Monday, April 15, 2013

Turkey medicine

Many years ago, when I was living for a time on a multi acre ranch on the coast, I reported my daily wildlife sightings to a friend who, in turn, divined their meaning for me. "Frog" or "Rat," or "Whale medicine," she'd murmur, when I told her about the amphibian who'd hopped across the floor, the rodent gnawing on the walls, or the cetaceans I'd see off the coast. Then she would leaf through her animal totem book or medicine cards, and tell me what it all meant.
The exercise was fun, and definitely helped me renegotiate my relationship with some of my less welcome sightings, but not something I've kept up.
Sunday was another lovely spring day in the East Bay, and has been the call of the last few weeks, we headed for the hills to go hiking for part of the day. On the way to Wildcat Canyon/Tilden Park, driving through a stretch of the Berkeley hills we happened upon a ...what is that...a Turkey? Not sure where this guy came from, but he evidently was feeling the season, mistaking (or hoping) each car that passed was his long awaited mate. We literally had to back up and go around the amorous fellow who made a display of his long lovely feathers as we attempted to get around him.
Turns out the wild turkeys of Berkeley aren't new (see "Wild Turkeys of Berkeley Out and About Again,")
But what else might seeing this turkey mean?
 Evidently Turkey Medicine is about 'giving away' in a good way:
"Let go and give away the past. Share your gifts with generosity. Feel the freedom gained."
Sounds like a good direction to me.

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