those he comes to know and helps you to see that you are a spirit
with a body not a body that has a spirit. In this way the material aspect of life is lifted so that
greed and selfishness are overcome. Right action on the behalf of others will inspire you to grow
and recognize that all of life is sacred.

Turkey always brings a gift when he arrives, be it of mind, body, or spirit, an dit is usually
something that will restore the balance and harmony that is needed. This generous nature does
not give so that others will owe a debt of gratitude, but it gives from the heart so it will know that
the right thing was done. It teaches the lesson that by giving and passing on that heart-gift will
teach others to do the same. In this way all our needs will be met and we will have no fear of
going without them. No one owes this to anyone since it is an act of spiritual love that does not
require a tally sheet. What we give to others we then give to ourselves. Let Turkey keep you in
the balance of thankfulness and giving always.

SisterCyber:
The Turkey
www.sayahda.com/cyc5.html

Wild turkeys are opportunistic feeders with broad tastes. They eat nuts, berries green foliage,
grasshoppers, lizards, salamanders and more. The turkey can fly powerfully for short distances
but has difficulty maintaining that power in longer stretches. For those with this totem it is
important to learn how to channel their energy in a balanced way. Quick bursts of energy can
lead to undesirable results. A person can tire quickly and have no energy left for other activities.
Tai Chi or other forms of martial arts would be beneficial. In addition, variety in diet is advised
for optimum health.

Female turkeys lay an average of 12 eggs. One plus two equals three. Three is the number of
reoccurrence and those with this medicine often have reoccurring themes or situations to deal
with in life.

The medicine power of the turkey is renewal. To the native peoples, the turkey was a sacred bird
because of the abundance of them and because of their good tasting meat. Wild turkeys were an
abundant food source for the early European refugees, as well as the native peoples. But
uncontrolled hunting virtually wiped them out in several central and northeastern states. When
reintroduced, they renewed their populations very rapidly, growing to many thousands. If turkey
has gobbled its way into your life, its message may be that you need to cultivate and care for
those renewable resources that benefit your life.

Wild turkeys were almost eliminated because they were taken for granted. Those with this totem
need to remember that nothing is an endless resource if it is not honored and nurtured.
Remember to ask yourself if you are relying on something in your life that you always expect to
be there, but are taking no steps to treat in a sacred way? This can pertain to a human partner
as well as a resource. If so, learn from the turkey and realize that everything has limits.

From Jamie Sams’ Medicine Cards:
Ho, Brother Turkey!
So freely you give,
Of everything that you are,
So others may truly live.

TURKEY ~ GIVE-AWAY
Turkey is actually thought to be the Give-Away Eagle or South Eagle of many Native peoples.
The philosophy of give-away was practiced by many tribes. Simply stated, it is the deep and
abiding recognition of the sacrifices of both self and others. People in modern-day society, who
have many times more than they need, should study the noble turkey who sacrifices itself so that
we may live. In Turkey's death we have our life. Honor Turkey.

Spectators unfamiliar with the cultural phenomenon of the pot-latch or give-away ceremony are
often mystified by it. A tribal member may gladly give away all he or she owns, and do without in
order to help the People. In present-day urban life, we are taught to acquire and get ahead. The
person with the most toys wins the game. In some cultures, no one can win the game unless the
whole of the People's needs are met. A person who claims more than his or her share is looked
upon as selfish or crazy or both. The poor, the aged, and the feeble have honor. The person who
gives away the most and carries the burdens of the People is one of the most respected.

Turkey was the medicine of the many saints and mystics. Celebrate if you have turkey medicine.
Your virtues are many. You have transcended self. You act and react on the behalf of others. You
aspire to help those who need help. This is not out of some sense of self-righteous moralism or
religious guilt. Help and sustenance are given by Turkey out of the realization that all life is
sacred. It is knowing that the Great Spirit resides within all people. It is an acknowledgement
that what you do for others you do for yourself. Turkey medicine rests in true ego, in
enlightenment. Doing unto others and feeding the People is the message of all true spiritual systems.

Depending on how Turkey is aspected in your cards, you are being given a gift. This gift could
be spiritual, material, or even intellectual. The gift may be great or small, but it is never
insignificant. Congratulations. You may have just won the lottery. Or the gift may be a beautiful
sunset, or the smell of a fragrant flower. On the other hand, you may feel the "spirit of giving"
growing within you, and wanting you to share with others.