Unlocking the Healing Power of Flowers for our Feathered Friends

By Christine Agro

 
    Birds love flowers.  Traditionally, not for their beautiful blooms but for the nutritious seeds that follow.  Many people use flowers to attract birds, be it finches, sparrows or cardinals.

     But did you know that flowers provide a natural healing key for birds?  Each flower has an energetic personality and that personality can be transferred to water, simply by soaking the flower in water.  The result is Flower Essences.  Flower Essences are part of what is known as vibrational medicine.  Distinctly different from conventional medicine which strives to suppress symptoms, vibrational medicine works with the energy state of the body (which includes our physical body, emotional body, energy body, mental body, spiritual body and our aqueous body.)  It is a subtle, non-invasive approach to health and wellness and it supports the natural healing ability of the body.  Animals especially benefit from the use of Flower Essences because they have not lost that connection to their innate healing ability.

    All animals in the wild are capable of self-healing.  If you watch animals in their natural environment you will find them sampling different herbs, nibbling on flowers, eating grass all of which addresses their fine attunement to the needs of their own body.  Nature provides all that our bodies need to live and thrive, but unlike animals in the wild, most of us have lost the inner voice that guides us to what we need. 

    When it comes to using Flower Essences with birds, it is an interesting shift in our relationship.  We are indeed expanding our consciousness and our ability to live and communicate with the animals of the planet and because of our dexterity and stature there are many things we can help animals with. 

    There seems to be the occasional bird who recognizes that leaving a flower blossom in a small pool of water provides a healing experience, but by far, this is new information for our bird friends.  If you want to offer the healing power of Flower Essences it is important to also offer clean pure water along side and let them decide which they want.  It is true that Flower Essences will illicit no response if they are not needed, but where birds are concerned it is important to give them the conscious choice. 

    You can certainly work with pre-made flower essences from Bach, Flower Essence Society, Perelandra or any of the other Flower Essence providers, but another more harmonic option is to use whole flowers and especially flowers that are native to your area.  Birds want to learn about the healing power of flowers so by using the whole flower you can teach them how to make their own flower essences.  Be sure to let them know what you are going to be doing and let them know why before you get started.

    If you want to introduce Flower Essences to your bird friends pick a few that support the emotional body, the removal of toxins and the strengthening of the auric field.  Start a journal so you can document what happens.  Create two birdbaths, or water sources; one that will be pure water and one that will hold the flower essence.  The water source will need to be in the sunlight for this to work.  Fill the water source with pure clean water and in the morning drop in the flower tops of the first flower you’ve chosen to work with. 

    Let the flower tops soak in direct sunlight for several hours – you may notice birds starting to come by to check things out even with the flowers still soaking and that’s o.k.  When you are ready to take the flower tops out, leave one or two so that the birds can make a connection between the flower tops and their healing experience.  This way they will begin to create their own catalogue of which flowers to use and when.  After you get started you may even find that your bird friends will begin to bring you flowers that they want to try.

    Notice how many birds come, what kinds of birds, and what is their reaction.  Use the same Flower Essence for several days before switching to a new one and continue your research and teaching.  Always create a new batch of Flower Essences each day though. Start with fresh water and place the flower tops in to soak.  When you switch Flowers be sure to let your friends know too.

    This method satisfies our bird friends' desire to learn about the healing power of flowers.  But you can still use bottled Flower Essences when you are aware of disturbances or your bird friends tell you they or one of their family is in need of support.  In this regard you can drop 1 or 2 drops in a fresh water source.  They can also be administered orally – just one drop on your finger rubbed on the beak will do.

    Whether you are teaching and doing research or providing support here are several suggestions of Flower Essences you can work with:

Rock Rose: provides courage and strength

Mimulus: addresses fears – fear of change, fear of death, fear of new people or animals

Cosmos: opens interspecies communication

Pink Yarrow: helps to build a healthy auric field

Chamomile: soothes, calms and nurtures

Star of Bethlehem: supports when there is tragic death

Bleeding Heart: helps to deal with the death of a loved one

Red Clover: provides strength during mass hysteria (good for natural or manmade disasters)

Mountain Penny Royal: revitalizes the auric field

Lavender: reduces nervousness, support highly refined awareness

Crab Apple: supports the cleansing of emotional and environmental toxins

Vervain: calming – good for injured birds.

    For more information on the properties of flowers, The Flower Essences Society based in California has an excellent Flower Essences Repertory, which is available both in book form and as an on-line resource for Society members.  You can find them at <;a target="_blank" href="//www.wingedhearts.org/%3Ca%20href%3D"http://www.flowersociety.org/">www.flowersociety.org">http://www.flowersociety.org/">www.flowersociety.org.

