Magpie Spirit

Recently the beautiful Australian Magpie has been wandering across my path. The photo below is a parent and chick (right). For those who are not familiar, these birds are notoriously protective during the Spring (now) and often swoop on anyone who is remotely near the tree they are nesting in. The incredibly unusual encounter I had was with a parent and chick like below. I volunteer garden at various different places. This one garden had a massive open backyard with some weeds off to one back corner. I was working here when I looked up and noticed a very quiet Magpie a metre from my face on the back fence, watching me. It scared me at first. I have heard the stories and been swooped myself but this bird seemed to be watching me with intense curiosity. So I continued and didn't worry about him, until he flew down and started picking the bugs up from my feet where I was disturbing the weeds. I was actually pretty unnerved by him being so close that I actually froze. He was gathering the bugs in his beak, presumably for his young. Next I heard was the squawking of the baby from what appeared to be just over the fence. I peered over the fence and this Magpie was feeding its tiny little baby in a nest on the ground less than a metre from me! It quickly jumped onto the fence and I backed away, yet it still didn't swoop at me. I was amazed. Completely stunned that this parent was so accepting and calm about my presence so close to its baby. The whole experience was truly remarkable and I feel quite honoured that I was allowed into their lives for an afternoon. 

Image source: http://trevorsbirding.com/tag/black-backed-magpies/

A brief Magpie Spirit meaning ~ Magpies are representative of sacred balance. If they appear in your life, they often herald a time of awareness, sense of purpose and confronting fears. They also represent the beginning of understanding the infinite balance between yourself, nature and the dualities of life; male/female, right/wrong, black/white etcetera. It quite often (like it did for me) turns your perceptions completely upside-down, causing you to reconsider the way we look at life, situations and people.  

Thank you Magpie!