A Spiritual Field Guide of the Symbology and Significance of Doves, Cardinals, Crows and other Birds

Are Birds You See Sending You a Message?

Go beyond bird-watching and receive the guidance and wisdom that birds send you every day.

In this excerpt from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers, see the signficance of seven common birds, what they symbolize and what they're trying to tell to you.

About the Author

Arin Murphy-Hiscock has always felt a spiritual connection to birds, especially owls. She is a third-degree Wiccan High Priestess in the Black Forest Clan and the author of Power Spellcraft for Life, Solitary Wicca for Life, The Way of the Green Witch, and The Way of the Hedge Witch. She lives and bird-watches with her husband and two children.

Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers

Dove

Stereotypically, the dove is portrayed as white and gentle, sweet and loving. The dove is a symbol of the Holy Spirit in Christian iconography. Some iconographers show Mary being blessed by a dove at the moment of Annunciation, and Jesus was blessed by the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove at his baptism. The dove is said to be so pure that it is the one form into which Satan cannot transform himself. Doves and pigeons were the only birds suitable for sacrifice by the Hebrews, as stated in Leviticus 1:14.

The dove appears as a symbol of purity on the Holy Grail in Malory’s Morte d’Arthur. In Muslim lore, a dove murmured the words of God into the ear of Muhammad. Today the dove is a symbol of peace, often portrayed with an olive branch in its mouth. This iconography is taken from the story of Noah releasing the bird to bring back proof that there was land again somewhere and that the floodwaters were receding.

The dove is also seen as representing love; it was a symbol of Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, and of Venus, her Roman counterpart. Lovers are said to “bill and coo” like doves. The dove is a monogamous bird, which may be the source of its connection with romantic and eternal love. In Slavic folklore, doves were believed to conduct the souls of the dead to heaven. For the Celts, the mournful call of a dove meant the peaceful passing of someone.

Omens and divinatory meaning: Doves call you to regain your serenity. Do you feel off balance, or out of step with the world? Are you harried or frazzled? The dove reminds you to take a deep breath and release all your tension and stress.

The dove also urges you to look at your relationships with your partner(s), romantic, work related, or otherwise. Are you in harmony with them? Is there friction? Reach out and smooth over any rough spots. Seeing a dove may be an omen of a new relationship, or a shift in an existing one.
Doves are also associated with purity and innocence. Do you feel as if life has jaded you? Try to recapture a sense of innocence, of wonder and love for the world around you.

Operating constantly with a cynical worldview is exhausting. In a situation that is frustrating or upsetting to you, a dove may be encouraging you to wipe the slate clean and start again. As a symbol of the Holy Spirit, the dove is associated with the mystical fifth element of spirit. Let your sighting of a dove remind you to reconnect with the spiritual aspect of your life; accept it as a blessing.

Excerpted from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; January 2012), by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Images: ©iStockPhoto.com, Dover

Crow

The word cunning could have been created for the Corvidae family. Crows are adaptive, intelligent, and abundant; they are found pretty much everywhere in all kinds of habitats. They are also very social creatures. We use the phrase “as the crow flies” to describe a direct path, a reference to the crow’s ability to go anywhere and do anything.

Most crows eat carrion; they do not kill. Rather, they dine on the remains of animals, or the leftovers of other predators. Crows waste nothing. They serve an important function in the cycle of life, cleaning up and contributing to the easier decomposition of a corpse. This behavior associates them with death in general, as a prophesier of doom and war. In fact, the collective noun for a group of crows is a “murder” of crows.

Crows are often associated with gods and goddesses of war. This is, no doubt, a direct link to the presence of crows at battlefields, ready to dine upon the dead.

The relationship with war and death also underlies the crow’s connection to the Otherworld. The crow is sometimes perceived as a harbinger of death as well. The Scots have a term for death: “going away up the Crow Road.” In Hindu belief, crows serve as intermediaries who bring offerings of food and water to deceased ancestors on the anniversary of the relative’s death, a practice of expressing gratitude known as ’Srˉaddha. In ancient Egypt, however, the crow was a symbol of faithful love because of the bird’s monogamous nature.

One of the most famous tales from Aesop’s Fables is that of “The Crow and the Pitcher.” A crow, half dead with thirst, discovers a jug that has only a little bit of water left in it. Unable to reach the water by sticking his head inside, the crow thinks for a moment, then picks up a pebble and drops it into the jug. He repeats this action over and over until the level of the water has risen to the brim of the jug, allowing him to dip his beak in and drink. The moral encoded in the fable teaches that one can accomplish a seemingly impossible task with a series of small actions. However, the story also illustrates the crow’s ability to problem solve and use what tools are at hand to achieve a specific purpose.

Omens and divinatory meaning: How canny are you? How inventive can you be when faced with a seemingly insurmountable challenge? The crow urges you to think outside the box, to examine what tools and skills you have at your disposal, and to apply them in perhaps unconventional ways to achieve your goals.

