Of Course It Was a Goose đ
October 28, 2026 | Vol. 13
Last week, I received an invitation to attend a workshop about the messages, wisdom, and symbolism we sometimes associate with animals. It sounded fun and interesting, so I signed up and decided it was also a fabulous opportunity to block out the entire day as a âmeâ day!
During the workshop, the instructor shared stories about different animals and their spiritual meanings. At one point, she talked about being terrified of tarantulas and how one seemed to keep showing up in her life. In her experience, it continued appearing until she became willing to face her fear of it.
Iâm not suggesting that every animal we fear is going to repeatedly appear until we learn some kind of lesson. This was simply her experience. But as I listened, I immediately began wondering which animal I would least want showing up for me.
The answer came instantly: geese
I am genuinely frightened of them. On multiple occasions, I have literally added an extra mile to my walk because geese were blocking the path and I didn't want to pass them! Once, while visiting a friend, we walked through a park where geese were everywhere. I was very aware of every single one and on edge the entire time. I kept thinking, âWHY are they here? Is there a message here for me?â
My fear of them has always felt a little ridiculous to me, but it just is.
After the workshop ended, I remembered that I owned an Animal Oracle deck that I had never used and thought it would be fun to pull a card. I found it, shuffled the cards, and pulled one.
Would you like to guess which animal it was?
The Elder Canada Goose. Of course it was. đ
Its message was: Invest in community.
The card describes the Canada Goose as a symbol of community, connection, leadership, and shared responsibility. It reminds us that we need one another to get where weâre going, that we can lean on others for support, and that our words and actions help set the pace for the communities weâre part of.
One line especially caught my attention: âWith you at the forefront, you set the pace.â
I couldnât help but laugh at the synchronicity. Out of an entire deck of animals, I pulled the one I had been thinking about during the workshop, and its message reflected something that has become increasingly important in my life.
Over the past several years, Iâve experienced how powerful it can be to surround ourselves with people who allow us to fully be ourselves, encourage our growth, challenge us with love, and remind us that we donât have to navigate everything alone.
I see that all the time inside the Pure Possibilities Collective. Recently, I asked everyone to share something important theyâd been wanting to do for a long time and hadnât done yet. One person hesitated and said hers felt silly and probably wouldnât matter to anyone else: decluttering and organizing her house.
Then several other people immediately responded, âOh, me too!â
It wasnât silly at all. It was one person feeling comfortable enough to say something out loud and several others realizing they werenât alone. Once it was shared, they could support and encourage one another as they began taking steps toward changing something that had been bothering them for a long time.
That moment captured so much of what community means to me. Itâs creating a space where people feel seen, heard, and supported. Itâs encouraging people to use their own voices, even when they worry that what they have to say might sound silly or wonât matter to anyone else.
The message also made me think about what it means to lead a community. It isnât only about being at the front, knowing exactly where everyone is going, or having all the answers. Sometimes setting the pace means being willing to ask the question, create the space, and allow someone else to discover that they arenât alone. It also means knowing when to lead and when to allow yourself to lean on others too.
Maybe the message wasnât that I need to become best friends with every goose I encounter. Iâm definitely not ready to take it that far. đ€Ł But it did invite me to see something I had only associated with fear from a completely different perspective.
I donât believe every animal crossing our path has to carry a profound message. But when something captures our attention, we can pause long enough to become curious about why.
Is there an animal, message, or theme that seems to keep crossing your path lately? What might it be inviting you to notice?
Hit reply and share it with me. Iâd love to hear what comes up for you.
This Week on the Pure Possibilities Podcast
What If You Were the Authority in Your Own Life?
Episode 153 | Relationship Series Finale, Episode 40
After 40 episodes exploring our relationships with everything from money and work to our bodies, beliefs, emotions, and one another, the Relationship Series is coming full circle.
In the series finale, weâre exploring the most important relationship of all: the one you have with yourself. What would change if you stopped outsourcing your permission, questioning what you want based on someone elseâs potential reaction, or waiting for circumstances outside of you to change?
Being the authority in your own life doesnât mean always knowing what to do or getting everything right. It means becoming aware of whatâs influencing you, listening to yourself, and recognizing that you can begin making different choices one step at a time.
New episodes drop every Tuesday at 12:00 a.m. Pacific.
What If Weekly...
This weekâs card is such a juicy one because it can be interpreted in several different ways:
What if Iâm in a romantic, passionate, fulfilling relationship that sets my soul on fire?
When I originally wrote this question, I was thinking about a romantic partnership. Honestly, that was still my first thought when I pulled it today.
But then I wondered: What if this could also describe the relationship I have with myself?
What if it could describe a friendship, a creative partnership, a community, or even my relationship with life itself?
Maybe âsets my soul on fireâ isnât limited to one specific kind of relationship. Maybe it describes the aliveness, passion, connection, honesty, and deliciousness we allow ourselves to experience within our relationships.
We donât have to place limits around where that kind of energy can come from.đ„
What could you do to invite 10% more soul-fire deliciousness into one of your relationships?
Whatâs Unfolding...
Remembering Who You Are
Itâs easy to become so immersed in your roles, responsibilities, relationships, and everything life asks of you that you lose sight of yourself somewhere along the way.
Remembering Who You Are is a free live workshop where weâll pause long enough to notice the beliefs, expectations, and experiences that may be influencing how you see yourself and what you believe is possible.
This isnât about becoming someone new. Itâs an opportunity to reconnect with who you are now, explore what you actually want, and remember that you get to be the authority in your own life.
And if youâve attended this workshop before, Iâd love to have you join us again. As one past participant shared:
âI had done it before, but it still always feels a little different when you do it again, and where your headspace is at the time.â
Join me live on Zoom, Wednesday, November 11 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific.
Until next week, pause, notice, reconnect... and stay curious about what might be trying to get your attention, even if it honks. đ€Ł
Much love,
Shannonđ