    Flower Essences hold a wonderful opportunity for us to connect more deeply with our bird friends and join together in an exploration of teaching and learning.  Listen to what they tell you and seek the flowers that will best support their needs and desires.  Everyone who participates in this exploration will expand and evolve in magical ways. 

Christine Agro is a Clairvoyant Natural Healer in Brooklyn, NY.  Christine is the host of Conscious Animal Radio and the author of the soon to be published book “The Conscious Animal: Honoring The Spirit Of Animal Through A Conscious Relationship.”

Christine would love to hear about your experiences and information of teaching and sharing Flower Essences to your bird friends with Christine.  You can email her at connect@consciousanimal.com  or join her forum at www.flowerpowerforanimals.com  called Blossoms: For Growth.

The Thirteenth Apostle 

By Brian Taylor

    In the days of my youth (June 1958), when a real hard day's work in the heat of the far north Queensland outback sun was well compensated by the refreshment of a bath in a rock pool, deep in a rugged gully. Later, the pleasures of sharing my camp oven cooked dinner at the close of day chorus of the kookaburras, and the evening hum of the insects as they welcomed the darkness and heralded the brilliance of the night sky.

    Such a picture of sublimity comes to mind after fifty years hence. How could one forget the singing of a cross cut saw, or, the smack of a good axe, as I cleared the line through the forests of gum, bloodwood, greybox and ironbark, in order that I might run the telegraph wire, that would give a cattle-mustering camp civilisation, communication to the outside world, or in times of need contact to the flying doctors, Bush Pilots?

    My home was a swag in a bush camp on a mound of country near 'Chinaman Hill'. The environs and all the living things within that perimeter became my family and my friends.

    The family of Lousy Jacks or Twelve Apostles (as some call them), had built a nest out on a bough high up over the rugged gully where my bathroom was situated in the rock pool. Their business and constant chattering as they constructed this perfectly symmetrical chicken house, was a constant source of pleasure to me.

    So eventually the eggs hatched, then there was even more family fuss and bother. The challenge to climb the tree and to somehow manage to inch out along the bough to photograph the family, became too much - I just had to do it.

    To fall from this position down into the rocky gully, would have been disastrous. I managed the climb up and out along the bough to within eight feet of the nest. The chicks remained huddled, until they became aware of their parents proximity. Then they would crane their long featherless necks to attract attention and some food, with incessant 'cheeping'.

    They went hungry for quite a considerable time, as the parents, not trusting my presence, remained aloof and would then fly away.

    To maintain balance I had my body along the bough and my legs dangling. After being in this position for quite some considerable time, my body became aching and finally went numb.

    The parents finally gained sufficient confidence to return and feed the young, sufficiently rewarding me with a most satisfactory experience.

    As one can see by the photograph, the mother ultimately extending a welcome by her obviously proud display in full acknowledgement of my presence. The camera was .35m Kodak Retina 1b with a 2.8 lens. Today's photographic technology would enable a person to record this wild life happening in an instant, and then move on. The result would perhaps be the same, but run a long way short of my personal experience, gained from the challenge at that time.

About the Author: Brian Taylor is an experienced bushman, having worked as a stockman in outback Queensland for most of his working life.  In recent years he has authored several books. Two of his bestsellers are 'The Brumby Mare' and 'The Moonlight Stallion'.

Who The Squawk Is That?

by Mary Bailey

    We are lucky enough to live on a half-acre block about 10 km from Toowoomba, in South-east Queensland. It’s not exactly bushland, but there are plenty of birds. There are the crested pigeons, with their distinctive whistle in their wings when they fly. The cheeky butcherbirds who love to show off their skill at catching a piece of meat in mid flight. The raucous rainbow lorikeets who descend in flocks when the callistemons flower. The peewees (magpie larks) who court their reflections in the glass sliding door. The currawongs who swoop down from the highest trees to sneak some food when they think no-one’s looking. The Willie-wagtails constantly looking for insects. The blue-faced honeyeaters feeding on nectar and berries. The kookaburras who jump across the grass on their short little legs to reach the food thrown to them. The galahs who flock on the grass, the pale-headed rosellas who visit early in the morning and late afternoon, one keeping a watch while the other drinks at the bird-bath. The sulphur crested cockatoos who arrive home in the evening, the king parrot who calls for a mate, the noisy miners who boldly buzz around the other birds trying to join in. The occasional visit from a pair of plovers, who are not at all sociable and best left to themselves. The family of babblers who splash noisily in the birdbath and chatter busily all day. But my favourites are a pair of stately magpies, who have been visiting my backyard for the last ten or so years.

