Your Questions

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I have introduced your enlightning book to numerous people who enjoy our feathered friends. They have expressed deep admiration and appreciation for the awakening you've provided. Devoted fan (F.L. USA)

Thank you.

I was walking early in the morning, and over my right shoulder from the back flew this raven. I could hear the wind through its feathers, as to fly past me. I have never heard a sound like that before. What could this mean? (S.R. USA)

The message a raven brings is KNOWLEDGE. Do you feel better than others because you possess certain knowledge that they don't, or is the opposite true and you feel worthless because you do not think you are as smart as other people? Do you share knowledge that you have gained with others, or do you keep it to yourself? Perhaps you have knowledge that you do not put it into practice - wisdom only comes from knowledge experienced. Maybe you are faced with something (illness, new venture) in which case the raven is advising you to read up all you can on the matter so that you can have a clearer understanding to help with future choices/decisions. Maybe you are considering studying something new, and if this is so, the raven is giving you the thumbs up that it is the right thing to do.

I keep having a pigeon tap at my window as I sit three feet away from it. I've never seen one out here in the country before. What is the meaning? (M.G. USA)

The message a pigeon brings is OBEDIENCE and the archetype of the Rebel. Are you being an old stick-in-the-mud over something instead of letting your hair down and having fun? Maybe it's time for you to be more spontaneous and forget about being controlled by what society says is right and wrong. It could be that the opposite is true and you are too much of a rebel, and in that case the pigeon is asking you to look at the underlying reasons (to fit in?) Do you feel tied down and duty-bound at the moment? Can you get out of the situation without feeling guilty?

I just want to say a big thank you because after reading your book, "Birds Divine Messengers", so much of what I have been through with birds makes sense and makes me realize that I am not alone in what I have believed all along. I have had messages from birds all my life and having lived most of my life in Botswana and South Africa, and now in Spain, the variety I have come across have been fantastic. A brilliant book and a fellow soul, thanks a lot. (S. Spain)

I'm pleased you enjoyed my book; the natural world has so much to teach us, if only we humans would take the time to listen. I'm sure you are finding the European birds very different from the ones you are used to in Africa! I hope that you will continue to get great enjoyment from birds, and to be always blessed and guided by them.

The story I want to share is of black vultures and my mother. On February 21st this year it was 7 years that my mother passed away. When I went out to feed the birds by the lake as usual, I looked behind me and there was one single black vulture. I immediately recognized that as a message from my mother. I spoke to this magnificent creature and when I said, "Hi mama, I'm so glad you could come," it took a couple of hops closer. I returned to feeding my other feathered friends telling them my mother had joined us. I once again focused my attention towards the vulture to delightfully discovering that there were now SEVEN of them lined up in a perfect row. I was breathless. I counted several times to make sure that I was indeed seeing seven. I absolutely knew that was my mother coming through, and once I said, "Mom, thank you for coming", they all left. (F. USA)

As you know from my book, people in spirit never come back as a bird, but they certainly use birds to pass on messages to loved ones left behind. People in spirit are also very specific as to which bird they will use as their messenger, as a way to help us to recognize them. In your case, the message of a vulture is DEATH/REBIRTH. Thank you for your wonderful story.

I have a copy of your magnificent book and refer to it a lot. One query - where do I find reference to the forktailed drongo? (S.C. South Africa)

Unfortunately, due to limited space, I was only able to put a certain number of bird messages in the book. However, the message of a drongo is REFINEMENT. Have you been getting upset recently with the way modern society has turned out? Does it bother you that people do not seem to be well-mannered or polite anymore? Does it worry you that youngsters are not being well-brought up, or seem to have no cares or morals or integrity anymore? The drongo is saying that while one cannot go back to bygone years, and that one has to move with the times, there is equally no reason why morals and manners should be left by the wayside. Stop worrying about the way other people are; just make sure you maintain your own high standards and set a good example to those around you.

Today I went out to eat with a friend, and when I was putting my baby in the car seat I could hear the cooing of a bird. I paid no attention. I then went to the gas station, and as I was pumping gas, I heard the sound again. Finally I went home and this time I heard the cooing loud and persistant! I looked out the window and a pigeon was perched outside on the balcony ledge. I know that it followed me and was purposely trying to get my attention. Can you help me figure out what this was all about? (M. USA)

The pigeon was certainly trying to get your attention. The message a pigeon brings is OBEDIENCE and the archetype of the Rebel. Are you someone who feels they always have to do things the way society dictates? Do you allow others to tell you what to do and how to live your life? The pigeon is then trying to tell you that you are under no social pressure about how to live your life. Listen to the advice of others, but then make up your own mind about how you want to live your life. Alternatively, are you secretly angry and frustrated because you feel tied down and duty-bound by someone or something? Does it have to be this way or do you deep down like it because it makes you feel wanted and needed?

