3min chapter

Discover The Spiritual Meaning Of Birds And Their Messages

Breathe Love & Magic

notes

CHAPTER

Introduction

Explore the deep spiritual connection between birds and personal messages as shared by guest Katherine Bistido, a Reiki master who has integrated her experiences with birds into her healing practice and wellness coaching for cancer survivors.

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Transcript

Episode notes

There is a spiritual meaning of birds. Have you ever been outside, hoping to see a sign about something and suddenly you see a bird? My guest, Catherine Bastedo, author of the Bird Vibes Meditation Cards talks about this and the spiritual messages birds offer.

It Started With Reiki

I asked Catherine how she got involved with Reiki which was her entre into the spiritual world. She heard about it three times in one week so she pursued that and took her first course. Reiki helped her release stress and she loved it.

No question that Reiki and yoga are two powerful pathways to spiritual development. After the 21-day period following my first Reiki attunement, I had a big opening and started to channel.

Then after the passing of a young colleague, she realized life was fragile. Catherine wondered what she hadn’t done yet that she should investigate. Besides world travel, one thought became prominent – Reiki. Next, she left her high-level government job to pursue her spiritual interests full time.

A Hawk on Her Shoulder

One great story was how Catherine discovered her connection to birds and their messages. She walked into a woman’s office which had several angel pictures, and the woman said, “Catherine, you have a hawk on your shoulder and it’s wing is broken. ”

Being spiritually tuned in, the woman explained that hawk symbolizes a messenger and she had messages for people. This was the start of Catherine’s understanding about the spiritual meaning of birds. The broken winged hawk disappeared after her first edition of the Bird Vibe cards was completed.

During this process, Catherine started seeing lots of birds and unusual ones as well, all trying to get her attention. Catherine has personally seen every bird in her deck.

I mentioned that I had seen a peregrine falcon once out my bedroom window sitting on a first floor roof, looking in the window at me! Catherine explained this was a message about connecting with source.

Another woman told her that the deck wasn’t quite done and she needed five more cards. Catherine came up with the season cards and then she saw a snowy owl, which became the symbol for her entire deck.

Birds Coordinate with Chakras

One interesting characteristic of Catherine’s Bird Vibe cards is that each bird is associated with a chakra. I asked how she figured out which bird goes with which chakra.

The color of the bird and the chakra factored into her decision. Plus, it was determined by how the bird moved and behaved. She also asked spirit for some inspiration!

Cat Bird Synchronicity

A fun synchronicity happened as Catherine talked about the catbird which she says has a fabulous singing voice and mimics other birds. At that point, I mentioned a bird in my backyard that sings what sounds like the name “Eric”.

As I was editing this recording, I Googled, “What bird song sounds like ‘Eric’?” I couldn’t believe it when I saw that it’s a gray catbird!

Birds are amazing to watch, noticing their different habits and songs which are different depending on the time of year. Loads of people admit to being bird watchers.

Magical Moments

I asked Catherine for one magical moment with a bird that she could share. Once on a yoga retreat in the countryside, she was sitting by a river alone and a huge bird flew overhead. It was a golden eagle, and it’s rather unusual to spot one.

That bird was giving her a message that it wanted to be included in her deck. It’s card #43 which is about leadership and vision. Accept and embrace your spiritual power. Spread your wings and soar, but remember to stay connected to the earth.

Another great example of the spiritual meaning of birds.

Catherine says we need to be connected to spirit but also stay grounded to get things done on earth. Cardinals come up often when someone has passed away. Certain birds frequently come to her clients like blue jays or robins.

The Joy Walk

These beautiful cards, each one hand painted, are also meditation cards. She recommends taking a “Joy walk” which means to be mindful and enjoy what the nature around you while you are walking. This offers the perfect mindset to notice signs, like birds, and what spirit has to tell you.

There are things in nature that will easily lift your spirit or provide a message. There were a few more heart-warming stories and then Catherine picked a card for me and one for the listeners.

Bird Vibes Meditation Cards For me, Catherine picked a yellow-bellied sap sucker which is a woodpecker. The message is, “Set the beat.” The drumming of this bird happens in spring as part of the mating rituals.

This card’s message for me is, “Re-examine your activities, make the necessary changes to your rhythm of life, and strengthen your boundaries.”

For the group, she picked the raven which is about “Use your tools.” This dark bird looks intense against the purple background.

The meaning is that the common raven has remarkable problem solving intelligence. The low croak reminds us that magic is in the air. The raven insists that you do have the power, resources and understanding so think about how to use these.

BIO – Catherine Bastedo

A Reiki Master who has always been fascinated by birds, she has now created a fabulous oracle deck called Bird Vibes mediation cards.

Over the last 15 years, Catherine has taught Reiki including an intensive master program. She leads workshops and retreats, volunteered as a wellness coach for cancer survivors and sat on the board of a non-profit organization devoted to Women’s Health.

She also practices yoga and meditation and writes online articles related to complimentary health. Prior to this, Catherine enjoyed a fulfilling career with the Canadian government.