The Woodpecker (Picus) is an animal sacred to Mars and one of its symbolic manifestations (Picus Martius or Piku Martio).
The woodpecker symbolically is a very complex figure because it is connected to the oracular/divination power (Picus Feronius) and especially the augural power.
The symbol of the woodpecker shows very complex implications related not only to the science of signs and symbols, but also to visions and dreams and the peculiar divination power deriving from the Oracle of Mars.
The woodpecker symbolizes the power of the rex augur and the power of those having particular divination and augural powers.
In the science of signs' observation, in particular the observation of
the flight of birds, great importance is given to the flight of the
green woodpecker if coming from the west (related to the crow) or from the east
(if connected to the magpie). The lustration rites require that the augur at the augural stones (avieclir) cannot proceed before announcing the green woodpecker from the west.
The woodpecker also symbolically represents the presence of all the Gods and Goddesses of the woods that are cited and honored during the Lucaria in July 19 to 21. Moreover, the woodpecker is related to the knowledge of the "language of the birds".
4 commenti:
Salve! I love this post; because it resonates so strongly with my personal experience: when I moved first to England (almost 10 years ago) I lived next to a most wonderful woodland park, (in which I practically "lived", as I spent most of my waking time there for 10 months); it's hard to describe all the wonderful experiences there, and the deep connection to Spirit and Nature... one of these things is that I frequently spotted Woodpecker flying (I called them just 'green birds' as I didn't know at first what they were) -- without ever having heard about augury and their meaning, I perceived it immediately and intuitively as an auspicious sign, and it always made me happy to spot a Picus flying. This is just one of the many many things which proof to me that these sacred deeper meanings are absolutely real -- more real than anything. Vale!
Thank you for your comment.
In my brief post about the Woodpecker I have cited only very simple topics. You have highlighted one important aspect of the issue I have only briefly mentioned that is this idea of "connection", "contact", "presence of Gods and Goddesses" we feel when we experience this "awareness", this form of awakening. In these implications, in my opinion, the effective meaning of terms like "real" or reality concretely relies on. This is also the basis of any augural activity: perceiving this "presence"....
It is so difficult to put these things into mundane language, isn't it? (I start to understand -- and appreciate -- why the ancient wise men and women put used poetic language, as in the Vedas.) You are doing a wonderful job on your blog in bringing the ancient traditional wisdom into the contemporary practice, in words understandable for the modern people. :)
Thank you!!!
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