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A visit from on high

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 The regal Crowned Eagle photographed by Erich Lamprecht.

Ever since the Sunbirds* I take birds seriously. Especially if they pay me a surprise visit.

So when a Crowned Eagle granted us a fifteen minute audience by settling in a tree no more than a 150m from us, I intuited that it was of some importance. As is often the case, I didn’t immediately know what to make of it. I was aware only of feeling noticed and nurtured by the mere presence of this magnificent bird sitting quite peacefully in full sight.

Last week we were on a short and belated honeymoon in as near a perfect setting as we could ever hope for: we spent it at the holiday cottage of our friends Pieter and Linda in a lush nature reserve close to Groblersdal. All through the week we were treated to sounds and sightings of the abundant bird life we are familiar with in this area with its unique eco-environment of  high cliffs, streams and indigenous forest.

A pair of Paradise flycatchers entertained us with their acrobatics, the male resembling a longtailed goldfish darting in a fish bowl. The brilliant blue of the Woodland Kingfishers shone like jewels in the trees above the running brook, their cry sounding along with the Black Cuckoo and the Red-chested Cuckoo (Piet-my-vrou) in a medley of sad and merry tones.We were privileged to catch sight of these shy birds as well as their cousin, the Diederik Cuckoo.

Much more socially adept were the Rock Thrushes, the Forktailed Drongo and the Mocking Chats who hopped and hunted about within meters of us where we would sit on the deck, soaking in the vibrant energy of this wonderful place.

I have not experienced many places in South Africa in my life where the Spirit of Africa is so tangible. Where by late afternoon the birds quiet down but the baboons, the meerkat and dassies come out to play on the sheer cliffs spread only meters away from us like a giant silver screen.

All of this had the quality of almost dreamlike perfection. Like smooth pebbles lying at the bottom of a clear pool. Happy energy. Pure and light.

Then along came the Crowned Eagle. It packs a serious punch in the mighty energy it exudes.  At 80 to 90cm in height its huge claws and massive wings resembles a knight in full armor, the breast plate heavily spotted. Add to that the rounded crown at the back of its head and the severe beak and you have me bowing willingly to its Noble Highness.  

We were catching up with permanent residents and neighbors, Erich and Annie, on a crisp afternoon after a bout of rain, sitting on their high deck with its magnificent view of the valley, when Annie spotted the eagle as it settled onto a dry branch. For them it was a first sighting ever in the area and their excitement knew no bounds. Erich managed to take some photographs and together we enjoyed being in the company of this magnificent being for as long as it chose to sit there perusing us. At length it flew off quite leisurely, perching here and there until it disappeared over the cliff top.

It was only afterwards however, as I contemplated the experience, and especially after reading up on the metaphysical aspect of the eagle, that the bigger picture dawned on me.

According to Jane Toerien in her book Bird Cards – The Healing Power of the Bird Kingdom, eagles carry the vibrational energy of the power aspect of God. Being confronted with an eagle in such a very definite and direct way, could reflect something of a need to draw on the power of God to reclaim an area in life where one feels powerless.

How did this apply to me? Here I was, on honeymoon in this glorious setting with the love of my life. Nothing could be more perfect.

But this is just a small serving of the wedding cake. Back home at The Restory on Barrowfield farm, a new year lies ahead with many challenges that are daunting and that threaten to overwhelm me. In our planning for 2015 expensive and time consuming projects must see the light if we are to carry through our vision of a retreat center. With the resources  and prospects available to us at the moment, it looks impossible and ridiculously ambitious. The odds are so huge that it renders me powerless. For the most part, I feel totally incompetent and without the means to tackle what we are up against, even while truly believing and deeply knowing that the time is right.

And then the eagle appears, and I feel heard without consciously knowing that I have called for help. I can draw on that image to help me reclaim the power I need to make things happen.  I am safe.

Matilda

 * You may enjoy reading about my encounters with Sunbirds at the following links:

Lessons in Sunbirdish 1
Lessons in Sunbirdish 2
Lessons in Sunbirdish 3
Lessons of Sunbirdish 4
The ABC of Sunbirdish


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