Finding...

Finding a tail feather from a red-tail black cockatoo is an honour for me.

It's a sign that my ancestors are close, and each time I find one, they have always appeared when guidance was needed, and life was full of turmoil.

Recently, I found my third one, laying on the wet morning grass as I parked up at work. It couldn't have come on a better day.

Picking it up and giving a silent prayer of thanks for the gift, I placed it on the dashboard and felt immediately calm.

I only found out about my birth mother's indigenous heritage the day before I moved to this cottage, 13 years ago.

Suddenly everything about my unconventional traits made sense.

My connection to nature.

My intrinsic belief in the old ways that made more sense to me than modern society did.

I often wonder how different my life would be had I have been told the truth about my heritage, and if I had of been told as a child that I was adopted. It would have made a lot of difference given there was actually no bonds with the people I grew up with. It would have also explained their cruelty.

I always knew that messages come in all sorts of forms, that only being alone in nature brought deep spiritual connection.

It's here I felt seen and held.

Be it near the ocean or in forests or bushland. Wherever I have lived, being outside, alone was beneficial for my wellbeing. 

With no way of being taught about tribal ways, I instinctively followed my own inherent beliefs.

Knowing that I navigate the world a different way, a way that needed no teaching, rather it was known on a soul level.

Making my peace with this after finding out about my birth parents, has seen my essence settle.

The appearance of a red-tail black cockatoo feather brings a message of inner strength and the power of personal transformation. Given I'd had a bit of turmoil in my life recently, it was received at such an appropriate time. And it was reassurance that those in the spirit realm were close.

It is illegal to possess, trade or sell these feathers, as they are a sacred element culturally.

Being of aboriginal heritage, gives deeper meaning when coming across a single feather from these particular birds.

Especially when it's presented at a time of unsettling change.

I hold these feathers as precious priceless gifts, left by my ancestors as a message they are close by, that I am supported.

Once home, I added this to the other two feathers I had come across in the past 13 years.

Here they stay above my bed, a reminder that I am never alone, even if in the darkest of times...