It’s a brilliantly sunny, beautiful day, but the weather is changing.
In theory, we’re not supposed to see any of it until Wednesday, but with the dawn came the trailing bands of puffs of clouds — a blend of white, gray, and a shade shy of iridescent, all the sort that herald the arrival of a storm gathering just out of sound and sight.
Of course, none of that means that we shall necessarily see any of it here; it’s entirely possible for ferocious storm systems to visit the peaks that are practically in our front yard without delivering a single drop or flake to us. But there’s a decent chance, and where there’s a chance, there’s hope.
And Spirit knows we need hope now. Climate collapse, raging deadly pandemic, twelve-hundred-year drought . . . as those these were not more than enough, we have ahead of us days that mark the arrival of other spirits, too.
I know that most of those who read this will do so with a jaundiced eye, assuming that I mean that sentence metaphorically, or, if not, that I have lost the plot entirely. Both are incorrect, and while I could cite the Hamlet quote that would be instantly recognizeable, there’s no need. Our cultures engage with this world, and with others, differently from the way colonial cultures insist on cmpartmentalizing them (a control technique if ever there were one, and a failed one too). And we have only to watch the behavior of the other beings with whom we share this space, wild and domesticated alike, to know that it our limited human perception that prevents us from seeing what so often is right in front of us.
The next few days will involve additional work that has nothing to do with business. There is posole in the crock pot even as I type; there will be other good foods over the days to come. Portions will be set aside for the spirits, so that they know they are welcome and remembered in a good way.
But it’s not merely ancestor spirits or elders and other already walked on who make the journey back at this time of year. Our cosmologies are complex and endlessly varied, and they encompass so much more as “spirit” than colonial cultures can comprehend. Among theme are the seasonal visitors, of course: Bear, seeking sustenance before the long sleep of winter; Coyote, always on the prowl and always hungry; Elk, slowly moving downslope now as climate change and colonial incursion aid seasonal dormancy in reducing available forage; a seemingly endless array of birds large and small, from the tiniest chickadees to the greatest of the raptors, all on the hunt as the cold and encroaching dark send their food supply scurrying into burrows.
And in some of those categories, particularly the last one, less tangible versions of their kind, at least on this plane. Our stories and traditions are rife with powerful spirit birds, from Thunderbird to Water Bird to less readily categorized raptors that resemble that creature known half a world away as the Phoenix. It is this spirit — no, more accurately, these spirits — animating today’s featured work, a tribute to esoteric powers and forces of the night. From its description in the relevant section of the Bracelets Gallery here on the site:
Feathers of the Spirit Bird Cuff Bracelet
Late at night, in the world of dreams, you can feel the warmth of the Phoenix’s fire and the brush of the feathers of the Spirit Bird. With this cuff, Wings summons this otherworldly spirit and its powers of renewal into wearable form. The wide sterling silver band is hand-milled in a repeating pattern of graceful feathers, each barb and shaft articulated in sharp relief on the surface. At the center, in the embrace of a scalloped bezel trimmed with twisted silver, a spectacular round cabochon of Bird of Paradise agate unfurls feathers of fire amidst mist and smoke, Phoenix, Firebird, and Indigenous Spirit Bird at once, arising from the flames to create a new and visionary world. The cuff is 6″ long by 1.25″ wide; the cabochon is 1-3/16″ across (dimensions approximate). Other views shown above and below.
Sterling silver; Bird of Paradise agate
$1,050 + shipping, handling, and insurance
I love this piece, both for its lightweight flexibility and for the boldness of its imagery: feathers flowing in sharp relief, as though lifted by some cosmic wind; a stone of pure mystery and magic, at once feathered and full of flames, a renewing fire of night. It’s a reminder that that which burns also cleanses; what can destroy can also heal.
And while the spirits may have messages and tasks for us that are difficult, unwelcome, in these days even dangerous, they are also words of wisdom and guidance and obligations that will allow us to help in the building of a better world to come.
In a season when the spirits walk — or perhaps fly — it’s a reminder that we need to acknowledge, honor, and listen to them now.
~ Aji
All content, including photos and text, are copyright Wings and Aji, 2022; all rights reserved. Nothing herein may used or reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the owner.
