Birthday Moose

Today I turn 51. Gadzooks! Look how far I’ve come. From humble beginnings in one of the smallest countries in the world, ESwatini in Southern Africa, to the place I now call home, Prince George in Canada.

It’s 7.10 am. The phone rings. I’m in the middle of a deep and delicious Sahaj Samadhi meditation, having just completed several rounds of Sun Salutations, and Sudarshan Kriya breathing.  I’m reluctant to pull myself out of the zone. Normally I wouldn’t, but today’s my birthday, and I love hearing from people on this day. I love birthdays period … and the wishes that come with them.  Any excuse to celebrate!

I make my way to the windowsill where my iPhone is sitting. Drat! I miss the call. Without my glasses on, I squint to see who it’s from. A dear friend. I listen to his message. He sings happy birthday in his best voice. I’m touched. At that moment I look out my window which frames the most exquisite view of a forest that sprawls a few thousand kilometres hugging the Fraser River, from Prince George to Vancouver.  

Trees. Beautiful trees. I’m in love with ‘my’ forest. Her pines, cedars and birches stretching far up into the sky, have become my companions. My eyes follow one of the taller and most handsome trees, ‘Arthur’, towards the snow-covered ground. I gasp. My breathing slows down. I feel my heart thumping against my rib-cage.

There laying in the snow, right outside our back yard, is the most beautiful mamma moose. She’s nonchalantly chewing something. Simply hanging out. I wonder where her mate is? I saw them about a month ago, ambling down our street, peering into the windows of trucks parked outside.  

I’m mesmerized.  What a precious birthday gift. Moose medicine.  Once I get over the initial shock of seeing this mammoth animal in our back yard, I’m five-year old Jenny again, giddy with excitement! I feel immense gratitude that she chose to show up on my birthday. Never have I had a wild animal appear on my birthday.

After squealing with excitement to my son to come and look, I sense a deep connection with her. I realise she IS my meditation. I drop my awareness into my heart, becoming aware of its rhythm. I notice my breath. Slow and steady. I feel a connection between my heart and her heart.  Our breathing feels synchronized. Her jaw moves from side-to-side as she chews a piece of winter foliage.  She’s in no hurry. Present to her surroundings. In the distance an adorable moose calf appears. It’s foraging for food in the distance. Mamma is alert and aware. But still, she remains resting on the ground. Another calf appears to the right of her, also a fair distance away, but just within reach.

In North American Indigenous cultures moose is one of the more powerful messengers of the natural world.

Her message to me is clear. “Rest. Wholesome nourishment. Protection of my young.” She’s not being overly protective. She doesn’t need to be. Her calves are safe, surrounded by trees in a quiet area. Waves of love and warmth wash over me.

I feel truly blessed to reside in this place, on the Traditional Territory of the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation. This is a place that gives me regular access to the wild and precious. This birthday gift is important. Having recently emerged from a dark time, as a single mother, I know what happens when I don’t rest and nourish myself with wholesome foods that support my mental, physical, spiritual and emotional ecosystem.

Her significance in my life at this time was confirmed when a colleague at work, who is leaving our organization to follow his heart and family, received a farewell card with a moose this morning. He tells me that he had immediately thought of me when he saw the moose. We don’t know each other very well, and he had no idea that I’d been connecting with moose recently. I must be carrying an element of moose energy.

According to Animal Speak, by Ted Andrews: “When moose comes into your life, the primal contact with the great feminine force and void of life is being awakened. It is an invitation to learn to explore new depths of awareness and sensitivity within yourself and your environs. Moose is often associated with the feminine energies, the maternal force of the world. Moose is connected to water. Water is a symbol of creativity and dynamic forms of intuition and illumination.” 

My wise pastor friend who is of Indigenous decent, reminded me that it is the moose who gives its life to feed an entire family or community.  Perhaps this is urging me to continue to nurture that side of me that desires to be in service, to share my gifts with those that need them.

We are intricately connected to everything and everyone. It is no coincidence that mamma moose appeared today. Mother Nature is far more attuned to humans and their surroundings than we realise. They know when to enter our lives with the right message or medicine at precisely the right moment, should we choose to pay attention. 

I’d love to hear what animals have come into your life recently, and if they carried a message for you. Drop a note in the comments.

Moose murmurings and blessings,

Jenn