{"id":17722,"date":"2018-08-01T01:10:22","date_gmt":"2018-08-01T06:10:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/paganpages.org\/content\/?p=18759"},"modified":"2018-07-29T16:24:20","modified_gmt":"2018-07-29T21:24:20","slug":"seeing-the-signs-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2018\/08\/01\/seeing-the-signs-41\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeing the Signs"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Morning Walk and the Cosmic Hello<\/span><\/b><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

I take several walks a day. Part of this is because I don\u2019t own a car so my legs are my primary source of transportation. Sometimes I am merely walking a few blocks to the bus stop to catch a bus to some other destination. Sometimes I am walking up and down Bailey Avenue, the main drag near my home, going to the few shops that remain in this benighted neighborhood, buying the items that I need to complete a meal or to fix something in the home. Sometimes I just need to get out of the house. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Walking is a way to exercise. It\u2019s a way to calm a manic mood or to bring me out a depressed disposition. Walking is a form of meditation. I focus on my breathing and stay centered within each step. Because of my arthritic knees, I cannot and do not distance run but I do sprint across the many cross streets. Movement feels so good. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This morning, I went to Family Dollar. Family Dollar is where I go when I need to go to the supermarket but I don\u2019t feel like spending twenty minutes on the bus getting there and back, not counting the time I\u2019m waiting for the bus. I can get bread and milk and other basics at Family Dollar but not fresh produce. They just remodeled the store near me and it would have been great if they had added a produce department. This neighborhood could really use something like that. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I came out of Family Dollar with my milk and bread and chocolate and toilet paper in my canvas bag and started walking home. It had been raining earlier but the sky was clearing and it was warm and windy. I was walking south and the wind was blowing into my face. From way down the street, I could see a white feather floating on the breeze. It fluttered this way and that. I watched it approach me. It looked like it was coming directly to me. It flew up the street \u2013 this lone white feather \u2013 and landed at my feet. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

If it hadn\u2019t been so windy, I would have taken a picture of the feather at my sandal-clad feet with their red-painted toes but I was afraid that the wind would blow the feather away so I quickly picked it up and put it in my bag and continued on my way home. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When I got home, I took a picture of the feather. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Notice that my feather is white with a black tip. A friend who saw it told me that it fell from my guardian angel\u2019s wing \u2013 \u201cAngels wear white!\u201d They do? Really? I thought they dressed in the colors of the rainbow. My feather is white with a black tip because it isn\u2019t from an angel\u2019s wing, it\u2019s from a seagull\u2019s wing. When it gets stormy around here, seagulls come in from the lake shore and fly over the city and suburbs. I knew it was a seagull\u2019s feather as soon as I saw it. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

You would think that with all the books and notes I have on divination that I would have something about feathers. Only one book \u2013 <\/span>Discovering Signs and Symbols<\/u><\/span> by Kirsten Riddle \u2013 mentions anything at all about feathers and it\u2019s about the \u201cFeather of Maat\u201d and advises the reader on how to cleanse their aura using a feather. She writes, \u201c\u2026take a feather and waft it around your silhouette, making short, sharp movements to brush away any stagnant energy.\u201d (Riddle, 34). What great advice! And how easy is that? There\u2019s also a \u201cFeather of Maat Ritual\u201d. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

When I first read this, I thought that it was rather general and that it really didn\u2019t have anything to do with my particular feather but it could be argued that it was the goddess Maat who directed that feather to me \u2013 does my aura need cleansing? I would have never thought about this on my own. I mean \u2013 this is how the Universe works. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

I did look online for \u201cwhat is means when you find a feather\u201d. I found a lot of \u201cfluffy bunny\u201d stuff. Honestly, most of what I saw online I wouldn\u2019t share with you readers or anyone else. But I did find this one site that I did find informative and thoughtful: http:\/\/www.nataliakuna.com<\/a> \u2013 there\u2019s a page dedicated to \u201cFeather Signs & Colour Meanings\u201d. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Natalia writes, \u201cWhen a feather actually [l]ands at your feet, it is traditionally seen as a positive omen that your calls have been heard and answered.\u201d I thought about the feather landing at my feet and I wondered \u2013 which one of my prayers have been heard and answered? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She also says that it\u2019s a \u201cCosmic Hello\u201d. I really like that. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

And she mentions recognizing the bird that the feather is from. Just like I instantly recognized the feather! For instance, seagulls represent freedom. So now I am thinking about how this feather \u2013 that literally landed at my feet \u2013 is giving me a message of freedom? Right now it seems like I am less free than ever with all my family commitments and obligations. But who knows? Isn\u2019t this the point of divination? To trust in the signs that we see? <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After cleansing my aura, I put the feather on the dream-catcher that hangs over my bed. Here\u2019s what that looks like:<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The only other thing I need to do now is research the Goddess Maat. I have never had much to do with her but perhaps she is calling to me. At any rate, it can\u2019t hurt to find out who she is and what she may want with me. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Until next month, Brightest Blessings! <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Discovering Signs and Symbols: Unlock the Secrets and Meanings of these Ancient Figures<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

References<\/b><\/u><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Riddle, Kirsten. <\/span>Discovering Signs and Symbols<\/u><\/span>. London: CICO Books, 2015.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Natalia Kuna. \u201cFeather Signs & Colour Meanings\u201d. http:\/\/www.nataliakuna.com\/feather-signs–colour-meanings.html<\/a>. <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

