Out like a lamb. . .
Can you feel when things are about to change? I chased the lion at the beginning of March in the form of a super snowstorm in the mountains. I felt the need to seize the opportunity as March has always marked the end of winter in my mind, although it is actually more of a transition month. I began writing this letter on the cusp of the Spring Equinox, as the weather and energy were in flux.
Speaking of change, I change tense several times in this letter. My intention is to emphasize the moment we’re living right now through reflection.
This month we were touched by death and new life. The most docile of our dog pack killed my son’s favorite chicken, Braiden. Braiden is my nephew’s name and he is a very tall sixteen year old boy-man. Our chicken, Braiden, was not a rooster. She was a grey bird that carried the attitude of an adventurous survivor. Ironically, her adventurous spirit is likely what led to her death. Braiden, the hen, is the only one of our girls that I ever saw perched on top of the water vessel to get a better look at the action in our yard. She would twist her head from side to side, clucking, and asking questions with her blunt movements.
I saw Braiden from the window above our kitchen sink. I could see his reflective grey feathers heavy on the dormant grass. Bella, the pup that only wants to be snuggled in the house, was guarding her body. When I told my son he let out a scream, “No!” This was, by far, his favorite chicken from our initial flock of ten. Braiden is our sixth chicken to die and none of the others have elicited this type of reaction. He went outside immediately to take a closer look. Once he evaluated the scene, he decided to relocate Braiden to the garden so that the dogs wouldn’t continue to pick apart her body. This plan was unsuccessful, not the relocation of the dead hen, but the protecting of her body.
Winter is often equated with death and spring is known to be a time of birth; sprouts, buds, animals - new life. We ride the edge of the seasons in March, and then in April, we step more confidently into spring.
The first calf arrived at the farm this month. It was cold the morning of her arrival. She was curled up next to her mama and the other mama’s that are still carrying babies. The cows my partner bought were all pregnant when he bought them. This one, 300, has a feisty personality, and now that she has a new baby, there is a fierceness radiating from her. Last night, she came in with the other mamas to eat the grass I was feeding them, but she wouldn’t allow herself to relax. I understood her anxiety. Her baby was lying curled up in the center of the field. As soon as her calf stood up, Mama 300 went running as fast as she could, bellering the whole way, to reunite with her baby.
What is bellering for your attention right now? Are you in tune and listening or is there something that needs to be dealt with first?
From The Wild Unknown Animal Spirit by Kim Krans
In Moab, March is exiting like a lamb with soft rain, sunshine and mild temperatures. Even without lamb weather, you can still harness the spirit of lamb energy by cultivating stillness. I invite you to pause today, or this week, and be still. Embrace the moment as it is. Happy planting and birthing!
Love, Angela