The wonderful flow of Birds has always been a precious gift in the understanding of the infinite journeys of the Self. Their unique ways and personality allow the lessons of Life to shine in ethereal wisdom and sharpen the sparkles of Symbol literacy.

Reference Source: Ted Andrews - Animal Speak

Birds are very special creatures, they live with us and we live with their magnificent resonating swirl. Wherever you are, notice the Beauty of Nature around you, reflected in the majesty of Flight.

Birds to the ancients are Gods. They fly high above the realms of Mortals.

Birds have a very ancient mythology about them, understanding their ways, their characteristics, both from a natural and supernatural perspective leads to great wisdom within the Self. Anything you study, you study Yourself for You and the study are the same, all flowing from within your sacred and divine Self.
 

In the Norse mythos, Odin the father of the Gods has two messenger ravens (Hugin) Thought and (Munin) Memory, symbolizing the cohesion of experience, for thought is circular and infinite, blending into the sphere of Knowledge and experience.

In the Central American songs of the Ages, Quetzalcoatl, the god of the Air, the brilliantly plumed feathered serpent, relates to the serpentine energy of existence, a reflection of our own Kundalini as it journeys through the seven chakra centres.

In the glowing Egyptian stories, Horus, wearing the mantle of the Hawk symbolizes the flight into the Spiritual realms of Self Knowing and Self understanding.

Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of Balance, Truth and Justice is shown with an ostrich feather. After You pass over, You are led into the Hall of Judgement in Duat by Anubis, the protector of the Underworld and your Heart is weighed with the feather of Ma’at on the scales of Justice. If the feather outweighs Your Heart then You are led into the next phase of eternity by the entwined couple Osiris and Isis and continue your journey of exploration. If however Your Heart is heavier than the feather then You are devoured by Ammut, a female demon who is part lion, hippopotamus and crocodile.

A wonderful teacher and mentor who is a magnificent guide along this fantastic journey of Symbolism in Life is Michael Tsarion.

The opening sequence to the original film "Clash of the Titans" shows Lord Poseidon flying back to Olympus as a gull, clearly demonstrating the link to birds and the higher divine in us all.

Birds evolved from reptiles more than 140,000,000 years, although these figures are also approximations. Discoveries have been made, artefacts have been dated to show that human life existed on our planet more than TWO Billion years ago.

The oldest bird currently known is archaeopteryx, in Greek meaning “ancient wing.”

Birds are symbols of transcendence and a reminder to rise out of baseness into the realms of the divine, into that point of Heaven within, the still-point, balance within the Temple of the Self.

Birds reflect the union between the conscious and unconscious, symbolizing the achievement of full realization. These magical creatures awaken within us our own flights of inspiration and magical starlight.

Birds are primary symbols for initiation into Air, the period in which you open your awareness to higher Knowledge and in doing so connect with the infinite strands of the Universe, beyond the confines of Time and Space.

Air reminds the Beholder of Life to ride the winds and currents of change and evolution, the ever growing path of Your Life, the path of the Divine, for You hold Life within Yourself and are the Creator of Yourself.

Birds have their unique qualities which teach about our own unique traits and abilities.
 

Symbolism of the Pigeon

The feisty Pigeon symbolizes the return to the Love and Security of the Home, breathing in the eternal sways of the Heart, contained within an All-Year round cycle.

Pigeons possess gentle and loving archetypal energies and have extra-ordinary homing sense abilities. They teach how to find our way back Home when we feel lost.

They drink by sucking up water from their beaks, and hence reflect the ability to draw on energies from the Home.

They teach us to remember early Home Life, to remember who we are and where we come from, the foundations for Life. They reflect fertility of Home and Family, denoting safety and security within Nature eternal.

Keep your eyes open and more importantly, allow your inner eye (Ajna) to see beyond the gates of Death and Rebirth, feel the flow of Universal lightness.

