This really resonates with me. Despite a phobia of feathers, I derive so much pleasure and peace from watching the birds in my garden, and the sight of the two wood pigeons perched in the tree each morning always makes me smile. When I see a solitary magpie, to ward off the ill luck I HAVE to blink so that I see it twice! I guess these childhood superstitions etch themselves onto the mystical part of our brain...
I enjoyed this! Have been spending much more time out in nature lately, watching the birds and the rest of nature move along oblivious to all of us.
Not sure if you’ve ever heard of the American band Counting Crows, but they have a song called A Murder of One where they sing,
Well I dreamt I saw you walking
Up the hillside in the snow
Casting shadows on the winter sky
As you stood there counting crows
One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for girls and four for boys
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told.
There’s a bird that rests inside you
Sleeping underneath your skin
When you open up your wings to speak
I wish you’d let me in...
I can’t help thinking about this song when I see “one for sorrow” or “two for joy.” Are crows and magpies the same?
Anyway, these are my musings brought on by your musings and now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be listening to August and Everything After for the rest of the day.
Those lyrics are exactly the same as the magpie rhyme! It ends with 8 for a letter, 9 for a friend, and 10 for a love that will never end. Crows and magpies are not the same birds but they’re similar as they’re in the same family: Corvidae.
I love that magpie rhyme and always think of it--I learned it as well when I lived in the UK in graduate school, and now think of it so often too now that magpies come to visit so often here in Anchorage. Noticing their noise, their glossy heads, their iridescent long tails--it's become one of my favorite parts of the day to welcome their visits.
Lovely. Birds are so wonderful. We lived in Ireland for a while and there was a magpie family one spring that lived in the tree just outside our bedroom window and for several weeks we watched the parents teaching the little ones to fly. It was special indeed.
I remember that saying well Amanda! I am happy to see one though as in the wisdom that I follow it represents intelligence and communication. I'll take that! I have rediscovered a joy of writing as a mindful practice, something I've not done since I was younger.
I love this, birds have always been a very important part of my life and always will be. Although, where I live on Mull, magpies are super rare visitors and I still haven't seen one here. They're always a lovely view when I head back to the mainland and spot them, along with Jackdaws and Rooks.
This really resonates with me. Despite a phobia of feathers, I derive so much pleasure and peace from watching the birds in my garden, and the sight of the two wood pigeons perched in the tree each morning always makes me smile. When I see a solitary magpie, to ward off the ill luck I HAVE to blink so that I see it twice! I guess these childhood superstitions etch themselves onto the mystical part of our brain...
Ha - that's a great way to ward it off!
I enjoyed this! Have been spending much more time out in nature lately, watching the birds and the rest of nature move along oblivious to all of us.
Not sure if you’ve ever heard of the American band Counting Crows, but they have a song called A Murder of One where they sing,
Well I dreamt I saw you walking
Up the hillside in the snow
Casting shadows on the winter sky
As you stood there counting crows
One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for girls and four for boys
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret never to be told.
There’s a bird that rests inside you
Sleeping underneath your skin
When you open up your wings to speak
I wish you’d let me in...
I can’t help thinking about this song when I see “one for sorrow” or “two for joy.” Are crows and magpies the same?
Anyway, these are my musings brought on by your musings and now if you’ll excuse me I’ll be listening to August and Everything After for the rest of the day.
Those lyrics are exactly the same as the magpie rhyme! It ends with 8 for a letter, 9 for a friend, and 10 for a love that will never end. Crows and magpies are not the same birds but they’re similar as they’re in the same family: Corvidae.
I love that magpie rhyme and always think of it--I learned it as well when I lived in the UK in graduate school, and now think of it so often too now that magpies come to visit so often here in Anchorage. Noticing their noise, their glossy heads, their iridescent long tails--it's become one of my favorite parts of the day to welcome their visits.
Lovely. Birds are so wonderful. We lived in Ireland for a while and there was a magpie family one spring that lived in the tree just outside our bedroom window and for several weeks we watched the parents teaching the little ones to fly. It was special indeed.
I remember that saying well Amanda! I am happy to see one though as in the wisdom that I follow it represents intelligence and communication. I'll take that! I have rediscovered a joy of writing as a mindful practice, something I've not done since I was younger.
I like that saying much more! Yes writing is a great mindfulness practice and brings me much joy.
I love this, birds have always been a very important part of my life and always will be. Although, where I live on Mull, magpies are super rare visitors and I still haven't seen one here. They're always a lovely view when I head back to the mainland and spot them, along with Jackdaws and Rooks.
Yes Jackdaws and Rooks are brilliant. So noisy and playful!