Do woodpeckers have any specific meaning? Someone told me once that they had a special meaning, like luck or positive change. I heard one two days in a row around the same time of the day. (E. USA)

There have been a lot of old wives' tales over time regarding the "signs in nature" including birds, but for the most part they are based on superstition. For example, in Europe it was always believed centuries ago that the woodpecker brought the thunder and lightning. In truth, birds are divine messengers, with each one bringing its own unique message that can help to inspire and guide us. The message of a woodpecker is SECURITY. Are you feeling a little insecure about life? Are you not moving forward in life because you are afraid of the unknown, and you'll only do so if you can be guaranteed a positive and secure outcome? Are you relying too much on outside means to make you feel secure, like other people, or a big bank balance? Whatever it is, the woodpecker is trying to tell you that it is time for you to develop a true sense of inner security - that feeling that no matter what happens around you, you'll always be safe.

This morning I heard a strange fluttering in the dining room and to my astonishment found two bullfinches on the window sill. They were trying to get out so we opened the window and they flew away. I don't know how they got into the house. What did their surprise appearance in the house means? (J.M. UK)

The message a bullfinch brings is COMPROMISE. Is the balance of 'give and take' in your life out of proportion, where you give too much and find it difficult to receive? Is there a situation in your life at the moment where you are needing to meet someone halfway? Are you putting yourself in a compromising position over something that could jeopardise your own sense of integrity, like allowing others to take advantage of you? Are you pulling your weight over a joint venture?

I live near a lake where there are many ibises. Just this past year two of them have been eating out of my hand. I've been feeding and sitting with them in the same spot for years. My husband and I were married in that very spot. The energy and vibration there is beyond human words. One day after hurricane Jeanne I sat at the lake, but instead of their usual behavior, the ibises united and were loudly crying out without stoppping. I had never seen this behavior before and didn't understand it. This continued for 20 minutes until their cries reached a fevered pitch, and then I saw a few feet away coming at me, a 5 foot alligator. I jumped up and moved and once I did this, the ibises quieted down. I knew they consider me to be one of their own and they protected me that day. (F.L. USA)

When a bird makes a sudden appearance in our lives, the message that bird brings is applicable to our lives at that time. But when a bird is in one's life on a more permanent basis, like a pet, then the message of that bird is usually refelcted in one's personality. You spending a lot of time with the ibises and having a close affinity with them, means that the message brought by an ibis - SENSITIVITY - is reflected in your character. Subsequently, you are probably a very sensitive person, someone who is affected by the atmosphere and moods of people and places. Being in places of natural beauty would automatically lift up your spirits; equally, you would be advised to learn how to quickly protect your energy field when in the company of negative people or places, as you would be like a sponge and absorb everybody else's negativity. (One quick way, from the Lazaris materials (produced by Conceot Synergy) is to bring an open hand swiftly down in front of your solar plexus, as if cutting an imaginary cord, followed by sweeping the hand across the solar plexus, from right to left or left to right, as if sealing the solar plexus. You only have to do this once. Another quick way is to do Donna Eden's "Zip Up" as mentioned, along with other techniques, in my book). On the posotive side, you would probably do very well in a caring profession, or healing work, or doing some kind of voluntary work where other people's needs (or even animals) are looked after by you (whether physical, emotional, mental or spiritual). Thank you for your amazing alligator story.

I was in an argument with my boyfriend, he left the house, I cooked dinner for my son (23), and then had to go to a business meeting. I returned hours later and as I was using my computer, I heard a death cry. I went into the laundry area where I house 4 cockatiels and 2 finches, and 3 cockatiels were dead and one was dying. The finches were alive. Why did my birds die? Was there a gas leak, or teflon fumes from the cooking, or was it something in their food, or is there some type of message? I am so sad. Your help is appreciated. (S.H. USA)

It was not gas, teflon fumes, or the food you fed your birds that caused their deaths; the simple reason being that if this was the case, all of the birds would have perished or became sick, not just some. We human beings are always looking for the tangible, logical reason for why things happen in our lives, in order for us to be able to make sense of it all, but sometimes there just isn't a logical explanation, no matter how much we try and look for one. I do not know the physical cause of death of your cockatiels, but I can possibly shed some light on the symbolic meaning. The message a cockatiel brings is COMMUNICATION, and the message a finch brings is COMPROMISE. Symbolically, the birds were conveying to you that in your life at the moment there is communicating difficulties in your household. No one is able to communicate to each other what they are really feeling, for fear of upsetting the balance or causing further arguments. Relationships are very strained. There is literally a death of all constructive communication within the household, with true feelings either being witheld or coming out in a rush of angry words that are later regretted. Your birds, as divine messengers, are advising you that it would be a good idea for your whole household to sit down and to calmly and rationally discuss all your grievances, so you can deal with them. In this way you can all discover how the other feels about certain issues, and then a compromise can be reached, where everybody can be happy.

