Turkey Symbolism and Turkey Feathers
This weekend we had a chance to get out and hike at Rock County Heritage Park, it is still being established as a park, as it used to be a Boy Scout camp but was acquired by the County recently. The one mile loop we took through the woods was so sweet. I saw a deer napping by the trail and a turkey feather on the ground!
Turkey feathers are often used to fan and direct smoke through the air during cleansing rituals. Their symbolism can reflect a strong co-creation with earth energy, as well as connections to the afterlife and dream states. Typically I will leave what I see alone out on the trails, and I did just that with this one. Want to learn more? Check out my blog post here…
Did you know turkeys were originally domesticated in the ancient Americas and solely for their feathers? Fed maize by the Mayans, Aztecans, and Pueblo; and many Southwestern archaeological sites include whole turkey skeleton burials. As though they were pets. Turkeys are often associated with the dream state (not just those Thanksgiving food comas), and seen as guides leading the dead to the next world, as well as symbols of abundance. Blankets and cloaks were made of many turkey feathers, to keep people warm during cold months. Often loved ones were adorned with turkey feathers at burial due to their association with prosperity via earth. The turkey is one of the only domesticated birds native to the Americas. The consumption of domesticated turkeys as a food is less than 700 years old, beginning with colonialism; while spiritual respect for the turkey dates back thousands of years.
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