joy rising

Have I ever told you about the menagerie of birds that congregates in our yard? We have doves and black birds and a few other finely feathered Audubon friends.

But lest you be impressed….

…there was also the owl that perched on our chimney late one evening. Hoot-hoot-hooting ever so slowly. And the pair of ducks that hung out in the backyard last week. Almost as if they were just as surprised to be there as we were to see them. Oh…and the rustling in the bushes right outside my office window? I thought it was a rabbit until the suspect flew out, full wingspan, into the tree. A mighty fierce falcon, perched herself and unflinchingly looked right at me.

My absolute favorite, however, are the cardinals that live in the trees around our home. I recognize their chirps immediately…sprinting to a window to see them…refusing to do anything else until they fly away. There is something about a chirping + red + perpetually happy bird I can't seem to get enough of…

In feng shui, birds symbolize so many things…so when I happened onto Ellen's post yesterday, it just begged to be shared {see below}. The way I see it? If you spot a bird associated with good luck or charm, why not just believe in the magic of that for a day?

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I’ve always known that Feng Shui says spotting a cardinal hanging around means good news to anyone in the communications field, especially writers et al.  ANY red bird means big business and good luck.  A single black bird, like the old crow that sits atop the wire outside my office window chattering all the day long (no doubt about some of those Bravo housewives…because birds of a feather…oooopsies, never mind), well, lone black birds bring messages.  Spotting a pair of birds means love is winging its way to you while a family of birds, like the kind my friend and former editor Tara has in her front porch light right now could mean a new addition to the family or a family reunion.  

And, of course when birds are singing, it is a happy sign.  White birds mean healing especially if someone is gravely ill while a bird with red markings means some sort of honor coming to you.  Yellow birds mean sudden wealth or a fab event coming up while blue birds mean….oh, c’mon you know what bluebirds mean right?  But did you know they also mean a promotion at work?

Eagles bring good fortune while owls hoot and holler preparing the way for a great teacher coming into you life.  So you see, birds are powerful symbols of great opportunities and promise protection, prosperity, transformation, luck.

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