Woodpecker dreaming

My night dreaming brings powerful messages and symbolism, continues to fascinate and helps me bridge across into other worlds, drawing new characters into my consciousness. I am beginning a practice of painting the animals and people that are appearing to me.

In my dream last night two black woodpeckers had gotten into the house. Quite big birds (more like the size of crows) completely black with a red stripe right across the top of their heads. I have never seen woodpeckers that look like this before and I wasn't even sure they exist…I am only familiar with green woodpeckers and the small black and white woodpeckers, with banded stripy chests I've seen here in England….

A quick Google search this morning and yes! There they are. There are my birds. I particularly adore these lines from Wikipedia : "The piercing yellow eyes and manic, high-pitched calls of the black woodpecker have made it the villain of fairy tales throughout its range. Their voice is remarkable in that it has two different calls. One is a short single high-pitched note, a loud, whistling kree-kree-kree, done only twice in a row. The other is a screech-like shrill while in flight."

I can completely relate to the fairytale element around these incredible birds… They are rather elusive and a little bit mysterious. 

From Ted Andrews "“Sometimes the woodpecker will show up just to stimulate new rhythms. Rhythm is a powerful means of affecting the physical energies. Sometimes it is easy to get so wrapped up in our daily mental and spiritual activities that we neglect the physical. This can be when the woodpecker shows up. It may also reflect a need to drum some new changes and rhythms into your life. The woodpecker has strong hooked claws for firm holds upon a tree. Its tail feathers help to prop it upright. It also has a peculiar up and down flight. It will fly, coast down, fly and then coast down. It flies in a manner and rhythm unique to itself. All of this serves to emphasize the fact that it will become increasingly important for you to follow your own unique rhythms and flight. Do what works for you in the manner best for you. When woodpecker comes into your life, it indicates that the foundation is there. It is now safe to follow your own rhythms.”  ~ Ted Andrews, "Animal Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small."

And in the second part of my dream I saw a horse give birth to a foal so quickly, literally shot out of the womb and into the world, with such dramatic speed that no one watching was even really certain it had just happened! A very hasty birthing of something new indeed. 

xo,

Catherine Athena