Thursday 14 August 2008

Spirit Animal - Sparrow

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"Sparrow Waiting" by S. Roger Joyeux, copyright August 2008

Several days ago, I was feeling sad because my Dad was gone, and I was feeling glad because he was now released from the body that was starting to weigh him down. As he said, "It just doesn't work right anymore!"

I went out and sat under the arbour and mountain ash tree.  I relaxed my body back into the swing chair, and closed my eyes.  Within minutes, I could feel something watching me and there was bird song all around.  I thought the birds were eating the berries in the tree.  I looked up.  There were about half a dozen sparrows hopping around the tree and looking at me, like they were concerned. Yes, I do put birdseed out, however, it's not like they are dependent upon me for food. 

I wondered what was up.  Then they started flying past me, quite close to my face.  The dogs came and sat with me, and watched the birds.  Pretty soon they were swooping over the dogs.  It was quite a show!  They were trying to tell me something.  I started to watch them more carefully and mulled over what I knew about sparrows.

Many people see these birds as pests. They do congregate early in the morning and sing very cheerfully, even as early as 4:30 and 5:00 AM.  They will eat all seeds and can get messy.  They are flock birds and love company.  Their colours are brown and white and grey and black.  As a flock, they will chase off much larger birds and terrify squirrels.  Several flocks hang out in our yard and provide a constant commentary about what is to eat, where the cats are, and where the insects are easy prey. 

Sparrows are noted for eating a wide variety of insects, and will fly up around the house.  This year, they have kept our garden quite free of the normal pests that eat our lettuce and spinach and tomatoes.  Chairman Mao Tse-Tung learned, with disastrous consequences, what happens when one dishonours the sparrow.  He calculated that a sparrow could eat almost ten pounds of rice per year, and that if he killed a million sparrows, he'd have enough rice to feed an additional 60,000 people. The Chinese people were commanded to kill as many sparrows as possible.  In Shantung province, the locals killed an estimated 2.7 million sparrows.  The amount of rice did not increase with the death of the sparrows.  It diminished.  The insects that the sparrows normally killed, ate and damaged rice well in excess of what the sparrows ate.  Chairman Mao decided he'd had a bad idea and ordered the people to be friends with the sparrows so the population would return to normal.

Sparrows are noted for representing abundance - both substantial and spiritually.  The Japanese have a story about a sparrows gifting an old woodsman with gold and silver.  There is also a story about a sparrow singing to Jesus as he hung on the cross.  Songs have been written about the relationship between God and the sparrow.  In ancient times, sparrows were thought to carry the souls of the dead up to the Gods. Our ancestors believed it was bad luck to kill a sparrow because this stopped them from fulfilling their task.

Taking all of this information into context, it seemed to me that the sparrows were telling me to cheer up.  They were saying that I was well taken care of, and that Dad was also well looked after.  Sparrow song was a reminder to stay grounded (as are the colours) and stay in the present moment.  The present is full of joy and peace and wonder.  Their aerial acrobatics were reinforcing that I should use my gifts of my third eye and connect with the Divine to see the perfection in everything. 

It is good advice! 

Judith

5 comments:

  1. wonderful story! Just yesterday I was watering my plants, out of nowhere a sparrow flew right down next to me, but he wouldn't leave, I think he was sick so I got up close and I did not see any injuries he was just sitting there occasionally closing his eyes, I felt bad, I was not sure what to do for him so I put some water in a shallow dish, with seed and a little bread, he drank, ate a little then he hopped around and sat atop my bag of soil, then I walked over to my mom she was sitting and I was standing behind her, we wanted to give the bird some space, but still observe, he hopped around a bit more then flew directly over my mothers head and straight on to me and he was in my hands I removed some gunk from his eye and head then I kneeled down and was going to put him in a shoe box and take care of him, since he didn't want to leave my side, then we were both on the floor very close to oneanother, then he just flew away! I have no idea what this means, but it was really wonderful!

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  2. My dog MIlla is dying and two days ago I put her in the small backyard behind our house which is nice and cozy. I had never seen a sparrow before in that location, but 'coincidentally' two days ago, one started flying and stopping by.... My immediate gut feeling told me that it was because MIlla was there and that the sparrow was there to carry her soul to heaven....

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  3. Anonymous... thanks for sharing your story of Milla. Blessings, Judy

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  4. Thanks so Much. I recently had a Sparrow come in and out of my life just as quickly..I found him as a tiny crippled baby tossed out of the nest, and raised him into adulthood for almost a year. He died suddenly over the holidays. I've recently come to cope with several previous deaths in my life that weighed on me and I have to think this bird had something to say to me. As heartbroken as I am it was an amazing, life-changing experience to have a wild bird imprint on me and love me unconditionally throughout his life. I was in despair but now I'm grateful.

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  5. My mother was sick and in the hospital.I felt she was going to make a dession too stop treatment she had been under going for years.It was 6:15am and I was at work getting my equipment ready when a male sparrow landed on my shoulder. Then flew on the door and was looking at me and started to chat at me..I told it yes I new in my heart and told it was ok for her to go. Two days later, I was cleaning my bus all doors where open, left it to put things away.Came right out closed the doors and started to move There in the bus was a female sparrow fying around me. I open the door to let it out and the male landed on the door called to her and she flew out. The next day I was out in my car my daughter called on my cell phone Said it not good get in here. As i went to go in the house a female sparrow took off from the window to my mothers room if front of me..I knew then Mom was gone. I do believe they had been perparing me for this day ...SO now everytime I see them I Thank them for a peaceful departure..I thank you for allowing me to share this with you.As some in my family don't believe in things like this....

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Thanks for reading this blog post. Sharing is good if it is kind and either has questions or tells about an experience.

Blessings,
Judy