***<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Polly MacDavid<\/b>\u00a0lives in Buffalo, New York at the moment but that could easily change, since she is a gypsy at heart. Like a gypsy, she is attracted to the divinatory arts, as well as camp fires and dancing barefoot. She has three cats who all help her with her magic.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her philosophy about religion and magic is that it must be thoroughly based in science and logic. She is Dianic Wiccan and she is solitary.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She blogs at\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span>silverapplequeen.wordpress.com<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>. She writes about general life, politics and poetry. She is writing a novel about sex, drugs and recovery.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Morning Walk and the Cosmic Hello I take several walks a day. Part of this is because I don\u2019t own a car so my legs are my primary source of transportation. Sometimes I am merely walking a few blocks to the bus stop to catch a bus to some other destination. Sometimes I am walking up and down Bailey Avenue, the main drag near my home, going to the few shops that remain in this benighted neighborhood, buying the items that I need to complete a meal or to fix something in the home. Sometimes I just need to get out of the house. Walking is a way to exercise. It\u2019s a way to calm a manic mood or to bring me out a depressed disposition. Walking is a form of meditation. I focus on my breathing and stay centered within each step. Because of my arthritic knees, I cannot and do not distance run but I do sprint across the many cross streets. Movement feels so good. This morning, I went to Family Dollar. Family Dollar is where I go when I need to go to the supermarket but I don\u2019t feel like spending twenty minutes on the bus getting there and back, not counting the time I\u2019m waiting for the bus. I can get bread and milk and other basics at Family Dollar but not fresh produce. They just remodeled the store near me and it would have been great if they had added a produce department. This neighborhood could really use something like that. I came out of Family Dollar with my milk and bread and chocolate and toilet paper in my canvas bag and started walking home. It had been raining earlier but the sky was clearing and it was warm and windy. I was walking south and the wind was blowing into my face. From way down the street, I could see a white feather floating on the breeze. It fluttered this way and that. I watched it approach me. It looked like it was coming directly to me. It flew up the street \u2013 this lone white feather \u2013 and landed at my feet. If it hadn\u2019t been so windy, I would have taken a picture of the feather at my sandal-clad feet with their red-painted toes but I was afraid that the wind would blow the feather away so I quickly picked it up and put it in my bag and continued on my way home. When I got home, I took a picture of the feather. Notice that my feather is white with a black tip. A friend who saw it told me that it fell from my guardian angel\u2019s wing \u2013 \u201cAngels wear white!\u201d They do? Really? I thought they dressed in the colors of the rainbow. My feather is white with a black tip because it isn\u2019t from an angel\u2019s wing, it\u2019s from a seagull\u2019s wing. When it gets stormy around here, seagulls come in from the lake shore and fly over the city and suburbs. I knew it was a seagull\u2019s feather as soon as I saw it. You would think that with all the books and notes I have on divination that I would have something about feathers. Only one book \u2013 Discovering Signs and Symbols by Kirsten Riddle \u2013 mentions anything at all about feathers and it\u2019s about the \u201cFeather of Maat\u201d and advises the reader on how to cleanse their aura using a feather. She writes, \u201c\u2026take a feather and waft it around your silhouette, making short, sharp movements to brush away any stagnant energy.\u201d (Riddle, 34). What great advice! And how easy is that? There\u2019s also a \u201cFeather of Maat Ritual\u201d. When I first read this, I thought that it was rather general and that it really didn\u2019t have anything to do with my particular feather but it could be argued that it was the goddess Maat who directed that feather to me \u2013 does my aura need cleansing? I would have never thought about this on my own. I mean \u2013 this is how the Universe works. I did look online for \u201cwhat is means when you find a feather\u201d. I found a lot of \u201cfluffy bunny\u201d stuff. Honestly, most of what I saw online I wouldn\u2019t share with you readers or anyone else. But I did find this one site that I did find informative and thoughtful: http:\/\/www.nataliakuna.com \u2013 there\u2019s a page dedicated to \u201cFeather Signs & Colour Meanings\u201d. Natalia writes, \u201cWhen a feather actually [l]ands at your feet, it is traditionally seen as a positive omen that your calls have been heard and answered.\u201d I thought about the feather landing at my feet and I wondered \u2013 which one of my prayers have been heard and answered? She also says that it\u2019s a \u201cCosmic Hello\u201d. I really like that. And she mentions recognizing the bird that the feather is from. Just like I instantly recognized the feather! For instance, seagulls represent freedom. So now I am thinking about how this feather \u2013 that literally landed at my feet \u2013 is giving me a message of freedom? Right now it seems like I am less free than ever with all my family commitments and obligations. But who knows? Isn\u2019t this the point of divination? To trust in the signs that we see? After cleansing my aura, I put the feather on the dream-catcher that hangs over my bed. Here\u2019s what that looks like: The only other thing I need to do now is research the Goddess Maat. I have never had much to do with her but perhaps she is calling to me. At any rate, it can\u2019t hurt to find out who she is and what she may want with me. Until next month, Brightest Blessings! Discovering Signs and Symbols: Unlock the Secrets and Meanings of these Ancient Figures References Riddle, Kirsten. Discovering Signs and Symbols. London: CICO Books, 2015. Natalia Kuna. \u201cFeather Signs & Colour Meanings\u201d. http:\/\/www.nataliakuna.com\/feather-signs–colour-meanings.html. *** About the Author: Polly MacDavid\u00a0lives in Buffalo, New York at the moment but that could easily change, since she is a gypsy at heart. Like a gypsy, she is attracted to the divinatory arts, as well as camp fires and dancing barefoot. She has three cats who all help her with her magic. Her philosophy about religion and magic is that it must be thoroughly based in science and logic. She is Dianic Wiccan and she is solitary. She blogs at\u00a0silverapplequeen.wordpress.com. She writes about general life, politics and poetry. She is writing a novel about sex, drugs and recovery.    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":197,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/197"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17722\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}