Bird

Birds symbolize psychological facts – thoughts, ideas, inspirations, but also spirituality. Everything related to the mind possesses an air quality. Sometimes the bird is an expression of the transcendent function. They are creatures that fly in the air, borne by the wind, at home in this spiritual element. Spiritual gods used to be wind gods. In particular, white birds represent spirit, soul, the Self, etc. From an alchemical perspective, birds generally belong to sublimatio, in short "ascent," roughly speaking the liberation from matter or the Saturnine; birds that land, on the other hand, can represent something from the collective unconscious entering the sphere of the ego.

Species

Not all birds have the same symbolic value. Species that cannot fly represent, of course, a different content than birds in general (see for example Goose); a raven has a different meaning than a flock of doves, and so on (see respective bird species). To understand a dream image, one must pay attention to details.

Thoughts and Ideas

In dreams, elusive birds can symbolize autonomous thoughts, fantasies, and ideas that come and go. They can be inspiring and intuitive, but they can also be dangerous and melancholic – this depends, in that case, on what kind of bird it is and how it behaves in the dream.

Soul and Spirituality

The belief that the soul leaves the body in the form of a bird is widespread, with instances where visits from the afterlife also take on a bird's form. According to ancient Egyptian belief, when the Ba-soul leaves the body, it takes the shape of a bird with a human face. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, the dead are described as clothed in feathers. Callisthenes recounts that Alexander the Great's soul departed earthly life as an eagle. In Norse culture, a man's fylgja could take the form of a bird; and in Africa, shamans would capture birds to retrieve souls, among countless other examples linking birds with souls, spirituality, and messages from beyond across the world.

Birds are not bound to the earth like humans and other animals, allowing them to fly between worlds. With these characteristics, they serve as helpers and guides for shamans. Indigenous peoples adorned their clothing and hair with bird feathers as an expression of their identity as spiritual beings.

The Holy Spirit

A white bird symbolizes the Holy Spirit, while many white birds—especially doves—tend to have more pagan connotations, possibly evoking associations with deities like Astarte and Venus.

Small Birds

Generally, small birds have been viewed as harbingers of luck and prosperity; thus, the bird world should be treated well for everyone's happiness. Singing birds, in particular, are associated with spring, lending their symbolism to the season. In some beliefs, it is believed that spring breaks through due to the return of birds after winter.

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