is for feathers
I have a great love and affinity for the Winged Ones. After all I work with Angels; Crow is a totem of mine; I have a strong connection to Hermes with his winged sandals and helmet; and birds of all kinds delight my heart.
I am always being gifted with feathers, and each time I find one I truly feel blessed. Little messages, big magic, reminders, connections, comfort, inspiration – feathers mean all these things to me. I have little vases filled with them throughout my house, and almost always have a feather or two on each of my altars.
I don’t think it’s coincidence that so many people I know love feathers. But I love that we each receive the message/blessing in a way that feels personal. I find that delightful. There’s a charming book entitled Sacred Feathers by Maril Crabtree that is a collection of stories by individuals and their experiences with feathers.
Today’s creation for the ICAD challenge:
Feathers are significant in so many cultures, but I’ve really been thinking about the Egyptian pantheon lately and so of course that brings us Ma’at. Ma’at was represented as a goddess, but it is also understood as a concept. She personified perfect harmony and order that moved the universe from chaos. Ma’at is often translated as “that which is straight” and Egyptians were called to live lives that were ordered, moral, truthful and just. Upon death each mortal heart was weighed against the ostrich feather of Ma’at. A heart made heavy by living out of balance with the principles of Ma’at did not allow for entrance into the paradise of the underworld. But those that were “light-hearted” were judged worthy.
That’s a really powerful definition of light-hearted isn’t it?
Here’s to light-heartedness for all of us!
Moving from the spiritual back to the physical, there’s a little TedTalk video clip about the evolution of feathers that’s rather charming. Here’s the link.
So tell me, are you a feather lover? Do you love a particular species of bird? What’s your definition of light-hearted? Do tell, you know I love to hear.
Hummingbirds are certainly one of my favorite birds but I don’t know as I’ve ever seen one of their tiny feathers or that I would even recognize it if I did.
I like that the Navajos, in particular, uses feathers so much in their jewelry and other art forms.
Goodness, I’m not sure I’ve ever thought about hummingbird feathers. I get blown away whenever I come across a picture of one of their tiny nest, and hummingbirds themselves seem like such obvious miracles. But their feathers? Wow!
And yes to gorgeous Native feather art! You do know your jewelry. 😉
Gorgeous icard! I love drawings and paintings of feathers as well. 🙂
Thanks! There is something magical about them isn’t there?