How wonderfully Gorgeous Life swirls in colourful glows  and delicate sways when the Beauty of Nature shows herself within the eternal flow of Love and Compassion. The resplendent rhythm of Gaia beats softly and serenely in the Heart of magical enchantment. Creatures of the Earth come to visit at the precise moment where manifestation takes place, to teach in the most delightful way imaginable in the Sphere of luminescence. The sacred snail is One such magnificent Creature.

The Slug and Snail come from a truly mystical place of protection, providence, deliberation and perseverance. They are the universal symbol of stability and steadfastness, and flow along the Journey of Life, leaving behind their beautifully iridescent and ethereal trail of Knowledge.

The spiral on the Snail's shell is a symbol of evolution, expansion, mystery and changing cycles in the eternal journey of Love and Delight. The Snail and Slug are communicators on all levels; spiritual, physical, emotional and mental. They are nocturnal creatures and share their flow of affection with the Moon, the feminine principle of Creation.

The Snail and Slug at their most primal forms are that of a Healer of body, mind and Spirit. Native Americans allowed the Banana Slug to crawl around in their mouths when they had toothache as Slug's mucous is an anaesthetic. Healing takes place with devotion and pure and unconditional Love.

They possess incredible Strength and have the abilities of self-Protection and Hiding. They hold simplicity close to their Hearts and teach to view the world in pure Light and Shadow, thus hence they are connected into the world of Spirit and Mist. These magnificent creatures also teach about gender and sexuality, in uniting the yin and yang within ourselves and thus bringing peace and balance to the Spirit.

There is also a warning that comes with the Slug and Snail and that is to beware of becoming too slow-moving and lazy. Always keep your sights on the destination, on where your Hearts desire and compassion take You. Keep true to who You are as an individual and always understand that You are responsible for the path of the Beholder.

The Snail and Slug can cling to any surface and the slime is used to leave behind any debris, the bricks and chains of Life. Slug’s wisdom teaches to let go and leave behind the garbage of Life while maintaining a strong base. Leaving behind the parts of your Life which do not resonate with who You are does not mean that forgetting about them is also akin. With the lessons of the past, these marvellous facets are brought into the lands of peace in the moment which is Now.

There comes a Time in Life when One finds the balance and peace within, shining as a brightly glowing Star among the Celestial neighbours of eternal Love. From thence, Nature opens her doors and the Beauty and Magic of Life are felt in every pore of every glow of every nook and cranny in the bountiful and adventurous Realms of the Beholder of the divine and sacred Self.

It is through this magical transformation that Life bound with Love opens up as a gift of elegant and dancing melodies, which shine with a unique and profound starfire sprinkled with  warmth and glow.

It is within this enlightened moment of Truth that You meet Your One True Love, the embodiment of Your own inner peace and tranquillity, flowing as the most beautiful Ocean in the loving and caring expanse of devotion, compassion and everlasting Love.

Love Knows no Bounds
 

The sacred Spirit of the Moth came to visit, sharing the wisdom of the ages, the dance of Joy and undulation within the starscape of Life and adventure.

The Moth belongs to the family of Butterfly, the Universal archetype of Transmutation across the breadth of Time. These elegant creatures are experts at shapeshifting, resonating with the true and natural beauty of Nature, the fragrant dance of the Soul.

Moths represent the state of change, the journey into new levels of perception and understanding, abounding with a fountain of colour and warmth.

Their dance reminds us not to take things too seriously in Life, to allow the flow of possibility and adventure grip you as a breath of vitality stretching itself over the infinite sea of the bountiful realms.
 

There is an elegant and majestic breath of joy and upliftment in the air, how exciting and sparkling the flow of gazing treasures are.

The song of intimate caresses breeze softly on the sweet gentle wind, whispering the voice of the Heavens, glittering twinkles across the waters, while I hold my Love close to me, gazing with stars in our eyes, breathing together as one eternal creature. xx

During the magical times of visitation's angels, the divine flow of the Universe blends so deeply with the passion and fire in the loving heart, that the glowing lifestream of sparkling beauty pours as a river into the furthest reaches of desire and peace, creating an effervescent timeless wake, drawing the power of finesse and clarity to the flight of the Spirit in eternity, dreams become manifest through Life.

