A medicine weave: The Cow and the Eagle

While wandering the quiet backroads of the Appalachians during a kaleidoscopic autumn, I encountered a scene that would stay with me, haunting and profound. A Bald Eagle—majestic and unyielding—feasted on the afterbirth of a cow that had just given life to her calf. Nearby, the mother stood vigilant, cleaning her newborn, embodying the maternal archetype in its purest form. This visceral moment, raw and symbolic, set the tone for a cascade of spiritual reflections.

While still in the Appalachians I witnessed a Bald Eagle eating the afterbirth of a cow who had just calved. The cow was several feet away, being protective and guarded, while finishing cleaning off her young. We had simply been driving around some backroads taking in the autumnal colour when I saw them in a field, at the bottom of a gentle slope. And this is something that, to be honest, I have spent much time reflecting on.

Though I felt the Eagle eating the afterbirth was disconcerting - and a very powerful message - it didn’t feel like a warning.

In Native American cosmology The Eagle represents Great Spirit. Whereas in much European mythology the Cow, in various forms, represents the maternal - here literally being a mother bringing her creation into the world , yet the Eagle was nourishing himself on her afterbirth, the nutrient that was meant for her to sustain her creation.

My initial thoughts leant towards an interpretation that there was still separation in the Divine Masculine and he wasn’t ready to fully embrace his true role - and though accurate and confirmed by much being shared within the spiritual communities - it didn’t sit as the right interpretation of this particular scene.

'Ruminants' by Phyllis Stapler

A creational story

I was discussing this with a dear soul sister recently, and mentioned that earlier that day I had also seen a Bald Eagle sat in a tree by the roadside seemingly watching me as we drove past. She picked up the Tree as the clue - the Tree of Life !
We then started seeing this as a Creational story; Divine Father, Divine Mother and Divine Child. The afterbirth also represents a tree like network nourishing the growth and the life of the child whilst still in the sacred waters.

Yesterday, it suddenly dawned on me that the only other time I saw a Bald Eagle during my visit, he was high up in the sky circling, only close enough to see his coloration to confirm. I was the only one at that trailhead who saw him. A short walk into the woods, I encountered my first bear. He was off the trail and eating what may have been some roots. Bear is one of my medicine animals, they represent working with the deep Earth medicine of roots and plants.

These encounters all held a fractal of the same message:

The Above - Masculine, The Below - Feminine and the Tree of Life network that connects them all into the creational story of the Divine Child, through the Mother. Add into the mix that all these sightings occurred after the incredible MushWomb retreat with Eliza Maori and so many beautiful Medicine Women.

There is then the sense that all aspects, all concepts of these connections, like in the shamanic process of dismemberment, have been broken down and digested so they can be purified and reformed into something completely new.

While I’ve been putting together my Cauldron Intensive offering for this year, I was going through some notes I made early last year - when I was being called to present the Sacred Medicine Wheel in a new way. I found one line “Explore the connection between the Medicine Wheel and the Womb” … and I laughed, I had completely forgotten this only to realise that this has been a persistent thread of 2023 for me - a return to the Womb !

Soon I’ll be ready to fully share the details of this years Cauldron Intensive …

It starts on 2nd February and will be a 7 month pilgrimage of the Sacred Medicine Wheel, deeply exploring each gateway with experiential and meditative Nature Connection exercises and wisdom from the Elemental Kingdom through the corresponding co-created Sacred Earth Essences (though connecting with these in the physical is optional). I’ve been so excited to be on the creational journey with the Elementals like this working on each axis at a time, even though I wasn’t quite sure how it would all meld. This Cauldron consolidates much of my deepest work to date and I am excited.

With much Love
from my Heart to yours,

~ Tania Aurora White Crow ~