Wednesday, May 13, 2009

learning to listen

i know enough about the way energy works that when i looked outside my window this afternoon and saw, of all things, a woodpecker busily pecking through the woodpile on the ground, i recognized a Messenger.

i've had a sense that this whole issue with my neck contains a Message - a message that requires close and careful attention.

interestingly, woodpecker appears prominently in both native american traditions and roman myth. a woodpecker fed romulus and remus - the original founders of the city of the rome - along with a wolf. the woodpecker's rapid-fire rapping suggests a messenger from the Upper World. and woodpecker, like the ram, resonates with aries energy of initiative, persistence, and sheer willfulness of action.

for jung, woodpecker is a symbol of a return to the womb. the woodpecker makes its home within a tree, which like the womb is earthy, grounded, sturdy and secure. as some of my Gentle Readers may remember an issue Beloved and i have been carrying for many months is the weight of my mother’s family house at the Jersey shore. like my grandmother herself when she was alive, it hangs around my neck like an albatross. it's time to release it, to allow it to pass out of my hands, out of my family, to allow whatever bitterness and emptiness remains to pass. all things end. perhaps the woodpecker comes to lend me strength and perserverance, as well as some of that dogged determination.

North American Prairie tribes had a myth that the title of protector of humankind was once vied for by the turkey and the woodpecker. the woodpecker won the title because of her ability to make such marvelous nests wherein the spiritual seed of humankind would always be sheltered from predatory threat. this tickles me, especially in light of my almost-instinctive flight last night.

and last, but never, especially in my case, least, woodpecker reminds me to be mindful of my words. its narrow tongue, so effective for picking up food in narrow places, is symbolic for finding the most delicate means to achieve the most profound impact.

she's gone now, having pecked her way through the woodpile, leaving only a spray of woodchips behind.

9 comments:

Martha@A Sense of Humor is Essential said...

Building a nest, raising her young, and then flying away while the twigs of the nest fall away.

The human neck is a miracle of engineering much like a honey bee should not be able to fly because of it's weight/mass ratio, a neck should not be able to support the head.

Unknown said...

wow, i didn't know all that about the woodpecker. very interesting bird. i just saw one yesterday, and commented to audie how much i like them.

i'm glad you were able to see the messenger, and decipher the message. :-)

Amy said...

Thanks for sharing that information. I have only heard and seen a woodpecker once. I use to go camping with my Papa and we saw one. This brought back memories.

Judy Vars said...

It sounds like your neck will heal soon. Thankyou for the fascinating woodpecker facts. What was the woodpecker telling you?

lynette355 said...

We have woodpeckers here that poke holes in the telephone poles. I always wonder if they are doing morse code or a telegraph system. LOL
You know it is hard to let go of family belongings. Especially a house. Did you have it as a rent house to provide extra income? Or would it help out any other relative that needs a home at low low cost? Just ideas.

funny you have comment moderation here. and my word was mizer!

Real Live Lesbian said...

What great info! I never knew...and I'm ALWAYS seeing woodpeckers. Living in a log house and all.

Hope things pass sweetly and peacfully. :)

Midlife, menopause, mistakes and random stuff... said...

You are so right Annie.......it was a sign if you will.......a message that it is time to let it go. Hurt harbors more hurt and hard feelings grow if we don't release them. As you know, I know of what I speak on this matter.
Always so much wisdom at your place my dear. I feel like I am visiting an old friend (I'm NOT calling you old, lol) when I visit your spot :)

Steady On
Reggie Girl

Dr.John said...

You know sometimes a woodpecker is just a woodpecker.

Country Mouse, City Mouse said...

I loved reading about the woodpecker. When I was a kid we spent the summer with woodpeckers at the cottage.