Blessings of the Beaver
About two weeks ago, I had a porcupine walk along my back fence. It was pretty exciting to see one in close proximity in the city, that is until it started to eat the bark off the trees in my subdivision. During a conversation with someone about the porcupine we somehow got on to the topic of Beavers and their amazing ability to create a dam in short order. As we learned in school, beavers build dams as safety from predators, and to create a stable home (lodge) and for food storage. Beavers have been described by biologists as ecosystem engineers. Their dams slow water flow, create wetlands, support biodiversity and improve water quality. This led me to wonder about what beavers represent in the spirit world? What can we learn from the beaver?
Spiritually speaking the beaver represents many things to different nations and contexts within the Indigenous North America teachings. But generally speaking the Beaver energy is about taking what you have and building something meaningful such as creating community, building a home (literal or spiritual) and shaping your life with intention. After studying beavers, scientists have learned that beavers rarely work alone. They live in family groups and collaborate constantly. Beavers don’t just live in nature, they transform, and they are tireless in their work to keep building, and repairing. Beavers also take time to rest and simply dwell in their lodge.
If we could read a beaver’s mind, perhaps the beaver might be asking, “What am I building with my life - and who is it sheltering?” As people of faith and people of this faith community maybe we should be asking this question?
It makes me wonder what I am building with my own life. Not in big, dramatic ways - but in small, steady choices. The conversations, the care, the spaces I help to create. Am I creating an environment that allows others to breathe a little easier, or feel a bit safer? Do people feel that they belong? Are we as a community of faith doing this?
I guess what I want to remember and learn from the beaver is the importance of patience, persistence and trusting that what we are building matters. I hope that as we enter the season of Easter and the time of new life that we keep building, but that we do this with intention, with others and with hope - trusting that even the smallest acts can help create a place where life can flourish!
Blessings, Rev. Karen