Life, food, events, and community in Albuquerque, NM
4 Dead Birds
They were all sparrows. On the first day, two dead birds: A baby bird on the sidewalk. Later that day, another. The following day I saw two more dead birds. These were both adults. I was shocked when I saw the third. Later on, when I saw the forth, I expected it.
Would someone suggest an interpretation?
Would someone suggest an interpretation?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hairy McLairy on -
Birds sometimes represent ideals and goals. This is because we have to look up to them to see them. Maybe 4 dead birds represent 4 dead ideals or goals? Sorry!
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Permalink Reply by Samara on -
You don't have to apologize; it's hard not to think it means something grim-- though death can = change, and not necessarily doom. I don't know much about the significance of birds-- that's why I'm asking.
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Permalink Reply by Albuquerque Commentator on -
I always caution people to look within themselves at their initial reaction to what is observed rather than look for interpretation by a third party.
If you can recall the thoughts, image, sounds, smells at each encounter that will guide you to the meaning for yourself. If you can not "see" an inner connection then there may not be any meaning for you personally and they are just observations that caught your attention. That attention may be directed or attached to someone around you.
Your experience in life may have attached meanings to sparrows, death, birds in general. It is important to not ignore human psychological structures attached to icons, symbols, archetypes, etc. that we carry from our personal, religious, and educational experiences. People who are good "readers" in my opinion are objective observers, reporters that do not interpret who do not ask questions. It is only a gateway for the subject to make their own observations and meaningful connections.
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Permalink Reply by Samara on
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Wise. I agree-- I guess that's why i included my responses when i related the story. Thanks for your comment.
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Permalink Reply by Albuquerque Commentator on
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no problem, i appreciate the compliment
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Permalink Reply by julie on -
Here are some quotes based on some books I am reading by Eckhart Tolle who so eloquently describes the significance of birds to the human spirit....
"Most crawling reptilians, the most earthbound of all creatures, have remained unchanged for millions of years. Some, however, grew feathers and wings and turned into birds, thus defying the force of gravity that had held them for so long. They didn't become better at crawling or walking, but transcended crawling and walking entirely.
Since time immemorial, flowers, crystals, precious stones, and birds have held special significance for the human spirit. Like all life-forms, they are, of course, temporary manifestations of the underlying one Life, one Consciousness. Their special significance and the reason why humans feel such fascination for and affinity with them, can be attributed to their ethereal quality.
Once there is a certain degree of Presence, of still and alert attention in human beings' perceptions, they can sense the divine life essence, the one indwelling consciousness or spirit in every creature, every life-form, recognize it as one with their own essence and so love it as themselves. Until this happens, however, most humans see only the outer forms, unaware of the inner essence, just as they are unaware of their own essence and identify only with their own physical and psychological form.
In the case of a flower, a crystal, precious stone, or bird, however, even someone with little or no Presence can occasionally sense that there is more there than the mere physical existence of that form, without knowing that this is the reason why he or she is drawn toward it, feels an affinity with it. Because of its ethereal nature, its form obscures the indwelling spirit to a lesser degree than is the case with other life-forms. The exceptions to this are all the new-born life-forms - babies, puppies, kittens, lambs, and so on. They are fragile, delicate, not yet firmly established in materiality. An innocence, a sweetness and beauty that are not of this world still shines through them. They delight even relatively insensitive humans.
So when you are alert and contemplate a flower, crystal, or bird without naming it mentally, it becomes a window for you into the formless. There is an inner opening, however slight, into the realm of spirit. This is why these three 'en-lightened' life-forms have played such an important part in the evolution of human consciousness since ancient times; why, for example, the jewel in the lotus flower is a central symbol of Buddhism and a white bird, the dove, signifies the Holy Spirit in Christianity. They have been preparing the ground for a more profound shift in planetary consciousness that is destined to take place in the human species. This is the spiritual awakening that we are beginning to witness now."
With regard to the death part of the experience...
"When you walk through a forest that has not been tamed and interfered with by man, you will see not only abundant life all around you, but you will also encounter fallen trees and decaying trunks, rotting leaves and decomposing matter at every step. Wherever you look, you will find death as well as life.
Upon closer scrutiny, however, you will discover that the decomposing tree trunk and rotting leaves not only give birth to new life, but are full of life themselves. Microorganisms are at work. Molecules are rearranging themselves. So death isn't to be found anywhere. There is only the metamorphosis of life forms. What can you learn from this?
Death is not the opposite of life. Life has no opposite. The opposite of death is birth. Life is eternal."
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Permalink Reply by Samara on
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Wow-- thank you for taking the time to transcribe all this, Julie.
Interesting. I feel that concept of death. And, the explanation of the wonder of newborns-- "not yet firmly established in materiality. An innocence, a sweetness and beauty that are not of this world still shines through them"-- that is lovely.
Birds, though-- I don't know. I have to say I mostly sense that ancient reptile in them. If I feel any energy from them, its not sympathetic.
"Life has no opposite" that alone is a lot to think about.
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Permalink Reply by julie on
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Oh, it was no problem, just cut and paste. :o)
The entire book is as lovely as that phrase, glad you enjoyed...
Have you seen any more or did it stop after 4?
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Permalink Reply by Samara on
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I have seen more, actually. I saw two this weekend-- though I felt no alarm. My cat killed a bird, brought it into the house, and proudly delivered it to my feet a couple weeks before the Four. I thought it was sweet. .Just now, I'm also in the process of getting a full back piece that involves a bird and cat battling-- but I've had the design in mind for years. That motif, these animals-- I guess have some meaning for me, but I couldn't tell you what. The Four series stands out to me as different. The symmetry of it. The young and then the old. Something.
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