TURKEY

Wild turkeys lived almost ten million years ago and are native to North America.  Between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers cover the body of an adult turkey.  Related to pheasants, gobbling of turkeys can be heard a mile away.  Wild turkeys have excellent vision during the day but don't see as well at night. Turkeys can run at speeds up to 25 mph, and can fly up to 55 mph.  Wild turkeys like open areas for feeding, mating and habitat. They use forested areas as cover from predators and for roosting in trees at night. A varied habitat of both open and covered area is essential for wild turkey survival.

TURKEY MEDICINE

• A wild turkey is a clean bird in many respects and considers its appearance important.  A turkey's colorful metallic iridescence glittering feathers provide a variety of survival functions - they keep him warm and dry, allow him to fly, feel and show off for the opposite sex. Turkey feathers were used American Indians to stabilize arrows and adorn ceremonial dress, and the spurs on the legs of wild tom turkeys were used as projectiles on arrowheads.  If the spirit of the turkey struts into your life it may be to remind you that hygiene and  appearances are important to self-respect and respect for others.   

• Turkeys have very good hearing and can see in color and tiny movement almost a hundred yards away.  The message of the turkey spirit could be to closely examine our actions and how they relate to our spiritual path. 

• Toms and sometimes hens have black, hair-like feathers called beards on their chest.  Turkeys’ heads change colors when they become excited as both defense and warning to other turkeys.  If your spirit turkey shows you these characteristics, it is time to sit up and take notice of your own actions that may hinder your spiritual growth.  You may also need to look at people, situations or events around you.  

• Wild turkeys eat whatever is available in the immediate terrain including nuts, berries, green foliage, insects, and lizards.  This habit has been seen in vision given by a spirit turkey and was interpreted to mean to make good use of the talents and resources, to waste nothing and give thanks daily for the bounty and blessings given by the Creator.  

• Turkeys fly powerfully for short distances but have difficulty in sustaining great speed over a long distance. If you see turkey flying into your life in this way, its message may be to start redirecting your spiritual energy in a more balanced or efficient way.  Quick bursts of enthusiasm or energy can lead to undesirable results.  

• The wild turkey is a resilient bird and survivor.  After heavy,  uncontrolled hunting by European settlers and American hunters, the turkey almost vanished to near extinction by the early 1900's.  But, through conservation turkey populations have rebounded and are growing.   Wild turkeys almost vanished from North America largely due to greed and disrespect.  To American Indians the wild turkey symbolizes renewal and rebirth that must take place for all nature in order for humans to survive.  The turkey also symbolizes the spirit of freedom that must be respected by all people.   

TORTOISE/TURTLE

You can help but admire turtle and tortoises.  Their ancient wisdom, unfaltering character and physical characteristics make them among nature's most interesting creatures.  The turtle is a creature of both water and the land.  Because of its great age and its slow metabolism the turtle is associated with longevity.  The oldest known tortoise died in 1965 in Madagascar at the age of 188.  The largest living species is the Galapagos tortoise weighing in some cases, over 570 pounds.  Stupendemys geographicus was a prehistoric turtle that was 10 feet long and probably weighed 4,000 to 5,000 pounds.  Turtle medicine can teach new perceptions about time and our relationship to it. It can also help us grow old gracefully and in harmony with our environment. When the pace of life becomes too hectic the turtle shows us how to slow down and go with the flow. <O:P>  </O:P><O:P>

TURTLE MEDICINE

• The turtle has its own built-in house on their back.  The upper shell is composed of about 50 bones, including modified ribs, vertebrae and bony skin plates. The shell is very much alive and not dead tissue.  If turtle has crawled into your subconscious, it may carry the message to remain mobile and flexible in your spiritual walk and not to acquire more possessions that you need.  The burden of possessions can slow our spiritual journey. 

• Growth rings ( scutes or scales) on a turtle/ tortoise shell cannot be used to determine its age with any degree of accuracy.  In most cases, the rings are determined largely by environmental conditions.  The size, color and other physical adaptations of the turtle are also largely determined by its environment.  The turtle teaches us to accept the world we live in and to adapt to changes when needed. 

• Grandfather Turtle has amazing survival skills and strategies. They sense vibrations in the water through their skin and shell.  If turtle comes with a message for you, it may be interpreted to mean that you should listen closely to your physical and spiritual senses and vibrations and move slowly and cautiously to adapt.   

• Water turtles come ashore to lay eggs and bury them in the ground. After the eggs hatch, the baby turtles crawl to the water.  This characteristic is a significant sign in pointing out connections,  especially for the purpose of reproduction, between the elements of water and earth.  Turtle may be telling us to combine the deep emotional and spiritual qualities of the water element with the strong and solid grounding qualities of Mother Earth in our search for balance.

• When the turtle negotiates uneven terrain and its weight causes it to flip over on to its rounded shell, it uses its strong neck to right itself.  This ability when communicated by messages from the turtle may be  a sign to use the tools at your disposal to use your inner senses and knowledge to correct the problem when your life becomes upside down.     

• When old turtle slowly crawls in to your dreams and visions, it is time to get connected to your most ancient heart and delve deeply in to the shell you have constructed around yourself.  Peer deeply into that shell.  The turtle cannot be separated from its shell and we cannot separate ourselves from who we are.  We can develop ways to emerge from our shell to interact and take sustenance from the world around us, and at the same time, allow that emergence to be a blessing to all around you and your spiritual walk on earth.

• The slow moving plod of the turtle does sooner or later get them to where they are going.  The turtle is famous for getting things done in its own slow-moving way and winning the race.  Could this be a sign for you to slow down and enjoy the blessings gifted by the Creator?  

WEASEL