The Healing Wisdom of Birds by Lesley Morrison

Author:Lesley Morrison
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: birds, animals, animal spirituality, shamanism, mythology, folklore, healing
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2011-02-01T00:00:00+00:00

Heron

medicine: self-reliance, introspection

family: Ardeidae

diet: frogs, rabbits, small birds, fish and other aquatic

species

habitat: freshwater marshes, saltwater marshes, swamps, flooded meadows, shorelines, and lakes

The inscription above the ancient oracle at Delphi, “Know Thyself,” is the essence of the heron’s wisdom. It is a powerful totem, carrying the knowledge of independence and learning how to stand on your own. I have been lucky to observe many blue herons near my home on Vancouver Island. One even let me sit about two feet away as he stood on the shoreline peacefully watching the waters. Their patience, strength, and size are all equally magnificent.

The heron is an ancient bird with fascinating mythological associations. It was the bird used in ancient Egypt to represent the mythical Benu, and was believed to be the creator of light, both here and in ancient Wales. This large water bird was also considered to be the emblem of the lost city of Atlantis. In Greek legend the bird was sacred to Poseidon, god of the sea, and the people of Atlantis were said to be his children.

Heron teaches us how to explore the depths of our experience. Its classic one-legged pose has made it a symbol of contentment, contemplation, and the state of meditation—all of which are crucial in the process of self-reflection. In Native American lore, deceased wise men are said to return to the earth as herons.

The heron is an ambush predator, waiting still in the water until its prey is within striking distance. As a spirit guide it will naturally teach the power of being still until proper action is required. It is a bird of balance, inner harmony, and poise, with a quiet air of unpretentious pride. It is a solitary bird, gathering in colonies only for the purposes of mating and raising the young, and people with this medicine often find it hard to maintain long-term relationships. When within the colony, however, the heron exudes peace and cooperation, teaching the same lesson to those it visits as a totem.

The heron exhibits its greatest attributes when left to its hermit-like nature, quietly observing the world around it. Herons are the monks of the bird world, and as such emanate an intelligent self-awareness that surpasses the average individual. Those on the path of this bird are very reflective by nature, and will relish those times when they can retreat from the business of the world to the solitude of their lonely nest.

Heron medicine involves knowing the self above everything else. It is the ability to look inside of our emotions, actions, and thoughts for the truth behind them. Heron people have always been able to do this as an inherent part of their nature. If this great bird comes as a totem, then you are being asked to learn this essential skill at this time. Heron asks you not only to know yourself from the very depths of your being, but also to trust yourself and your path; there is no room for doubt in the process of transformation and evolution.

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