The birds speaking to Odin from Norse mythology

In much medieval literature there is an occult practice retroactively referred to as “The Language of the Birds.” The belief was that birds are connected to the divine, and in observing and interpreting the movement of birds, one can communicate directly with the higher power. The belief probably came from our Paleolithic nomadic ancestors who would literally follow vultures to find the traveling herds. The birds, or any part of nature, can give us the answers to everything.

I was at a meditation retreat this past weekend where we they gave us a “Language of the Birds” exercise for our lunch break. We were instructed to ask some divine question of any intensity, like “what should I do next with my life?” or “how can improve relationship with my kid?” then we simply walk the city in silence for fifteen minutes and see what signs “the divine” gives us. I tried it. My question was “How can I get my family to see the importance of continuous self-improvement?” I walked for a few minutes listening to the traffic, and people chattering on their phones. I made a turn on West St in downtown Manhattan, and saw three orange parking cones spray-painted purple. I identified with the middle cone for some reason. It was a little bigger and totally purple. The other two were smaller and not painted fully. I interpreted this as my answer: show, don’t tell my family. Be the purplest, the best person I can be, and my kids will follow when they see the results. It was an” Aha! moment”, mixed with “no kidding, I knew that already!”

You don’t have to be spiritual or believe in any hocus-pocus to get value from this exercise. The non-spiritual psychological explanation is this: You subconsciously know the answer to most of your life’s questions. When you put your attention out and “look for signs” you are exercising your imagination to access these subconscious answers. Anyone can attach any meaning to anything. That’s how “psychics” and “fortune-tellers” make their money. And that’s ok. Whatever helps you access the answers in your head is worth it. Try asking a divine question, then look for “the birds” to give you the answer. It doesn’t matter where you look. You already have the answer anyway.