Sharing the breadth of experience and journeys, holding the hand of Mother Nature, breathing deeply the gaze of the everlasting Horizon where fantasies and imagination stir the cauldron of smiling flies, the song of the Celestials bounding in joyous harmony and motion, waking the raging fire, holding close the musical chase of tranquillity, pouring forth fruitful melodies of Now.

There is such a magnificence and beauty in the Wilderness of the spiralling path, that one is connected deeply to the flow of times throughout ones life, adding inspiration and solitude to the Bearer of the cup of Life.

The One moment is layered as a field of fine corn, stretching into infinity, waves of lightning cascading the breath of wildfire, shooting rainbows across the balloon filled sky of Stars into warm glows of the Hearth.

Flowing through the breath of hushed lights, the journey pulses with newborn sprites,
receiving a nexus haste filled vitality, many fates gyrate with renewed causality.

May the Fates bestow what course the Path flows through ....

I was reading the excellent play “Son of Man” by Dennis Potter, when I read the line of Jesus who says; “A thunderbolt! Will that do!” In the same moment a bright crack of thunder lit the heavenly sea of sky. Without realising any of this until later on, I jumped out of my chair and rushed outside to watch the beautiful and riotous storm brewing. What a sight!

To watch a crack of thunder and hear the peel of the Gods is a luminous and extraordinary event every time, it is a privilege from Nature, bound and glorious in all the sparkling and flashing conjoining of outreaching desire and empathy.

When your life and path manifest so wonderfully it is a simple and precious gift, to enjoy each moment, as that is where the mystery settles with peace and tranquillity. There is a quiet simplicity in every nook and cranny and I can say with all honesty – I am alive!

The majesty and joyful rhythm of Life is astounding! When the path of Self is drawn into manifestation, all manner of funky and quirky surprises from graceful Nature present themselves into the flow and dancing elementals of passion and desire.

I was pondering the pathways through Life and mulling over a concept of the heart when out popped, buzzed and kissed a Bumble Bee of the Light. Throughout the magical enlightenment of conversation, my friend bumped and glanced around the light-bulb, weaving figures of Eight. The encounter was breathtaking!

Bees are the Universal symbol of Fertility and Sexuality, representing the honey of Life and sharing the sunlit heavens with the facets of Nature. The honeycomb is the symbol of the Heart, sacred and entwined to the journey and flavours of existence.

In Hinduism the Bee symbolizes Vishnu, Krishna and Kama, the god of Love. The Egyptians venerated the bee as a symbol for royalty. In Greek mythology the bee represents the doorway into the Eleusinian mysteries while the Druids celebrated the bee as a source of divine wisdom.

The bee is the busiest and most useful of insects, bringing fresh nurture to the infinite flows of mystery in sanctuary. The beautiful act of pollination is a gentle gift from the sacred healing chakras of the Cosmos.

The messenger Bee reminds to take joy out of all that you involve yourself in, taste the sweet juices of Life, for it is your journey, you have created the path …. And You are the Path. Extract the divine nectar out of your chosen passions and follow your deepest desires borne from the Heart.

Surprise and astonishment coursed through my veins when with a clang and bang, the friendly squirrel, the chirping rodent, who with a slink and slide informed me of clouds of strife coming along the way.

These warnings of omen, rolling forward will pass quickly, although may be intense to a point. Life comes along to simply and pointedly remind One to stay on the toes and be prepared for the unexpected. Balance the point between work and play.

Ahoy me hearties .... send out thy faith in trust

The squirrel symbolizes the energy of activity and preparedness and is active all year round. These beautiful creatures burst with the flow of passion and sociability while also being observant and imitative. When the divine totem of the squirrel comes to visit, the teaching of doing glows abound through the course of life, sharing in the vigour and excitement.

