Thinking of Red-winged Blackbirds

I often look at the world as one big tarot deck, meaning everything that happens is a symbol for something more. I especially feel this way when something happens that is on the news and effects more people than just me. I have been thinking a lot about these blackbirds that fell from the sky on New Year's Eve over Arkansas. What is the deeper meaning of this?

I am connected to Arkansas as it was the place of my birth. I was born in a small town called Mountainburg in the Ozark mountains of Northern Arkansas. Arkansas is a state that gets overlooked a lot. If it wasn't for Bill and Hillary being from there, many people would have never have even heard of it. It is a beautiful place with one of the most beautiful rivers in the world running through it, The Buffalo river. It also has some magical properties right in the heart of it. It has these incredible healing hot springs and produces a large amount of diamonds and quartz crystals all in the same area. I always felt magic when I walked outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas and would find hundreds of quartz crystals and amethyst lying naturally all over the ground. Let's just say that there is quite a lot of faerie energy there.

Then there is the fact that these blackbirds were red-winged blackbirds. I think these birds are very magical. When I was working on my painting 'The Seer" a couple of years ago I remember reading a lot about red-winged blackbirds. Here is a quote from Ted Andrew's "Animal Speak" about red-winged blackbirds:

"This bird has a red path on its wings, with a dash of yellow as well. These colors connect this bird to the level known as Binah in the Qabalistic Tree of Life. This is the level associated with the Dark Mother and the primal feminine energies. This bird has ties to all of the creative forces of nature." pg. 119 "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews.

I have mentioned before, as I am fascinated by these three colors, that red, black, and white (yellow in the Native American tradition) are always associated with the Dark Mother, and the Faerie realm in Celtic lore. Red-winged balckbirds are indeed a very special bird and messenger from the Otherworld.

So what is the message we should be getting from thousands of them falling lifeless from the sky? Well it certainly does seem ominous at first. Certainly blackbirds have been thought to be a bearer of bad omens for centuries.

I personally think it is a message about urgency and our power to create change. The womb of the Dark mother is where all of life springs from. The creative energy emerges from the darkness into the light. It is she who holds the power of creation. When we work with her we discover our own creative force. We have to accept our darkness before we can transmute it into the light. It is time, now more than ever, for us to get this. We can create great change in the world.

I also think there is a message about understanding our deep connection to nature. Nature speaks volumes to us if we will just listen to her. She is speaking loudly to us now, are you listening?

The Seer

A 22x24 acrylic on canvas. This is the second in a small series I am doing on the different levels on the spiritual path. This is the Seer. She has begun the process of connecting to her spiritual gifts. She is now eternally walking "between the worlds". This means she has delved into her subconscious mind and has brought light into the darkness. The subconscious mind is represented by the Underworld here and the color red. There is a thin veil, or mist between the two worlds and the doorway in between seems to be her own mind.

The Peacock feather rests at her third eye. Obviously the peacock feather represents the third eye, but it also carries on the theme of alchemy presented with the Seeker. All of the different metals are represented in the peacock feather and it also looks very much like the core of a crystal. Peacocks are also a symbol for transmutation. At this stage on the path the Seer is a trans muter like the peacock. She is constantly transmuting negative energies around her even if she doesn't realize it. Though the Seer is presented with many gifts and can see into worlds others can not, this is the hardest step along the path. She is constantly tested and always teetering on the edge of self-confidence and doubt. She has to find her center point constantly to stay afloat.

Red-winged blackbirds fly out of the Underworld and all around her. Black and Red along with yellow and white are archetypal colors for Mother Earth and the Underworld of creation. According to Ted Andrews in "Animal Speak" the red-winged blackbird's colors connect it to the level known as Binah on the Qabalistic Tree of Life. This is the level associated with the Dark Mother and the primal feminine energies. In a sense, the Seer is releasing these energies into creation. She is the bridge between the worlds that can help these energies return to the Earth.