Lesley Morrison - The Healing Wisdom of Birds: An Everyday Guide to Their Spiritual Songs & Symbolism

About the Author

Lesley Morrison has explored the realms of mythology, animal symbolism, and spiritual traditions for many years, expanding her knowledge of multicultural practices and how they integrate the human experience. She studied anthropology and psychology at Athabasca University, and has worked closely with several Native American healers and medicine women. She is actively involved in wildlife rehabilitation, particularly where birds are involved, and hopes to raise awareness about the growing dangers birds face in the modern world.

Lesley currently resides on Vancouver Island with her daughter where she continues to explore the wonders of nature every day.

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

The Healing Wisdom of Birds: An Everyday Guide to Their Spiritual Songs & Symbolism 2011 by Lesley Morrison.

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First e-book edition 2010

E-book ISBN: 9780738730431

Cover art and interior illustrations by Kate Birch

Cover design by Ellen Lawson

Editing by Connie Hill

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

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Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

For Kailey, Rachael, Hunter,

Mom & Dad

Zeus wont in a hurry the sceptre restore to the
Woodpecker tapping the oak.
In times prehistoric tis easily proved,
by evidence weighty and ample,
That birds and not gods were the
rulers of men, and the lords of the world.

Aristophanes, the Birds

When I first undertook this project, many people asked me why I felt compelled to write a whole book about birds. My answer? I was haunted, day and night, until I did. The universe has a funny way of making its advice known, and after many challenging encounters and rescues with feathered creatures I finally got the message. I became alerted to the silent mission before me, and was compelled by an unyielding insistence to pay closer attention to birds and their world. So I remained haunted until the final manuscript was complete.

The process of creating this book was a strange combination of joy, sadness, intrigue, and wonder. I read many books about birds that made me cryforcing me to learn both the tragedies and celebrations of birds over time in their relationships with the complex world of humans. People and birds have had a long relationship, but somewhere in time a very important philosophy was lost to the insatiable, three-faceted monster we call civilization, advancement, and modernization. Most people do not know how something as tangible as womens fashion nearly destroyed an abundant population of cranes in the early part of the twentieth century. Hundreds of thousands of birds were killed for their feathers, and cranes nearly became extinct for the sake of fashionable ladies hats.

So what went wrong in the human soul to allow such a devastating betrayal of life? Once you have read this book, you too will call for an answer. I will not dwell so much on the tragedies of birds in this book, but will invite you to a celebration of their impact on humanity and the wonder they once brought to the human heart and soul. I like to consider it a voice in a dark wilderness for the avian world who have very little time on their side.

The journey begins with the Bird goddess image, and its continuity throughout many prominent cultures in the world. Then we will dive into the Cosmic Egg, a worldwide mythology that explains the beginning of the world. From there we explore birds and feathers in shamanism and magic, finally taking a detailed look at dozens of specific birds and their historical and spiritual attributes.

You will find that an invisible but undeniable thread exists in the sphere of bird symbolism connecting the past with the present. It is a deep exploration, and also an invitation into the archetypal world of the winged ones. It will show you, the reader and bird lover, the hows and whys of their importance in the world as spiritual guides, omens, helpers, and unrivaled creatures of the sky. I hope this book inspires you to a deeper appreciation of birds and encourages greater conservation efforts on your part. At the end of the book I have included a list of worldwide organizations that are devoted to the protection and rehabilitation of birds, as well as everyday things we can all do to help our feathered friends enjoy a full and happy life.

[] . Written in 414 BCE, The Birds was wildly comical in its day and has remained one of the classics of ancient Greek comedy.

T he bird goddess image seemed the most fitting way to begin a study of bird symbolism. It is an enduring archetype in mythology, and one that helped shape many tales and superstitions about birds that we still see today. When I began my research I traced the images of goddesses around the world. Not surprisingly, many of them appeared with birds, as birds, or with some attribute of a feathered creature. The centuries were filled with wild and glorious winged beings acting as alter egos for the goddesses of old. There was Athena, the famous patron goddess of the Greek world, and her beloved companion owl, and Saraswati, the East Indian goddess of knowledge, pulled in her chariot by large white swans. These images reveal an ancient mystery between birds and divine beings that lingered for centuries in the tales of every culture.