Beltane 2009 (2)

NATURE KNOCKING ©
by Lady Raven Ariana

As Spring brings the gifts of the Mother, the Bird People become active in their courtships, territorial disputes, and raising of children. I’ve been blessed this spring with two rival woodpeckers drumming up their mates and marking territory right outside my urban back door. I usually have one woodpecker announcing his presence by going from one wooden telephone pole to the next. This year, though, I’ve been graced to hear two dueling Downey woodpeckers competing from neighboring phone poles.

Woodpecker brings us a call to evaluate what rhythm we are following. Are we doing what our hearts desire? Are we dancing the dance that fits us? Are we following some pied piper that is leading us away from who we really are? When is the last time we took inventory of ourselves and lives to see how much happiness and satisfaction we are experiencing? Are we living with a schedule that optimizes our health?

Having two woodpeckers this year caused me to wonder if I have been experiencing competition on what I should really be doing with my life. Have I been aware of this? What are the competing factors and what will best fit me? How is this affecting my spiritual journey and relationship to all I live with?

It is common when an Animal Guide presents itself to us that it brings us the gift of self- examination. We might be called to take personal inventory and look at issues we may have been previously unaware of. Guides also bring us the gifts and strengths of their kind. By understanding and studying their behavior, researching their biological lives, and taking time out to practice quiet listening, we can learn to understand the messages they bring us.

Woodpeckers eat insects that live in trees, under bark and in plants. Downey woodpeckers are fast and bold when they are seeking food, mates and raising their young. They are territorial and the males display this by tapping on anything that resonates. Dead wood, telephone poles, metal poles, and drain spouts can all be a means of announcing their presence. Different types of woodpeckers have variety in their behavior, looks, range, and size. Some woodpeckers are called “sapsuckers”. This comes from their drilling into trees after insects which can cause sap to flow from the pecked at tree.

Links:

Downey Woodpeckers:

http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Downy_Woodpecker/id

http://www.backyardnature.com/cgi-bin/gt/tpl.h,content=292

General Woodpeckers:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodpecker

http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/woodpeckers.php

An important factor when working with Animal Guides is to be open to what they have to teach us. We can also journey to our Animal Guide to ask for further information or wisdom. With quiet observation, dedication, perseverance, proper intentions, humbleness, and work we can learn to communicate with the sacred beings that share our planet.