     We have become great friends, Mr and Mrs Magpie and I. Most mornings, one or both will often keep me company while I hang out the day’s washing, walking around near my feet, or perched on the bar of the line and singing their lovely song. I ask how they are, ask after the kids, and they talk to me and tell me what their day holds in store. Sometimes they will fly off when they’ve talked for long enough, and sometimes they will fly over to the sliding door and wait until I have finished, and then I’ll bring out some pet mince and feed them. They have become so tame that they take the food from my fingers. Mr Magpie prefers steak to pet mince, but he doesn’t often get it.

    Other days one will land on the kitchen windowsill and walk up and down to attract my attention, or tap its beak on the window to let me know that I am being a bit slow. They will often keep me company for a while when I’m working in the garden, and love following the lawnmower to catch the insects that have been disturbed.

     Every year Mrs Magpie disappears for a while to lay her eggs, but as soon as they have hatched more meat is required to feed the family, Mum and Dad taking turns to deliver dinner and come back for more. When the chicks are old enough to leave the nest, the garden is filled with the sounds of their hungry cries as Mum and Dad, by now looking a bit frazzled, hunt for food. As the chicks become more confident, Mum and Dad bring them in to introduce them, and gradually they will also accept food by hand.

    Each chick has its own distinct personality. Usually there are two chicks, but one year there were three. There was Cheeky Charlie, who was very bold, and had a crippled foot. He would stand for ages balancing on one leg. Once I took a cup of coffee and a biscuit out to a chair on the verandah, and Charlie flew onto the table at my elbow and demanded a piece. Another time he followed me into the laundry and flew up onto the trough. He found that a bit of a challenge, as it was aluminium and he was trying to balance on one leg. He was roundly shooed outside.

    Charlie had two siblings (I can never tell male from female in the young – the adult male is white at the back of the neck, and the female grayer, but the chicks are not distinct enough to tell them apart). One of the pair discovered a fascination for the towels hanging on the clothesline. A number of times I saw him perch on the top of the towel, then abseil down the side by going beak over claw, then hang from the bottom and swing! Then he would climb back up the other side of the towel to the top again. His sibling watched this, but took the easy way and simply jumped up from the ground and swung upside down.

     Then there was the time the magpie chicks discovered the guinea pigs. We had two guinea pigs in a cage, which had an enclosed shelter at the back and an open section at the front. One guinea pig was happily grazing when a young magpie flew down in front of the cage – I don’t know who got the biggest fright, but the guinea pig tore into the shelter, and the magpie squawked and flew up in surprise. Then the magpie would stalk around the cage and peer carefully around to see if the guinea pig was there; if it was it reared back in fright but couldn’t resist peering around again a moment later. The guinea pig would peek out to see if the coast was clear, and venture out when he thought he was safe. Then the magpie would stand on top of the cage and try to see inside, the guinea pig would come out, both would get a fright and fly and scamper off. This went on for a few days until the guinea pigs got bored and realised they were safe, and annoyed the magpie by ignoring him and not playing the game.

    One of the funniest things I have seen was actually in town the other day. I was waiting at the traffic lights in my car when a four wheel drive crossed the road in front of me. Sitting on the bonnet in front of the windscreen was a magpie, facing the front, with his feathers flying back, going along for the ride. I’d love to know how long he’d been there, and how far he went!

    It is delightful when the young magpies are learning to sing. They will sit on the clothesline and warble away like teenage boys whose voices are breaking, with the tune wobbling all over the place. In all the 24 years I’ve been here, they have never dirtied the washing, unless you count swinging on the towels.

     When it gets close to breeding time, Mr and Mrs Magpie will start to chase away the young ones to force them to fend for themselves. I am always sorry to see them go, but I never interfere. It’s funny to see the young ones hiding behind a pot plant hoping Dad won’t see them, and sneaking in for a feed when he has left.

    Every afternoon a pair of kookaburras and currawongs will arrive for dinner. Sometimes the magpies will allow them to stay, but other times there is a scuffle while Mr Magpie asserts his authority and lets everyone know that he is the boss. Once the pecking order is established and order is restored, I am allowed to throw out more food. I only ever use pet mince (or the trimmings from steak), as these are meat eaters. I don’t feed them every day, but I’m pretty sure they all do the rounds of the neighbours, but they also hunt insects, and I was once very unimpressed to see one of the kookaburras helping himself to the largest goldfish in the fishpond.

     If I ever leave here I will have to make sure the new owners are happy to be adopted by the local birdlife. We have never been swooped by our magpies – if they learn to like you and trust you they will never swoop. They are great company and the friendliest birds in the neighbourhood. 

About The Author:

• Nature's Corner Magazine about the remarkable capabilities of chickens;
   
• Outdoor adventurer and Wildlife photographer Phil Tulin will be sharing his tips of backyard photography;
   
• Brian Taylor has given us another exclusive story - this one will surprise you about galahs (often called stupid or crazy);
   
• and there are some more surprises in the wings....