I was sitting in my office and was distracted by a very distinct bird chirp. Outside my window was a delightful, young, male oriole. I have been fascinated by orioles since I was a child. Their nests are unlike any others – they hang like baskets and are very strong. Orioles have a very long migration pattern, and they fly it at night to avoid predators. They are seasonally monogamous and spend spring and summer in Southern California. Because of their coloring, they are thought to be the Firebirds of mythology. Some traditions say they can be found in the same places as the fey.
I believe that, if an animal has gotten your attention, they have a message for you. In looking at the characteristics of that critter, you can start to get a feel for their medicine, and it becomes easier to tell what it is they have for you. In looking at the body of information about Oriole, several things jump out at me:
- building a very solid safe space
- fire
- nocturnal work
- perseverance
Based on what I’m struggling with in my life, I am getting a clear message from the young Oriole totem who has visited me, and for that I am grateful.
Have you had any interesting animal encounters lately?
Hmm Lovely. I’m here with the birds often. I was surprised a few months ago when we saw woodpeckers, in addition to wide variety of songbirds and such you get further away from city noise.
Animal encounters… Opossum phased out and Raccoon moved in, we’ve had two encounters upstairs on the back porch, in the evening between Dog and Raccoon.
oh and when I left the Crystal Matrix on Saturday and walked around back, Skunk!
Thanks for sharing this. The Oriole is an interesting, handsome bird.