One afternoon I suddenly heard the squawking of birds outside. The chimney amplified the noise and I could hear it quite clearly in my living room. Suddenly, a jackdaw "exploded" from the fireplace, followed a few seconds later by its companion. It was quite a shock, but being in such close proximity to these wild birds was a profound experience. I felt it was a definite sign, but what did it mean? Thanks for writing your wonderful book - I am enjoying it very much! (K.P. Wales)

The message a jackdaw brings is SUPPORT. Are you feeling angry or fed up at the thought of having to continually support someone? Or is it rather that you are upset that you aren't getting the help you feel you need? Is there someone around you that you are "carrying", emotionally or financially whereas it would be spiritually kinder to let them stand up for themselves? Do you keep people needy as a way to feel wanted? Or is there someone you should've helped but didn't?

For the last month or so, a cardinal keeps flying into our kitchen window. I stand there and just watch him. He flys hard each time over and over. (D.P. USA)

The reason for the cardinal repeatedly flying into your kitchen window, is literally this bird trying to hammer home its message to you. The message a cardinal brings is HUMILITY. How does the messgae of humility apply to you? Can you do a good deed without the whole world having to know about it? Are you angry because you are not getting the recognition you feel you deserve over something, or are you being asked to do some task that you feel is beneath you? Maybe you are throwing your weight around about a matter, when in fact you are being asked to realize that others have valuable talents and opinions too, and you do not necessarily know all the answers. On the other hand, are you being too shy and modest about your own achievements and talents, and not taking the credit due to you? Another not so well-known meaning of humility is knowing that tomorrow is another day, and that you can start over.

In February last year, starlings came to my balcony. Within a day or two, my manager died and a month later my mother died. Today is January 2008 and starlings came to my balcony, pecking and fighting and sitting. Can you assist me in the meaning? Thank you for your assistance. (B.B)

Birds never foretell doom and gloom. So, if you're worried that the reappearance of the starlings is predicting the death of someone around you - stop worrying! That's not the message! Birds are part of the angelic realm and only bring messages of divine guidance and inspiration when we most need to hear it. The message a starling brings is CONFIDENCE. Is your lack of confidence in your abilities and talents holding you back in life? Do you need to approach a particular issue with more confidence? Do you have enough confidence in the knowledge that everything happening in your life is going according to plan? It's interesting that the starlings, with their message of 'confidence', came to you in February last year, and again in January this year. It seems that the beginning of any new year is the time when your confidence about your life and yourself is lacking the most. It's now time to recognize your worth and your talents!

A tiny goldcrest recently flew into my office window and completely stunned itself. I was unable to reach out to the bird as it was perched on a small ledge and I feared it would die. I sent it some disant reiki healing, and within fifteen minutes the bird flew off. I am unable to find out the meaning of this episode - are you able to advise me please? (M.J. UK)

The goldcrest flying into the closed window in front of you is certainly a way of getting your attention! The message a goldcrest brings is REQUEST and the archetype of the Beggar. How does this message and its guidance apply to your life? Is there something you are needing to ask someone and you are too embarrassed or scared to do so in case the answer is no? Are you needing to speak up for yourself in a matter, and you are not doing so? Are you relying on others to give you compliments, love and attention? Do you feel you have to ask permission to be able to do anything? Are you there for others when they need you? Or are you asking too much of someone or asking too much of yourself?

My friend's husband died recently, they were married for nearly 60 years. She misses him very much and talks of losing her friend and companion as well as a wonderful husband and father. Then two weeks later, her pet canary got out of its cage and flew away. Why would the canary leave her at that time too? Is there a message? (S.T. Aberdeen, Scotland)

I'm sorry to hear about your friend's husband. It's interesting that she uses the words "friend and companion" to describe her relationship with her late husband, because the message a canary brings is COMPANIONSHIP and the archetype of the Companion. I don't want to sound flippant in any way in view of your friend's grief, but I'm sure why her canary flew away is that your friend probably had been telling herself and others, over and over again, when referring to the death of her husband, that she'd "lost her companion". The canary flying away was literally playing out her thoughts of "losing her companion".