Our teacher, Taita Juanito speaks of how in the Ingano healing tradition there are three worlds–the water realm, the earth realm, and the celestial, or air realm. In each realm, there are guardians, protectors that we can call forth. Messengers that preside in each of these realms. In the Earth world, it is the cat, the jaguar, the tiger, the lion, or the boar for the amazonian peoples. In the water world, it is the boa, or the anaconda. And in the sky realm, it is the bird tribes that reign.
The bird people are those who live in the sky and are messengers for us, who carry our prayers from the Earth plane to the heavens. They are channels for us. As we walk a healing path, beginning to call forth the animal allies helps us to strengthen our prayers and our connection to the Creator. Each bird carries its own medicine, brings its own teachings and its own gifts for us. Being animals that live in the sky, they carry a celestial frequency and allow us to connect with the heavenly realms. As we work with their feathers, we are able to ground the medicine of this particular bird into our daily prayer, invoking the spirit of the particular bird ally.
Each bird is a totem, carrying a specific prayer integrated into their design. Below you’ll find a bit of information about some of the bird totems.
The Hawk: A bird of prey that carries a medicine of vigilance. We can imagine a hawk stalking its prey, preparing to go in for the kill. Through the medicine of the hawk we learn how to hone in our dreams. We learn meticulousness.
The Eagle: is a bird that flies highest in the sky, and is a bird that we can call forth when we are in need of a higher perspective. It is an archetype of wisdom and greater vision. We can call upon the eagle in times when we are in need of that widening of perspective, needing to see things from a different way, or to trust in the Greater Design.
The Condor: It is a bird that can offer us strength in times when we feel weak. A medicine of faith in times of doubt. It is a medicine to work with when we are feeling fragile, or vulnerable, calling forth the prayer of affirmation of our own strength, and the reminder that we are made in the image of our Creator. The condor serves as a reminder of our own internal strength and wisdom. We can also invoke the condor when we are in need of maturity and grace to maneuver a situation properly in a good way.
The Macaw: The macaw is the guardian of the air for the Ingano culture. It is a bird of grace, wisdom, and cosmic primordial connection. Through the macaw, we can take the celestial flight and commune with our ancestors and with our primordial origin.
The Owl: A nocturnal bird that represents the beauty of the balance between light and dark. The owl carries good medicine but it is strong medicine. We find the owl always in the perfect timing for our own spiritual evolution. It is a teacher of seeing the beauty of our own internal darkness, to find reconciliation with those parts of ourselves, and to work with them in a good way. Our first inclination as human beings is to want to run away from the dark, or to not identify with those parts. The owl teaches us how to claim those parts of ourselves and to empower ourselves by accepting those darker aspects. It is a medicine of powerful integration. Even the dark has light & power.
The Hummingbird: The hummingbird is a medicine of joy, reminding us of the sweet nectar of life. She gives us the power of Independence, of free flight, touching and liberating our hearts. The hummingbird awakens us to beauty.
The Turkey: The turkey is a bird of the Earth, grounding us and helping us to actualize our dreams in the earthly plane. The turkey reminds us to develop a harmonious relationship with the land and our environment and consider them as foundations to our well-being and sustenance. The Turkey totem is a powerful guide to unlocking the power of fulfillment in life and feeling content with what we have instead of accumulating material belongings to seek happiness.
