AMP: Artists' Meeting Place and Resource Collective

Wow, Thanksgiving is less than a week away. Where did the year go? I was going to have to write about these lovely birds that sometimes stop traffic in rural Oklahoma eventually. On more than one occasion, I've had to stop to allow a whole little turkey family to cross the road.

In our country, the turkey symbolizes tradition, family and giving thanks. These large birds can provide a meal for many and are a symbol of abundance.

As a Native American animal totem animal, the turkey symbolizes sacrifice - it gives its life so that others may thrive. It is believed that if one has the turkey as a totem, the person is unselfish in giving to others.

The turkey is also viewed as a symbol of wisdom or spiritual vision to some Native American tribes. Their feathers are used for cleansing in spiritual rituals and are believed to be good luck. Even though the turkey can not fly, the Iroquois regarded them as highly as the eagle.

Admittedly, turkeys do silly things like try to fly when they can't. The wild turkey can fly, but domestic turkeys just have a poor aerodynamic design. They're just too big and heavy to get off the ground. Many people mistakenly believe that turkeys are stupid animals and even use the word as an insult to a person's intelligence. This is simply not true, and at least one scientist is a self-appointed advocate for the turkey:

OSU Animal Scientist Debunks Dumb Turkey Myth

Perhaps, like the turkey, you are trying to perform according to self-imposed rules or others' expectations when you're simply not built that way. Holidays are a good time for this to come up. Aunt Mary doesn't understand why you don't want children and confronts you at every family gathering. Maybe you feel that you have to put on a Thanksgiving spread like your grandmother did and it's just too much with your busy life. An early pioneer in the field of psychology, Alfred Adler, maintained that the root causes of depression were mistaken beliefs and faulty goals.

If a turkey appears in your dreams, perhaps you are considering sacrificing your time or part of yourself on behalf of someone else.

If positive feelings are associated with the symbol, perhaps this is the right thing to do. If the situation in your dream is negative, you may be at risk for being a bit too self-sacrificing. Have you committed to more than you can realistically do? Keep in mind that historically, martyrdom ended in many kinds of creative torture and death. Are you really cut out to be a suicide bomber?

If these dreams occur around the holidays, you may simply be focusing on your plans more than usual. Fall through winter is a busy time of year and can be very stressful, often financially. You might want to take a little time to regroup and eliminate some frills - or learn to say, "No."

The turkey may also be a reminder to count your blessings. The past few years have been full of tragedy for so many who have lost their homes and loved ones. Sometimes we all need to be reminded that abundance doesn't necessarily mean having a lot. Rather, true prosperity is loving what you have.

I wish you a happy, joyful and peaceful and safe Thanksgiving holiday and abundant blessings for the coming year. I'm thankful for you and the many ways you've blessed my life, no matter how you came into it.

Love,

Parthena

This article was previously published at Bellaonline.com when I served as editor. The site has my blessing and permission to keep my content posted. Content copyright © 2006 by Parthena Black. All rights reserved. This content was written by Parthena Black. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission.