Malcolm Buckley's Blog - Posts Tagged "birds"

During the training walks and my pilgrimage along The Viking Way, it became evident the natural world was in alignment with my energy, guiding, protecting and helping me along the path, with exceptions as you’ll see in the book!

I instantly recognised birds as my guides and helpers for every single day on the trail.

I’ve always believed birds to be messengers, time and again this belief has been validated throughout my life that I now ‘ know’!

When a loved one dies, it is said they are able to connect with a bird’s soul and ask permission to enter its body in order to deliver a message to their loved ones on earth.

Butterflies and dragonflies also have this ability. This is why seeing a bird after the passing of a loved one could be considered a message of love.

It’s not that the bird is your actual loved one reincarnated, it’s that the soul of your loved one has ‘hitched a ride’ on the bird that has agreed to be the vessel.

St.Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, especially dogs, also considered birds to be his ‘sisters’.

His famous ‘Sermon to the birds, written around 1220 makes it clear of his love and admiration for the bird kingdom.

St. Francis’ Sermon to the Birds

“My little sisters, the birds, much bounden are ye unto God, your Creator, and always in every place ought ye to praise Him, for that He hath given you liberty to fly about everywhere, and hath also given you double and triple rainment; moreover He preserved your seed in the ark of Noah, that your race might not perish out of the world; still more are ye beholden to Him for the element of the air which He hath appointed for you; beyond all this, ye sow not, neither do you reap; and God feedeth you, and giveth you the streams and fountains for your drink; the mountains and valleys for your refuge and the high trees whereon to make your nests; and because ye know not how to spin or sow, God clotheth you, you and your children; wherefore your Creator loveth you much, seeing that He hath bestowed on you so many benefits; and therefore, my little sisters, beware of the sin of ingratitude, and study always to give praises unto God.”

Throughout my walk, there were beautiful instances, all of which I relay in my book, The Viking Way ‘A walk for Denver’.

Robins and Blackbirds were clearly my protectors and would constantly warn me of dangers around the next bend, other times they would sing beautifully so I knew I was safe for a time.

Pheasants, pigeons and butterflies were guides, again my book describes some amazing instances of spiritual guidance.

Bob Marley’s song ‘Three little birds’ came to me on several occasions, and I thanked the birds out loud every time a situation arose.

I was gifted a squeaky soft toy bird by the owner of The Kirkstead Old Mill Cottage near Woodhall Spa during my training walk from Lincoln to Boston along the Water Rail Way path. She told me to squeeze this bird which would then ‘sing’ whenever I needed Denver to come close. It clicked onto my backpack. On my Viking Way, the poor bird was squeezed more than a few times!

The most profound example, during the Viking Way of a birds spiritual presence came just outside Oakham, five minutes out from journey’s end, walking towards my son, Jonathan who was filming on his phone.

On Jonathan's camera footage a Blackbird hops from the grass into the middle of the path between us and stands looking straight towards me.

I believe…no I know this was Denver’s soul meeting me at the end of my amazing journey.

When I noticed this for the first time, I sobbed, happy tears, grateful tears, humble tears, because of all that I had experienced with birds on my walk, and now when I hear Bob Marley sing, ‘every little things gonna be alright’, I know too, this is the truth.

Next time you take a walk in nature, listen closely as our beautiful feathered friends will welcome you into their midst.

The footage can be seen on my website under the same heading as this blog post.

A message indeed from one of Nature's most beautiful messengers. Throughout the entirety of my book The Viking Way ' A Walk for Denver' I speak of how birds were my guides, my helpers, my companions. Denver's spirit was around me every day in the warnings I received from Robins & Blackbirds. Pigeons and Pheasants became guides on the path. Pigeons of course with their 'homing' skills. But the one element in this beautiful video that transcends it onto a high spiritual level are the words I closed my book with....."we are never alone".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0OlS...