In Celtic spirituality, The Holy Spirit is often referred to as a wild goose, a wild goose that nips at our behind and spurs us onward with a bite, rather than coddling.

I don’t know about you, but I have experienced a lot of butt-biting from the Holy Spirit this year. For some of us, this bite from the Holy Spirit has felt quite dramatic and unrelenting lately.

Can I get an amen?

For me, this has been an opportunity to let go, let go, let go, and to prepare my heart for new things…things I am not aware of quite yet. This biting Goose has kept me awake and driven me down a path of transformation that I would have never chosen for myself.

In this piece, the goose has a 24 karat gold beak, symbolizing the holiness of it all. The holiness of the chase, the fear of letting go, and even holiness in the sting of the bite. The pain of transformation is a holy, golden pain, brought on by a Goose that will not be tamed. It knows what we need and how to get us there, even with a nip in the butt.

As a note, we can not outwit the Goose. It always sneaks up from behind and grabs our derrière just when we least expect it. Perhaps if we stopped running away from the Goose it wouldn’t need to bite us to get our attention.

So, let’s surrender to the chase. Let’s honor the Golden-Beaked Goose who follows us around, biting at our butts. Let’s laugh a little at the craziness of it all. And most of all, let’s remain willing to be transformed by the One who is biting us out of deep love.

On the transformational path with you,

Mariah

22X28 inches

1.5 inches deep

Acrylics, gouache, speedball inks, acrylic inks, 24 karat gold, and lots of love on canvas

Shipping charged separately. Cost varies depending on location this is shipped to.