Birds are animals hardwired for flight. Though some of them, like penguins, have lost the capability to fly, several kinds are able to run, jump, swim, and dive. Every inch of a bird’s physical make-up is fashioned to induce lift; hence airplane wings are designed after bird wings. Known to be the closest relative of the dinosaurs that lived in the Jurassic period around 160 million years ago, the largest of these winged creatures is the ostrich, which can grow to a towering nine feet; while the smallest is the long bee hummingbird which is cute at only two inches.
History shows us birds that were depicted on cave walls and were valuable symbols for ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Rome, and Greece. Numerous bird types were used to represent critical historical events in these cultures. Countless theories are connected to a variety of bird species as well.
Birds can reflect a strong symbolism if we are open to the possibilities. They encourage us to aim high and realize our goals despite the challenges we might face as we chase those dreams.
The next time you are drawn to a particular bird or species, allow your curiosity and imagination to rise up and consider the meaning and symbolism it holds for you. Here we explore what some the woodpecker messages that might await you.
Woodpecker Spiritual Meaning
Numerous cultures and traditions give prominence to woodpeckers over their unique inborn habit of tree jabbing. This strange yet interesting practice is deemed as both alluring and mysterious by our ancestors, associating the pounding rhythm with energy and life. Woodpeckers are seen to be symbols of our life’s rhythms or flow and how it affects our principles, relationships and over all existence.
Apart from the common distinction as magical creatures, here are various forms that several cultures assign to woodpeckers.
1. Woodpeckers were perceived to be fortune tellers in ancient Europe, relaying their messages about change, good or bad, through their tapping.
2. Their ability to craft intricate nests and lay up to 6 eggs at a time has led Babylonians to see them as extraordinary birds of fertility and abundance.
3. Folk traditions associate woodpeckers to the element of fire not only for being such energetic birds but also on account of the red-strip of feathers seen atop the heads of most of their species.
4. Commonly seen as magical creatures, woodpeckers are frequently identified with indigenous and primitive symbolism that weaves the capacity to communicate from a realm that our eyes nor minds can see.
Woodpecker Spirit Animal Highlights
Discernment / Balance / Return / Initiation / Signal / Opportunity / Communication / Protection / Attention / Progress / Determination
“A woodpecker can tap twenty times on a thousand trees and get nowhere, but stay busy.
Or he can tap twenty-thousand times on one tree and get dinner.”
– Seth Godin, American author
There are numerous places to google and research meanings associated with your favourite birds. If you are curious and looking for a starting point, or adding to what you know and feel, this is the resource we used for this post.
Woodpecker Symbolisim