Geese, Birds and Funerals
I went to my Uncle’s Funeral last Thursday, January 5, 2012. When he was being interred at Saint John’s Cemetery in Norwalk, Connecticut; as the priest was speaking, a flock of geese begin honking and a moment later everyone looked up and the geese flew directly over the congregation.
Image from:
Pixabay
Pixabay
Now anyone who has been following this blog for sometime must understand that I’m constantly looking for meaning in any sacred event. There are no accidents. Everything happens for a reason. My thoughts went immediately to:
Okay. What’s the significance of geese at a funeral?
Okay. What’s the significance of geese at a funeral?
My first thought was centered on geese alone since that was the bird that flew over. As I researched the topic and came up empty, I decided to delve a little deeper into the subject to discover if there was some other meaning into geese in general. The next trip I made was looking into the shamanic meaning of geese. That’s where I found the quote:
Their honking call speaks of the fulfilled promises that great quests bring. That quote appeared at Lin’s Domain. What do YOU think the significance is? What greater quest is there then your transition? And what’’s the promise? The promise is that we do NOT die, that death is simply a moving toward another life, that we simply fall asleep in one place and awaken in another. That is the fulfilled promise. That is the promise that was on show during the internment ceremony last Thursday. The fact of the geese honking as they flew over the internment last Thursday was a subtle way of informing those at the ceremony that all was well and Jim was on his way to his next journey.
Their honking call speaks of the fulfilled promises that great quests bring. That quote appeared at Lin’s Domain. What do YOU think the significance is? What greater quest is there then your transition? And what’’s the promise? The promise is that we do NOT die, that death is simply a moving toward another life, that we simply fall asleep in one place and awaken in another. That is the fulfilled promise. That is the promise that was on show during the internment ceremony last Thursday. The fact of the geese honking as they flew over the internment last Thursday was a subtle way of informing those at the ceremony that all was well and Jim was on his way to his next journey.
After I was unsuccessful at finding anything directly related to geese at funerals, I came across Myth Encyclopedia. If you scroll down the page until you find:
Life, Death, and the Soul
This quote:
(Many myths have linked birds to the arrival of life or death. With their power of flight, these winged creatures were seen as carriers or symbols of the human soul, or as the soul itself, flying heavenward after a person died. A bird may represent both the soul of the dead and a deity at the same time.) definitely offers consolation.
Life, Death, and the Soul
This quote:
(Many myths have linked birds to the arrival of life or death. With their power of flight, these winged creatures were seen as carriers or symbols of the human soul, or as the soul itself, flying heavenward after a person died. A bird may represent both the soul of the dead and a deity at the same time.) definitely offers consolation.
The next time you’re at an internment ceremony and you see a significant number of birds flying overhead, take time to acknowledge the birds, thank them for carrying the spirit of the deceased safely to its next transition. Those of us on this spiritual journey, those of us who are always looking for answers to life’s odd events such as what happened at my Uncle’s funeral are fortunate to understand that life is miraculous, life is full of chance events and as I’m fond of saying:
unless you’re steeped in the spiritual realm these things will pass you by and you’ll never understand their significance.
unless you’re steeped in the spiritual realm these things will pass you by and you’ll never understand their significance.
That’s why I’m here.
That’s why I’m writing this blog. I want to help those who are wearing their spiritual blinders.
Take those blinders off and see the world as it REALLY is:
The world is spiritual.
That’s why I’m writing this blog. I want to help those who are wearing their spiritual blinders.
Take those blinders off and see the world as it REALLY is:
The world is spiritual.
NOT physical.
We are after all spiritual beings having a physical experience.
Be Happy! Be Well! Be Positive!
Blessings to you.
—
Chris
Blessings to you.
—
Chris
Kathy Moody
My mother just past away and as we sat outside a few raindrops started falling and then the sun started shining. Is there any significance to this ?
Donna Gaudet
My father passed away on September 28, 2015, At his funeral, we were at the gravesite when halfway through, the priest and funeral director stopped and looked up. I looked up and said “Oh my God”. There were 13 geese flying overhead and when they got over the grave, they hovered, then flew off into the distance. It was amazing. After reading your post here,, it has brought peace to me. I finally understand the meaning of the geese.
Bridget Batey
My younger brother died a few years back he was 51 years old. I was very close to him and was with him through his last days. Our mother came to stay with me and after the funeral she went back to her home some 250 miles away. A few minutes after she left I was combing my hair and looking on the mirror and in the mirrir I saw a blackbird fly through the open french windows and I turned around and looked at it then it landed on the room and immediately flew back out into the garden..this has always puzzled me x
Babzi
At a dear friend’s funeral today a noisy skein of geese honked as they passed directly above us, the formation looked as though it was “W” with two leaders. Simply beautiful.
John
My Mother passed away in early August and her ashes were buried in late August to allow family to arrive for the ceremony. As the priest was praying over the grave, a hawk shrieked from a nearby tree.Then, as the urn was being lowered into the ground the hawk took flight and passed low, just over the top of everyone gathered around the grave. The hawk called out 2-3 more times as it passed over and then flew away.
I’m not a religious or even spiritual person. But, this was a very powerful event and I am left to wonder what it might mean.
Dena Freeman
At the cemetery after service for my mother in law we were all walking towards the headstone where she was to be buried with my father in law we looked up and seen a flock of birds flying in a formation that looked like an angels. We all knew it was a sign from her.
Suzanne W
We laid my mom to rest today. She is at peace next to her husband and son. Today, at the cemetery, there was a beautiful Hawk perched in a tree above the grave. He stayed and watched the entire ceremony. Almost as though cued, at the end as we were all saying good byes, the hawk took flight. He swooped down low over the crowd before flying up into an arc.
Frank Villarreal
Frank C when my dad was laid to rest as the coffin was lower d there were hundreds of birds flying in a huge circle an then forming a huge spiral into the heaven ss
Kimberly Valdes
My uncle passed away last sunday and we were visited by a pair of geese that day. They came from across a lake, got out of the water, and walked about 30 feet to our back door. They stood there and looked at us for a while and then left. They have come back two times in the days after his death. We’ve never seen them before and we haven’t fed them so we are just amazed with whats happening.
Lisa
As we were arriving at the cemetery behind the hearse carrying my fathers body this past February, Canadian geese were flying overhead. Yesterday as I went to place new flowers on his headstone there were two sand hill cranes walking over my fathers grave. This has got to have some meaning.
Karen
My mother passed away last week. On the day of her burial, 17 geese landed in her front yard and driveway and parked themselves there. We had to drive around them, through grass, to go to burial. Upon return, they were in the middle of the road leading to the house, and only parted so we could drive through. I have NEVER seen geese land there. There is no body of water nearby. It was truly a spiritual experience.
Dolores
December 24, 2019
My husband was buried last Tuesday and five geese flew over in a military formation with on place empty. My husband was in the CIC in Berlin during the Cold War. This sighting was so meaningful.
Carlos aleman
When paramedics where taking my father to the hospital after they revived him…. geese where flying by making there noice…. and this was around 3am… I always wondered if the geese had to do something with his passing…. reading this article now proofs what I thought … that the geese helped my father spirit go to the other world