The crow also teaches you about change. Change is not to be feared; it is part of the natural course of things. The death or end of one thing signifies the birth or beginning of another. Crows teach you about cycles, too. They are carrion birds, and help you to remember that even in death there is something that feeds life. Death is not loss; it is transformation. If you are having trouble handling some sort of change in your life, call on the crow to be your companion through it.

The crow, like the raven, is often portrayed as a trickster figure in Native American mythology. The crow reminds you to have fun while you’re working to understand life and how you fit into the cosmos, which can too often be an overly serious enterprise. Are you denying yourself the opportunity to play?

Excerpted from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; January 2012), by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Images: ©iStockPhoto.com, Dover

Cardinal

The cardinal is easy to spot due to its coloring. It is one of the most popular birds and easily identified by birdwatchers and non-bird-watchers alike. Like the robin, whose plumage also features a distinctive red patch, the cardinal is often associated with Christmas and the winter season. The color is bright and cheering. The cardinal’s presence year round and its appearance at backyard bird feeders may also contribute to this association.

The cardinal’s name is derived from the high-ranking clerics of the Catholic Church who wear rich red robes. The term cardinal is used to denote something with primary or essential qualities, such as a cardinal direction. The word comes from the Latin cardo, meaning hinge. Something that has cardinal qualities is so important that it functions as a keystone or axle; other things hinge around it.

The Cherokee believe that the cardinal is the daughter of the sun. Legend has it that if you see a cardinal flying upward, toward the sun, you will have good luck. Conversely, if you see it flying down toward the earth, watch out for bad luck.

The cardinal was the first bird to be given state recognition: In 1926, it was made the state bird of Kentucky. It’s also the bird of six other states (Illinois, Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia), making it the most popular state bird. It is also the name of the St. Louis professional baseball team and the Arizona Cardinals professional football team, and is the mascot of numerous university athletic teams, including the Stanford Cardinals, the Louisville Cardinals, and the Wesleyan Cardinals.

Omens and divinatory meaning: Examine the areas of your life in which you are, or should be, a leader. Is your confidence shaky? The cardinal tells you that you can handle it, and to believe in yourself. It is important to be proud of yourself for your abilities or for the things you have achieved. The cardinal’s bright red feathers and cheerful song call attention to him wherever he goes. If you see a cardinal, it may be telling you to stand up, lift your head high, and take pride in yourself.

Accept compliments that come your way, and acknowledge your achievements. The cardinal’s bright red plumage also calls you to open yourself to creative energy. Have you been feeling blocked or dull lately? Are you looking for a new way to express yourself? Call on the cardinal to help you open up and get your creativity flowing again. The red feathers link it with fire, the element of activity, vitality, and passion. If you are feeling lethargic, the cardinal may lend you its energy to help you get back on your feet. Likewise, it can be a good bird with whom to work if you are struggling to handle depression. If you are having difficulty dealing with anger, however, seeing a cardinal may remind you to take a step or two back.

Red is the color of the root chakra, the energy center associated with stability, survival, and security, and feeling unsettled in any of these areas may be influencing your anger issue. Examine the areas of your life connected to these subjects for clues to the source of your emotional state, and move to make them better.

Excerpted from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; January 2012), by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Images: ©iStockPhoto.com, Dover

Duck

In both China and Japan, a pair of Mandarin ducks symbolizes wedded fidelity and happiness, because Mandarins are among the few species of duck that mate for life. The Mandarin duck can also be used as a symbol with which to work on problematic relationships.

A statue found in northern France depicts the Celtic goddess Sequana standing in a duck-shaped boat, perhaps a nod to the duck’s ability to navigate waterways, or perhaps to its association with fertility and feminine virtues. In Egyptian hieroglyphs, the duck symbol represents “son.” Additionally, the flying duck hieroglyph literally means “to fly.” To hear a duck quacking is said to be a good omen, particularly in regards to prosperity. To see one fly is also a good omen, for it offers hope and signifies that you will rise out of whatever difficulty you may be experiencing.

Omens and divinatory meaning: Seeing a duck can alert you literally or figuratively to duck, to keep your head down and stay out of the way for a little while. Something may be coming that could ruffle your feathers or disturb your customary smooth sailing. Alternatively, a duck sighting may prompt you to look at your responsibilities: Are you trying to duck out on anything? If you’re handling something complicated, are you sure that you have “all your ducks in a row”? A duck’s physical shape and webbed feet help it stay afloat and navigate waters with ease. The energy of the duck may help you keep afloat and enable you to go with the flow. Tap its buoyancy to bob atop rough waters.

Excerpted from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; January 2012), by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Images: ©iStockPhoto.com, Dover

Crane

The crane’s fidelity and mating rituals make it a common symbol for loyalty and successful marriage. Its fabled long life span also makes it a symbol of longevity.