Squirrels express themselves through their chatter and bushy tail, adding to their fountain of mysticism. They teach how to achieve balance within the circle of gathering and giving out, bringing to the Beholder a sense of when to work and when to play.

O Gods, grant me release from this long weary watch ....

Release, O Gods!

Twelve full months now night after night dog-like I lie here, keeping guard from this high roof on Atreus' palace. The nightly conference of stars, resplendent rulers, bringing heat and cold in turn; studding the sky with beauty - I know them all, and watch them setting and rising; but the one light I long to see is a new star, the promised sign, the beacon-flare to speak from Troy and utter one word, 'Victory!' - great news for Clytemnestra, in whose woman's heart a man's will nurses hope.

Now once more, I walk about; lie down, but no dreams visit me. Sleep's enemy, fear, stands guard beside me, to forbid my eyes one instant's closing. If I sing some tune - since music's the one cure prescribed for heartsickness - why, then I weep, to think how changed this house is now from splendour of old days, ruled by its rightful lord.

So may the Gods be kind and grant release from trouble, and send the fire to cheer this dark night with good news.

The beacon shines out.

O welcome beacon, kindling night to glorious day, Welcome! You'll set them dancing in every street in Argos when they hear your message.

Ho there! Hullo! Call Clytemnestra!

Now Heaven bring Agamemnon safe to his home! May I hold his dear hand in mine! For the rest, I say no more; my tongue's nailed down. This house itself, if walls had words, would tell its story plainly.

Well, I speak to those who understand me; to the rest - my door is shut.

Since ages past, the Raven has been a strong and vibrant symbol for Magic and mysticism, Shapeshifting and the divine Creative force; bringing the eternal voice from the sea of Spirit, passing through the realm of Hades and beyond, into all facets of Life. The journeys of Birth and Death are held within the magnificent creature’s talons, protected by the shiny sheen of black, the song of the Subconscious.

The Raven belongs to the family of Corvidae, which include the crow and the magpie. These fabulous and playful birds share the same characteristics; speed in flight, sharp reactions and amorous behaviour. Having great intelligence, they work together with the use of tools towards a common objective. Both trickster and wise entity, the Raven does not succumb to the intimidation of others. The nest is always kept clean, symbolizing the health of the home and respect for their kin.
 

The spirit of the Raven is symbiotically linked to the Winter Solstice cycle, bringing life and order to the path of revealing. The magic of Life can be stirred with the faithful promise and excellence and with it a special journey of bringing the passion of the Universe from the dark into the light.

The opportunity presents itself to flow along the stream of enchantment and magic, allowing oneself to feel the deep twirls of watchfulness and communication in all facets of unique expression. The smell of the past, gazing through the archetypal lens, brings perfumed observation to how the winds of life within the realm can change and expand into fancy and exciting areas of discovery and adventure.

Out of the rich and shiny blackness of the Raven, comes the gift of teaching, in the ability of giving form to what is without form. The colour black represents the maternal aspect and is known as “nigredo” the initial state of substance, unformed and full of potential, which gives birth to the fresh light of the day, creation’s bliss, stretching across the space and breadth of plenty.
 

Within the mythologies of the world, the Raven has taken its rightful seat. To the Athapaskan Indians of Alaska and the Celts, the Raven represented the Creator of the world. In Norse legend, Odin cared for a pair of ravens called Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory) who advised and served as his messengers. Odin was also known to shift into a raven. In the Old Testament, Noah sent a raven out into the world after the flood, however the wary creature never returned. In the story of Elijah, a raven fed the prophet Elijah when he was hiding from King Ahab.

In those special moments of wonder and poise, when the mystical Raven is encountered, one can sense with all heart of Being, the revealing of the eternal Gateways and streams to the magical realm, where the manifestation unto the prime material plane shines with the vocalization of Knowledge, the communion with animals and creatures of the beautiful Cosmos, enabling the Beholder to converse with the natural order, hence Mother Gaia and Father Time.