Magnetism, Pattern and “Sonic Space”: More on Feathers

annesailer — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 18:36:06 +0000

Hold on to your hats, and wait till you read this… I’m posting here, in full, a comment-reply to my recent post on feathers, “An Opportunity for Seeing,” written by friend and Everyday Co-Creativity reader, Balsam. Personally, the expanded information Balsam provides on magnetism and pattern is particularly meaningful; my “opportunity for seeing” has just expanded dramatically. Enjoy!

“Aboriginal Australians have historically put feathers and blood on their bodies because these biological creations have the property of being magnetic. The wearer would become more sensitive to magnetic patterns produced by the Earth and other life forms. This heightened sensitivity would then allow the wearer to more easily navigate the terrain, and probably help with locating resources such as water and prey animals which interact with the Earth’s magnetic patterns in their own characteristic ways. The magnetically sensitized body is also more aware of energies coming in from the cosmos, which hold various places on the electromagnetic spectrum. These cosmic energies may also be used by spiritual entities in order to ‘cross the bridge’ between them and humans.

“From my perspective, then, the ideas about feathers as that which can help us find our way, or an indication of spiritual blessings, are all right ideas… and today we have the scientific knowledge that allows us to understand how these “spiritual” ideas actually play out within the physical realm–since magnetism is a physical phenomenon.

“The spiritual ideas about feathers are not ‘superstition.’ They represent an implicit recognition of the magnetic power of feathers. What I have been discovering over the past year, with much excitement, is that the human body also has magnetic capabilities (thanks to the tiny magnetite crystals in our cells) and that these capabilities can be consciously cultivated and enhanced.

“This study of how I can work with my own magnetism has become increasingly important to me as I have realized that magnetism is the feminine polarity on the electromagnetic spectrum. We live in a world awash in electricity. Cultivating my magnetism has very significantly increased my effectiveness in life and relationships, as it has helped me create more balance between my own masculine and feminine energies.

“The magnetic patterns my body creates also give me another bridge of connection to all other life forms, which in my observation, grow in accordance with their own biomagnetic patterns.

“Last but not least, I have noticed that magnetic patterns can be disturbed or enhanced by sound. Perhaps this is why research suggests that some plants cannot properly grow and complete their life cycles without the assistance of bird song. That idea, of course, brings us full circle back to the feathers. The creatures that produce these beautiful structures also serve us through sound and through the beauty of their flight. I am hopeful that the words I’ve written here will help us all to appreciate them and their contribution to the web of life on Earth more deeply. I am hopeful that the words I’ve written here will help us all to give the birds more space. In my mind that includes sonic space. I avoid using motorized equipment of any kind whenever I can, and that’s one way I contribute to providing sonic space for the other life forms.”

An Opportunity for Seeing

annesailer — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:04:43 +0000

This year, August and September brought me the Gift of Many Feathers. At first, I found one or two here and there, mostly in the expected places (near the birdbath in my garden; near the pond in the park), but pretty quickly, the feathers started appearing in more unusual, incongruous spots (in my kitchen; in my car; in my pocket). For years, I’d heard people talk about finding feathers and what that means. For me, I just didn’t have a lot of feathers cross my path, so I paid little attention to those conversations. All of a sudden, there were just too many feathers flying into my awareness to ignore; I wanted meaning.

There are as many different takes on feather meaning as there are people, it seems, but the main categories seem to be:

spiritual evolution; ascension
connection with “God” or “the gods”
being on the “right track”
guardian angels are present
spirit has heard one’s prayers
lightness; freedom

To me, these explanations fall solely in the Spirit realm, overlooking Nature (which is ironic, given that a feather — a part of a bird — is so obviously a part of Nature). What message or meaning does a found feather communicate to us from Nature as well as from Spirit? In her book, Sacred Feathers, author Maril Crabtree eloquently fills in those blanks:

Throughout history, feathers have served as spiritual symbols for shamans and priests, as symbols of royalty for kings and chiefs, symbols of healing, or symbols of sacred power for cultures as far back as ancient Egyptian, Asian or Celtic eras. These cultures possessed abilities to communicate with nature in ways that have been overlooked or forgotten in our own time.

Yet feathers are more than history. For many, they are mystical signs, messages, or opportunities. They are scraps of synchronicity in the flowing patchwork of universal meanings. They appear in unlikely places as assurances of well-being, as a comforting sign of abundance in the universe, and as unmistakable messengers of hope and encouragement. Their ephemeral grace makes them the perfect emissaries of spiritual and emotional freedom…

We live in a holographic cosmos, where a piece of the whole reflects the entire whole. When a feather leaves its bird-home and falls to earth, it carries all of the energy of its former attachment to a living being. From a cosmic perspective, it also carries within it, as we carry within ourselves, the universal energy we call by many names, from “God” to “Spirit” to “divine life force.” Why not, then, receive the message that this feather falls into our lives to give us as a message directly from that life force?

Above all, feathers come to us as gifts. They come from the sky, from the sea, from trees and deep grasses, even from…enclosed spaces never inhabited by winged creatures. They come to us unexpectedly, but not without purpose. Their messages may be startling, soothing or sudden, but they are always an opportunity for seeing — for finding answers to questions we may not even have known we were asking.

Ah, yes. And in this passage is the Nature connection. The feathers that came into my awareness in August and September were “scraps of synchronicity, ” connected to “divine life force,” offering “an opportunity for seeing.” On this Earth, in this Nature’s realm, we have many opportunities for seeing, for recognizing, for being aware. And so often we do not see, we do not recognize, we are not aware. A feather is not a wisp of prayer or inspiration that flits across our perception; it is a tangible piece of this “holographic cosmos” — one laden with historical symbolism and meaning — that is extremely hard to ignore or overlook. So that is where Nature and Spirit converged this summer to deliver to me the opportunity to take notice, to pay attention, and to receive the kind of blessing that I can pick up and hold in my hand. I hear the message as, “In noticing and receiving this blessing, you are on the ‘right track’.” I am deeply grateful for this late-summer opportunity for seeing.

Everyday Co-Creativity » feathers

Magnetism, Pattern and “Sonic Space”: More on Feathers

An Opportunity for Seeing