ChrysoullaBlessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. - Mathew 5:8
Monday Circle Reflections, December 28, 2020
Today I saw a turkey vulture, soaring through clouds, at my heart chakra. It was stunning.
The turkey vulture's Latin name is Cathartes Aura or the Golden Purifier.
The vulture can fly higher than other birds because it uses air currents to its advantage, minimizing the impact of gravity and maximizing its efficiency. This vantage gives it a view and knowledge of the landscape below that no other animal enjoys.
A vulture's purpose is to purify its environment. Never killing, the vulture sweeps the landscape of rot and disease, ensuring the continued health and life of other living things. Vultures are collaborators; when they find food, they alert their entire flock to ensure that everyone eats, and when vultures find huge feasts, they will alert neighbouring vulture flocks and even Condors.
In ancient Egypt and Iran, vultures were seen as angels of death who served the earth goddess by transporting dead bodies to heaven. And in Greek mythology, the vulture is the descendant of the Griffin, a symbol of non-dualism.
It is only fitting then that the vulture would appear at the heart chakra, where the heavenly and earthly aspects of ourselves meet.
This week, I invite you to meditate on the lessons that the vulture offers:
The height that that vultures fly to ensure that they see everything before settling on a course of action.
The way they use the power of air currents to defy gravity and soar effortlessly, avoiding exhaustive force.
The way they have faith in the abundance of nature, sharing and collaborating, instead of resorting to the territorial and adversarial behaviour that comes from a mindset of scarcity.
Most notably, the vulture's higher purpose, to purify its environment by embracing death as a pathway to new life and health.