February 11, 2023

If we had
the good sense
of a goose.

Another piece of wisdom emerged from the archives of my spiritual community in Boise. When the sister found and shared this, it spoke to me about the changing nature of my relationships and circles of relationships. I wrote a post about this in my Crone blog, Invoking Goldilocks.  

Consider geese flying in a V formation. 

As each bird flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the bird immediately following.
By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds at least 71%
greater flying range than if each bird flew on its own.

When we are in community with those who share a common direction and a sense of purpose, we get where we are going more quickly and easily because we are traveling on the thrust of one another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation it suddenly feels the drag
and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation
to take advantage of the lifting power of the birds immediately in front.

If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation and unity with those who are headed the same way we are going. This doesn’t, of course, mean we all think alike. It just means we sustain our unity with those flying in the same direction with the same sense of purpose. 

When a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshot,
or falls out, two geese will fall out of formation and follow down
to help protect it. They stay with the goose until it is either able to fly
or until it is dead, and then they launch out on their own or with
another formation to catch up with their group.

If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other, protect one another and cherish relationships with who are going in our direction. Like all animals in the natural world, geese have an internal navigation system and ways of communicating that we can only begin to understand. Perhaps we don’t need to understand beyond knowing they exist. 

Those of us who are called to a deep sense of spiritual purpose are of the same species, the same tribe. And although we may move from one flock to another from time to time, we all share that same internal navigation system. The same homing instinct. The same call.

Honk. Honk.

Beannacht,
Judith