I had this experience on Sunday February 3rd. I took it to my dream circle on Monday the 4th, as a ‘waking dream’ and that group of wise women very graciously helped me begin to unpack it.
I’m at my house, getting ready to try to remove the foot of snow from my stoop and front walk. I open the front door, and on the stoop, not 4 feet from my door, sitting on a solar light in a planter is a large bird. It has its back to me and I can see its beautiful spotted feathers. It’s all fluffed up, trying to stay warm. At first I think it’s headless and somehow just a body. I can’t tell if it’s a sharpshank hawk (I saw one in my yard in the fall). Then I wonder if it’s a headless bird that somehow the hawk killed, and left. (This doesn’t make sense, but my mind was scrambling for logic.) I watch the bird quietly for a couple of minutes, watching it breathe. Then I quietly walk into my garage and back out with the shovel. By now the bird has taken its head out from under its wing and I can see that it is a woodpecker, probably a Northern Flicker. It sits and watches while I scrape and chip snow off the walkway and then make my way back towards the steps. When I get about 6-8 feet from it, s/he finally flies to the fence, and I see that it is indeed a Flicker. It flies then to one of the blue spruce in the front yard (closest to the driveway). I think it is gone, but when a few minutes later, I back the car out of the driveway, it is on the trunk of the tree, maybe only 4 inches from the ground. It watches me with its nictitating membrane eyelids. I try not to scare it as I back the Jeep very slowly out of the driveway. I’m only about 10 feet from it, and it doesn’t scare--it stays on the tree as I leave, watching me.
I’m stunned by this encounter. Is the bird ill? Is it trying to tell me something?
I look up woodpecker in animal dreams: beating out a new rhythm. Sacred heartbeat, rain caller, growth, fertility, cleansing
Hm. I look deeper into Woodpecker Wisdom. This from the website: Animal Totems: Cycle of Power
The Woodpecker
There are about 180 species of woodpeckers in the world. Most spend their entire lives in trees. Woodpeckers are climbers. They climb by propping their stiff pointed tail feathers against a support while shifting their leg hold. With its body close to the trunk or branch and its head bobbing, the bird hitches upwards, back down spiraling and nimbly darts sideways at incredible speeds. Because of their speed predators have difficulty catching them.
Their flight patterns are unique. Woodpeckers fly up, coast down then fly upwards again. Those with this totem often find that their path in life won’t always conform to society's standards and that their personal unique rhythm needs to be honored. Woodpeckers teach us to honor our personal truth and move through life with perseverance and inner strength. By staying grounded in our pursuits our goals can be obtained.
Woodpeckers are opportunists. They know when to fly out from a perch to catch insects in the air or on the ground. Their barbed tongues and strong chiseled beaks symbolize life lessons associated with discernment and proper use of speech for those with this totem.
In spring the loud calls of woodpeckers are often augmented by drumming on hollow wood are the sounds of males holding territories. Woodpeckers defend their territory aggressively. Those with this medicine need to be in control of their personal environment and will not tolerate others trying to change it. Although personal space is very important for woodpecker medicine people control issues can sometimes be a problem and flexibility needs to be learned.
The woodpecker is known as the Earth's drummer. Drumming is the heartbeat of mother earth and is associated with shamanism and the ability to move into other dimensions at will. For those with this totem the woodpecker represents self discovery. As they peck into and through trees and dead wood, hidden layers of the psyche are revealed. Those with this medicine are good analysts and have strong mental capabilities. They make excellent psychiatrists and psychologists. Woodpeckers are active birds so caution is advised to maintain balance when reviewing any situation or issue. Too much analyzing can result in procrastination.
Wow…this is powerful stuff for me. The dream circle, and other friends, assured me, if I had any doubts, that, even in the slim chance that the bird was ill, it still came to my front door, and I best listen to it.
Earth’s drummer…unique paths….sacred heartbeat. I’m listening now, Woodpecker Wisdom.
Any of you have insights to share with me about this encounter?