Bird Magic: Wisdom of the Ancient Goddess for Pagans & Wiccans - Sandra Kynes 2016
Turkey: Wild Turkey
The Profiles
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Although we most often think of turkeys in relation to Thanksgiving dinner, the Pueblo people of the Southwest kept flocks of turkeys mainly for their feathers, which were used for ritual and adornment. Native Americans generally regarded the turkey as a symbol of wisdom and a guide to the afterlife. These birds were also considered a symbol of male virility and female fecundity.
Instead of the eagle, Benjamin Franklin proposed the turkey as the national bird because of its intelligence and regal display of feathers. We may question Franklin’s assessment of intelligence because of the bird’s current reputation as being dim-witted. However, this notion stems from the early nineteenth century when turkeys were easy to hunt and considered stupid for being inattentive to sounds.157 They have since learned to be wary of humans.
Called the king of the game birds, turkeys were often described as majestic and noble. If you encounter a wild turkey, you will understand this sentiment because of this bird’s stately presence. In the sixteenth century, wild turkeys were introduced into Europe, where they were kept as ornamental birds in parks and large gardens along with pheasants and peacocks.158
This bird’s name has nothing to do with the country of Turkey. According to speculation, the name turkey came from the Hindi word toka, meaning “peacock” or “big hen.” 159 In fact, the word turkey was in use in England before this bird arrived in the British Isles. Prior to the sixteenth century, the word turkey had the meaning of “strange” or “exotic,” and it is thought to have referred to guinea fowl.160
While the turkey was associated with Thanksgiving prior to President Lincoln’s declaration of a national feast day, it did not become the pièce de résistance until domestic turkey farms were established in the early twentieth century.161 While the domesticated bird cannot fly, the wild turkey flies up into trees to roost.
According to folklore, a turkey gobbling at you while a guest at someone’s home meant you were a welcomed visitor. Turkeys were considered weather birds and associated with rain because of their restlessness before storms. And, of course, ending up with the largest half of a turkey wishbone after the Thanksgiving meal is a sign of good luck. A female turkey is called a hen, a male is a gobbler or a tom, and babies are called poults.162
Magical Workings
Place a picture or a figurine of turkey on your Mabon altar to represent abundance and shared blessings. Call on turkey when a loved one passes to serve as a guide for them. Also bury an intact wishbone in the ground to honor the person who has died and to mark their passage into rebirth. Use a feather in spells related to fertility and sexuality, or place one under your bed to emphasize your intent. In addition, a feather or a figurine can be placed on your altar to express gratitude.
Make Connection
Begin with a piece of paper, the bigger the better, to fashion a fan. Place it on a flat surface, and then fold one short end back about an inch or so. Flip the paper over and make another fold. Continue until you reach the other end of the paper. This will serve as your fantail. Hold it with both hands behind your back, and then slowly walk around the room lifting a knee up high for each step. Visualize a majestic turkey, the king (or queen) of game birds who was an equal to the peacock in Europe for its nobility. Reach out with your energy and ask turkey to join you. Listen for subtle noises and perhaps a very faint “gobble” for a sign of this bird’s presence.
Associations
Element(s): Earth
Sabbat(s): Mabon
Bird Identification
Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo)
Size: 43 to 47 inches
Wingspan: 49 to 56 inches
Comparative Size: Goose to very large
Description: Plump body; long legs; bare head and neck; overall dark patterns with iridescent bronze sheen; bands of buff or rusty brown on rump and tail feathers; wide, rounded tail
Male: Bright red neck and wattles on throat; blue on face; spurs on feet; long “beard” on breast
Female: Brownish head and neck; small, reddish wattle
Range: Most of southern United States from Arizona east, and north to New England
Habitat: Forests especially with nut trees, and field edges; woodsy suburban and urban areas
Eggs: Pale yellowish-tan with reddish-brown or pinkish spots
Collective noun(s): A flock or a rafter of turkeys
157. Angus K. Gillespie and Jay Mechling, eds. American Wildlife in Symbol and Story (Knoxville, TN: University of Tennessee Press, 1987), 24.
158. Nozedar, The Secret Language of Birds, 273.
159. Andrew F. Smith, The Turkey: An American Story (Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press, 2006), 26.
160. Ibid., 27.
161. Gillespie and Mechling, American Wildlife in Symbol and Story, 31.
162. Fraser and Gray, Australian Bird Names, 7.