The Trefoil Muse

Yours is not to question why,
Just be.

The land I live upon has a magical essence.  It’s magical because of the creatures who share it with me.  This spring, some creatures flew in from the south and nested along the dam which runs west and south of our property.  So quite naturally, I am facing southwest while I reminisce about the Canadian Geese.

The term used for a flock of geese or a number of geese together is gaggle;  and gaggle they did.  A large social celebration commenced immediately upon their arrival.

Geese are very family oriented.  Both gander and goose share nesting duty and the rearing of family.  Geese mate for life.  They will not take another partner.  Geese are monogamous in the truest sense.  They will search the nesting site year after year for their lost soul mate.  It can be very heart wrenching to witness their sorrow.

Young mating pairs respect their elders allowing them to choose nesting sites first.  This happens to be a very long, noisy and jovial period.  Then the proverbial golden eggs arrive.  The goslings emerge as fluffs of grey down.  First they learn to waddle.  The second step is swimming.  Geese molt toward the end of June which means their capacity to fly has been reduced.  They are grounded.  This however does not mean they are helpless.  Geese have a very powerful wing span which they are not opposed to using when it comes to defending themselves or their family against an enemy.  And, they will flog that enemy unmercifully until it leaves.  Normally however, a goose will attempt to avoid conflict by taking to water.

A gaggle of geese will spend the majority of their time in the water during the molting season bonding and rearing the goslings.  When both parent and offspring obtain flying feathers, we notice familiar “V” patterns in the sky as the geese gather strength for the southern winter journey.

The life of a goose has synchronicity and balance as evidenced in the pattern of the flying “V”.  Geese share their leadership ability;  when one leader tires, it falls back and another takes its place at the helm.

I felt very privileged to be part of this Gaggle’s life cycle which included both birth and death.  Unfortunately,  there were many coyotes here when the geese arrived and some geese lost their lives but there are only two certainties in life;  change and death.  The death of a few geese caused the others to punish the coyotes, they moved out.  This changed the gaggles environment.  It became safe.

In any case for me, the Canada Goose symbolizes seasonal change;  the ending of winter and beginning of spring and, the ending of fall and the beginning of winter.  Geese usher in a season of growth and their graceful exit leaves us with that all familiar ending that allows us to dream of their return.

The southwest direction is the direction to ground your dreams.  I will remember to give thanks to the Canada Goose for it’s synchronicity, balance and certainty when I harvest the dreams I have sown.

The Canada Goose leaves us many lessons.  Don’t give up on love.  Protect it. Nurture it.  Learn to waddle before you swim.  When you learn to go with the flow, you are then able to fly.  Circulate to gain strength.  Share your leadership ability.  Continue to dream and be grateful for what you have right now.  Growth is important but life has a certain synchronicity, balance and certainty which can not be changed.  Perhaps, yours is not to question the reason why.  Just be.  Allow the circle of life to continue, enjoy its mystery.