The crane is a popular symbol in Asian culture, and the practice of folding paper cranes for good fortune, healing, happiness, and success was popularized by Sadako Sasaki, a young victim of the radiation from the Hiroshima disaster. Chains of paper cranes, often numbering a thousand in total, are given as offerings at temples and shrines. The crane is also perceived as a bird capable of flying to the very heavens, and is said to have borne spirits of the deceased there upon its back. In ancient China, the crane was used as the symbol of highest-ranking officials.

The longevity of the crane may also have caused it to be associated with a family tree or lineage. Our word pedigree may come from the French word for “foot of the crane,” or pied de grue. Legend has it that the crane’s legs grow before its wings do, suggesting that the bird has a strong tie to the ground. The crane is also associated with vigilance; it was said to keep watch on one leg while holding a stone in the other foot. The stone would drop if the crane dozed off, waking it and its companions. Heraldry (the art of designing and displaying coats of arms and other devices that identify a family or group) often shows the crane holding a stone in this way, symbolizing alertness.

In one of Aesop’s fables, a peacock laughs at the duller crane. The crane admits that it may not be as visually stunning as the peacock, but it has the capability to soar to the very heavens, whereas the peacock is stuck on the ground. The moral of the story is the commonly repeated adage,
“Fine feathers do not make a fine bird.” In Celtic myth, the crane bag, made from the skin of a crane, held many of the treasures precious to the Irish god Mannanan. One of these treasures may have been the staves of ogham, a rune-like system of writing or divination whose shapes are sometimes compared to the sticklike shape of a crane’s legs.

Omens and divinatory meaning: If you see a crane flying, it may be drawing your eyes to the heavens, lifting your spirits, and inspiring you to trust in the universe. If you see it standing, it may be advising vigilance and alertness.

Excerpted from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; January 2012), by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Goose

Like chickens and ducks, geese are among the world’s most commonly domesticated birds, kept for their eggs, meat, and feathers. A domesticated goose can lay up to fifty eggs a year, and therefore the goose is often associated with fertility and fecundity. In a fairy tale about a goose who laid golden eggs, its greedy owner grew impatient with the daily gold and killed the goose to access what he expected to be a treasure trove. Instead, all he got was a dead goose. The story’s moral is that patience is its own reward.

The Norse goddess Freya was said to be goose-footed, and sacred geese guarded the temple of Juno in ancient Rome. The white goose is also associated with Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love. The tales of Mother Goose, the mythical creator of a collection of nursery rhymes, are actually a translation of the stories by the fictional storyteller from Charles Perrault’s seventeenth century work Contes de ma Mere l’Oye (Tales of My Mother the Goose). The name Mother Goose may have been inspired by the French queen Bertha, called “Goosefoot,” mother of Charlemagne and a patron of children. The goose was also a sacred bird of Berchta, a Germanic earth goddess.

Omens and divinatory meaning: If you see a goose, you should examine several areas in your life. Abundance of some kind may be coming your way (and remember, abundance doesn’t always mean wealth). You might become more watchful for an attack of some kind, small or significant, and think about what is precious to you in order to protect it. Finally, take a look at your current passions, obsessions, or hobbies. Are you on a wild goose chase about something? Have you thought out your path and plan of attack carefully? What’s your focus? Have you collected as much information and data as possible to make a balanced and informed decision? Do you have a clearly defined goal?

Canada geese share leadership roles in their migratory flights, trading off the point position. Take a moment to look at how you work within a team. Can you step up and assume a leadership position when necessary, and then step back again when someone else’s strengths would better serve the group’s needs? The migratory aspect of geese could indicate upcoming travel.

Excerpted from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; January 2012), by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

Pigeon

The pigeon may be the world’s oldest domesticated bird, appearing in both ancient Mesopotamian and Egyptian records. Pigeons belong to the same family as doves, but have very different cultural associations. Whereas doves are perceived as blessed or pure, pigeons are often perceived as dirty pests.

Pigeons have an excellent navigational ability, and have frequently been employed for communication in various situations. Julius Caesar used them, as did the Arabs during the Crusades. In World War II, certain pigeons even received decorations for bravery. Pigeon racing, a challenge in which domesticated birds (sometimes referred to as carrier pigeons or homing pigeons) are released to find their way home and the winner is the one who accomplishes this within the least amount of time, has been (and still is) a popular sport.

Omens and divinatory meaning: The pigeon is a determined creature. It will stay in an area as long as there is food, despite attempts by humans or other birds to chase it away. The pigeon sighting can encourage you to be stubborn and hang in there, regardless of what challenges are thrown in your path.

The pigeon also has strong connections to house and home. If a pigeon appears to you, take a look at your relationship with your home. What does it represent to you? What would you like it to be for you? If these things don’t match up, you know you have work to do. The pigeon is safest in a flock. Don’t discount the strength and support found in a community. Furthermore, remember the importance of communication within that community; don’t assume people know things just because you do. Make sure everyone is in the loop regarding important information.

Excerpted from Birds: Explore the Symbology and Significance of These Divine Winged Messengers (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media, Inc.; January 2012), by Arin Murphy-Hiscock

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