Thanksgiving for Turkey Medicine

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving here in the US.

I had a great day with my family and friends. Thanksgiving for me is a strange time of year, the same goes for Christmas. So much emphasis on the food; it is tough to eat healthfully while eating morally (for myself that is). I am hoping someone out there relates.

“Lets talk Turkey”, I am vegetarian and I prefer to honor Turkey instead of devour him. In the days leading up to Turkey Day, I listen to people talk about their desire to “eat some turkey”! I listen respectfully yet I don’t share their enthusiasm. Tearing into the carcass of an over sized bird that has been bred to weight more than nature ever intended is not appealing to me.

I have a saying I came up with about 3 years ago, “I choose to indulge in the fruits of the harvest, instead of flesh.” I use this saying whenever asked why or how I could not eat Turkey on Thanksgiving. I am used to the way people look at me like. Its like I grew a second and third head.

All the hype about eating meat, makes the vegetarian less than excited about the holiday meal. Honestly, I prefer a nice roasted vegetable platter or even a Tofurky compared to the traditional holiday meal. Meat eaters may never understand, but HEY, that’s okay!

I am vegetarian for several reasons… One being health, another being environmental, but mostly because of my own spiritual beliefs. The path I have chosen encourages me to look at things as a whole and look at my place within that whole. When I do this, I realize that my actions have a ripple effect both positive and negative. I also realize that I have the ability to change the quality of my ripple and how I touch the earth. This is one spiritual law I follow. Becoming vegetarian is one way I reduce a potentially negative ripple.

If you have been following my ramblings, you probably noticed that I have an affinity for animals along with the lessons they have to teach us. I view animals as companions, guides, spiritual mentors, teachers, and yes even equals. In some cases, I even feel that animals are our superiors, but I will save for another thought.

I love giving thanks for all I have. Having a day dedicated to giving thanks is important. So many people give thanks to the Turkey because he/she has taken its place on the dinner table thusly making him into the Thanksgiving icon. I love that we recognize the need to thank Mr. Tom Turkey for his sacrifice, but Tom has more to offer. If we take a look at what Turkey has to teach us, we can be thankful for much more.

Turkey Medicine

Spiritual and Cardinal Associations:

Give-away, The Ultimate Sacrifice, Shared Blessings, and Harvest

Moon Phase: Waning Moon

Deity:   Cronus, Kronos or Cronos

Modron ro Morgon La Fey

Medinet Maadi

Ops… and other deities related to the harvest, bounty, and sacrifice.

Directional Earth and North

Time of Year: Autumn

Turkeys are members of the Chicken family. Wild turkeys eat a diet of nuts, including acorns and are very adaptable and resourceful. Turkeys prefer wooded areas where they can hide and forage. Domestic turkeys are not able to fly but wild turkeys can fly up to 50 miles per hour once they get started. The male turkey has a bright red fleshy wattle that grows from their forehead and dangles on the side of their beak. Many view the wattle as a symbol for the third eye and inner sight.

Perhaps the reason we have chosen Turkey as the bird of Thanksgiving is because many Native Americans viewed Turkey as “Give-Away Eagle” or “Earth Eagle”. Mayan and Aztec tribes raised Turkeys for sustenance and survival. Their entire body was used from feather to bone. Turkey also has a very important role in Native mythology. In many stories, Turkey plays a large role in creating the Earth and helping the first humans become nourished and established.

In many native tribes, a ritual is/was performed called a Give-Away Ceremony. Within this ceremony, people would gladly give away their personal treasures. This practice is sometimes hard to comprehend because it is contrary to our Western Cultural mindset.  We tend to feel we should horde all we have for as long as we can. You may be familiar with the phrase, “He who dies with the most toys, WINS!” Turkey played a vital role in these ceremonies, as he was the symbol of Give-Away. Through the journey of Give-Away Turkey plays a large role as symbol, guide, and mentor.

In these cultures, it is not the person with most toys who wins; instead, it is the whole society/tribe who wins. The tribe benefits because of the individual’s sacrifice and selfless nature. From the beginning, tribe members are taught to help one another and to maintain balance for the betterment of the whole. The person who gives away the most achieves respect from the tribe as well as balance for the tribe. Those who horde possessions or don’t give freely are thought to be selfish and greedy. The old are wise and light because they do not have needless possessions weighing them down or distracting them from true community. Turkey’s lesson is to teach us how to give freely.

Those who naturally have a giving nature, tend to have Turkey medicine somewhere in their life. I have read cards for many people who are giving by nature and I have pulled Turkey for almost all of them.

People with Turkey medicine aspire to help others. They tend to volunteer in soup kitchens, shelters, rescues, many become clergy, and so on. The important thing to remember about those with Turkey medicine is that they give freely and without the need for payment, acknowledgement, reward, or much of anything in return. Some well know people I would guess have Turkey Medicine are Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi, Jane Goodall, and so on. These are people who give/gave beyond monetary donation or material possession. They give/gave of their heart and soul for the greater good. Their offering is continual peace, wisdom, kindness, and hope.

Turkey teaches us to give freely, truly, and completely without strings, conditions, or exceptions. Turkey is gentle, caring, and knows that the sacrifice of today will lead to a better tomorrow. This is the reason Turkey has made its way to your dinner table as you celebrate the season.

Next time you sit down to your turkey meal, take a moment to remember the love and offering of Turkey. Take a moment to truly thank Turkey for its sacrifice and sustenance. Perhaps you will take the lesson Turkey offers further and you will find simple ways to live your life through sacrifice, peace, and offering.