While I am up in the mountains doing surveys for three days I am still making brooms. I had to make this one inspired by the bad ass American Goshawk living near my home. 
Goshawks are fierce predators of the deep forests. Females are much larger than males and can take larger prey as a result. They are renowned for their aggressive defense near their nest sites. And are well documented attacking intruders with sharp talons. 
Correspondences for Goshawk:
🌲Boundary setting
🌲Defensive magick
🌲Confidence and focus 
🌲Forest Magick
🌲Strength and Courage
The name “goshawk” comes from the Old English word goshafoc, meaning “goose hawk.”  It’s a large, forest-dwelling accipiter found across Eurasia and North America — swift, secretive, and ferocious in the hunt.
Like all raptors the female is 25% larger than the male and she is a fierce nest defender and a fiercesome predator. A pair may maintain up to 8 different nests switching between them each year. 
Here’s a little “steep dive” into Goshawk Folklore and Correspondences… 
“The goshawk was associated with Zeus by the ancient Greeks, who used the bird to represent strength and courage. In Roman mythology, it was believed that when a person saw the goshawk, it was a sign that the gods were watching them.  One source also credits Jupiter with taking the form of a goshawk to survey his realm, though this detail blurs into general hawk-and-eagle mythology.
The earliest archaeological evidence of falconry in Scandinavia comes from the Gokstad ship, dating to around 900 AD — a burial ship in which two northern goshawks were found among the grave goods.  This places the goshawk in direct connection with elite Viking funerary practice.”
The Goshawks historic role in falconry is well documented. And now I perceive them to be a “bird of the people”! As they were deigned to be the hunting companion of the common folk. 
“The Boke of St Albans (c. 1486) lists the hierarchy: “An eagle for an Emperor, a gyrfalcon for a King, a peregrine for a Prince, a saker for a Knight, a Merlin for a Lady, a goshawk for a Yeoman, a sparrowhawk for a Priest, a musket for a Holy water Clerk, a kestrel for a Knave.” 
Yet for all its lower social rank, a European goshawk could catch up to 20 game birds a day , making it arguably the most useful bird in the mews. The goshawk was likely a major export item from Norway to England through the Middle Ages. 
Across Asia, the goshawk is seen as a divine entity associated with prosperity, good fortune, and protection against malevolent forces. In Chinese culture it represents the wind element due to its speed and agility.  In Native American traditions, the goshawk is seen as a messenger of the gods and an important spirit or totem animal, believed to have a special connection to the spiritual realm and to bring guidance and wisdom.  In African mythology, the goshawk is seen as a symbol of justice and balance, its role in controlling animal populations making it an emblem of natural order and protection. ”
If you want to learn more about these secretive forest-dwelling raptors head to this link: 
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Goshawk/overview
#accipiter #goshawk #raptor #falconry #folklore #forests #birdnerd #paganism