Help with a feather found

[SaturninePluto]

Hi everyone.

While walking to the store a bit ago I happened to look down at a spot where the road intersected and there on the ground was this feather. I need a bit of help with figuring what type of bird this came from if anyone could possibly help here?

This sign really couldn't have come at a better time, it was sorely needed.

I will try to post an image here.

http://i.imgur.com/AqhG8mV.jpg?1

[Baile]

If it's small (can't tell the size), it appears to be a duck feather. I live on the ocean and there are dozens of ducks in the water outside my home at any one time. On occasion I have come home from walks with a feather like that stuck to my clothes.

When I go for walks I find up to a half-dozen feathers on the road each time. I always jam them upright in the nearest guardrail post. The wind comes and blows them away, and I find new feathers and jam them in, and the wind comes and... The eternal feather circle of life.

[SaturninePluto]

Originally Posted by Baile

If it's small (can't tell the size), it appears to be a duck feather. I live on the ocean and there are dozens of ducks in the water outside my home at any one time. On occasion I have come home from walks with a feather like that stuck to my clothes.

When I go for walks I find up to a half-dozen feathers on the road each time. I always jam them upright in the nearest guardrail post. The wind comes and blows them away, and I find new feathers and jam them in, and the wind comes and... The eternal feather circle of life.

It is actually very small. I live inland Maine but still nearer to the coast and beaches than some places. Year round we have seagulls, which I believe it could possibly be from, or it could also be from geese. Or possibly a number of birds actually. According to my father whom I asked about it, he said it could have belonged to any bird with white feathers on it, and that it doesn't even have to be a completely white feathered bird, but could be from any bird with white feathers even if multicolored. He said it is a down feather.

I am taking probability and common sense into account here, so at this time am concluding it indeed comes from a seagull, as it is very common here in Maine, and the area in which I found it, is along the road and along the way to the supermarket where they like to hang out in numbers. Probability for me then indicates strongly it is from a seagull. But yes it really could be from any bird with white feathering as it is a down feather.


So in light of finding this I did a bit of reading on the seagull spirit animal, as the purpose for this feather is I actually have been looking for a feather since two months ago for a talking stick I had made. Native custom says many and most use Owl, Eagle and Turkey feathers for talking sticks I believe and while the sites I read really didn't list any other options, I decided the moment I made the talking stick that I would be more than happy to use the first feather that came to me, and the first one irregardless of which bird it came from, would be used for the purpose of the listener feather.

This also came at a time where I very much needed it. I have been having struggles with my own sense of spirituality and this has helped shed some light on my questioning and ponderings.

I really enjoyed reading the way in which you use feathers you find Baile. What a marvelous action and metaphor to take part in. Refreshing reading.

[Baile]

Originally Posted by SaturninePluto

I have been having struggles with my own sense of spirituality

Thanks for the happy comments, SaturninePluto. So yes... a down feather, I thought of that right after I read your post. But I did mean the downy part of the duck when I wrote what I did. The really nice feathers I find, I keep. I always pick up stuff, my pockets are full of stones and shells and (empty) sand-dollars every time I go to the beach.

I'm going on about this because of your comment. I didn't get spirituality until I connected with nature. I read lots of books, went to lectures and joined spiritual groups. Yes I was a spiritual person and it was okay. But then I had a profound nature experience. And I've had quite a few since. Nature as a metaphysical gateway seems to be my path this lifetime.

It starts with the understanding that the earth is a living being. Nature is a cathedral. To hurt or kill or destroy nature and animals is akin to walking into a church with a baseball bat and swinging away. The difference is that when people kill and destroy nature, nobody cares, nobody gets arrested. Nature cannot cry out for help. My picking up nature things is about giving nature my focused attention. Conscious attentiveness is an act love. You can heal someone by simply pouring your focused attention on them. Plus I feel it's one of our soul responsibilities as the caretakers of this planet.

[GoldenEmbers]

That's a beautiful white feather! All i could think of is the angels when i see it. Could it be the angels trying to let you know that they are there? They might be trying to help you with your spirituality. You could always ask them to send signs for confirmation, but as far as I know, this could definitely be the angels letting you know they are there to help you.

[SaturninePluto]

Originally Posted by GoldenEmbers

That's a beautiful white feather! All i could think of is the angels when i see it. Could it be the angels trying to let you know that they are there? They might be trying to help you with your spirituality. You could always ask them to send signs for confirmation, but as far as I know, this could definitely be the angels letting you know they are there to help you.

Hi GoldenEmbers,

I didn't think of angels at first. Lately I have been thinking of it, and lately I have been considering greatly more benign spirits that may (quite hopefully) be out there.

I feel very blessed lately, I am working on improving myself and my relations with others, I have been consistently embarking on thinking more positively, and I really feel lately that something is looking out for me, something much greater than I, call it God or what you will.

My sense of spirituality is really starting again to flourish, whenever I find myself losing faith something incredibly positive and life affirming happens to renew my new found faith, for such a long while I set spirituality aside, and now I have returned to what I have always known, and I couldn't be more humble, grateful, and refreshed.

Thank you for your thoughts, yes I have noticed lately a lot of help with my faith and growth.

Posted by Bailie
Thanks for the happy comments, SaturninePluto. So yes... a down feather, I thought of that right after I read your post. But I did mean the downy part of the duck when I wrote what I did. The really nice feathers I find, I keep. I always pick up stuff, my pockets are full of stones and shells and (empty) sand-dollars every time I go to the beach.

I'm going on about this because of your comment. I didn't get spirituality until I connected with nature. I read lots of books, went to lectures and joined spiritual groups. Yes I was a spiritual person and it was okay. But then I had a profound nature experience. And I've had quite a few since. Nature as a metaphysical gateway seems to be my path this lifetime.

It starts with the understanding that the earth is a living being. Nature is a cathedral. To hurt or kill or destroy nature and animals is akin to walking into a church with a baseball bat and swinging away. The difference is that when people kill and destroy nature, nobody cares, nobody gets arrested. Nature cannot cry out for help. My picking up nature things is about giving nature my focused attention. Conscious attentiveness is an act love. You can heal someone by simply pouring your focused attention on them. Plus I feel it's one of our soul responsibilities as the caretakers of this planet.

Wanted to ask, have you ever read anything from Tom Brown Jr? Namely the vision?

I ask because you seem to have a very positive love of nature which the books detail in great length. It may be something you may be interested in considering reading if you haven't.

Tom Brown's books are some of my favorite because of the detailed way in which the reverence of nature is spoken about. I find the writing quite beautiful.

Thanks for your responses as well, appreciated.