Message from the Eagles

 I found this message this morning and felt it was worth sharing

Love U 

Woman Who Walks: Two Eagles
by Stephanie Pflumm

Woman Who Walks usually loves the snow, but there has been so much this year that it is becoming difficult not to complain. During this most recent melt, she walked to my house to share one of her new teas. And this story.

Shortly after our third blizzard had melted away, the air warmed up very nicely. Grandfather Sun shone bright, chasing the chill out of his Son. Father Sky wore his palest blue cloak and Mother was cozy and welcoming in its embrace. Woman Who Walks couldn't resist the brief retreat of Winter and made for the trail that leads into Swan Creek Valley.

Though the path was much livelier and noisier during the Spring and Summer, Woman Who Walks certainly was not alone on the trail. The Cedars all nodded a sleepy greeting.

A Robin from the far Northeast (I think she said it was Maine) perched along a barbed wire fence to twitter hello and comment on the beautiful Winter day. She was slowly making her way back home and reveling in the warmer weather and clear Sky. In a few more weeks, thousands of Robins would be making their way through this valley and the Ozarks as they migrated to their more Northern homes.

Bluebirds, Cardinals, Chickadees and Nuthatches always stayed to weather the Winter and they were dancing on Father's breezes, playing joyfully in the unseasonable warmth of the day. Woman Who Walks was delighted - she sensed the promise of an early Spring, despite her knowledge that Winter still had more up its sleeve.

Woman Who Walks ventured off the trail where it turned to cross the valley floor and headed down to the creek bed instead. She made a mental note to come back in mid Spring. With all the snow that Winter was bringing, there could be some new treasures in the creek when the snow melt runs off the small mountains.

Gorgeous Jaspers, Agates, and other Chalcedonies were the constant generous gifts of streams falling out of the Ozark Mountains. Further South, where the Ozark Mountains turn into the Ouachita Mountains, is the home of Mother Earth's most beautiful crystals.

Lost in thoughts of crystals and Agates, Woman Who Walks did not see the two Eagles resting on the creek bank until she almost walked into them. Awestruck and surprised a momentary fear froze her steps. She was terrified that she had frightened them and any second they would take flight leaving her with her mouth gaped open, looking just a little foolish.

For the last several Winters, Woman Who Walks had seen the Eagles that migrate here from the big mountains out West. Their dark wings and white heads were a dramatic, almost magical sight against the backdrop of Father Sky. As a small child, her elders had lamented that she would probably never have the joy or honor of seeing this great bird. The efforts of the two-leggeds to control Mother Earth had come close to totally destroying the legendary royal raptor.

And now, two of them were there right in front of her, not more then three feet away. They must be terrified to have this clunky, noisy two-legged woman come bursting into their territory. Except, the Eagles appeared unfluffed by her appearance. They seemed quite calm, almost as if they had known she would be there.

Woman Who Walks eventually noticed that she had not disturbed these feathered visitors in the least. Relaxing, she scanned the rocky creek beach for a smooth spot to sit. Right beneath her was a boulder that looked to be just the perfect size for her.

Slow as a tree grows, she lowered herself onto the stone. Her older muscles and bones aching in protest, screaming for her to sit down already. She wasn't taking any chances though, their acceptance of her presence could just be her illusion. Once seated, she paused, remembering to breathe and allow her muscles to untense.

A formal, almost ceremonial silence quietly connected the feathered and two-legged relations. Woman Who Walks felt a loving assurance emanating from the Eagles, a confident communication that this moment was exactly as it should be, and each of the participants had been invited and expected.

She stretched her arms out, away from her body, her palms held upward in a universal gesture of peace and welcome. At the correct moment, she gathered her words and opened her mouth to introduce herself.

"Greetings Woman Who Walks, dear daughter of the Humans, born of Feather Dancer and Wolf Singer into the Turtle Clan, speaker of the Sacred Language Of All", the slightly larger of the two Eagles spoke first. Woman Who Walks felt a blush as she wondered, what sacred language?

"I am Phoenix, Feathered son of Hope and Wind Chaser, born to the Wind Clan and new mate to Rainbow", he finished by turning his head towards his companion. Woman Who Walks was struck by how golden their beaks were, and how formal his words sounded.

The smaller Eagle looked like she curtsied slightly, then said, "I am Rainbow, Feathered daughter of Rain Cloud and Thunder Song, also born to the Wind Clan and new resident of this fine valley Mother has carved with her hills and streams".

"Welcome Woman Who Walks, please accept our gratitude for joining us on this gifted Winter day".

"I am honored to meet you Rainbow and Phoenix of the Wind Clan, and cannot begin to express my delight at accepting your generous invitation", Woman Who Walks replied, recognizing her cue. She was still distracted by the Sacred Language business. Then another word the female Eagle had spoken caught her attention. Resident, had she said resident? Did this mean they were going to be here, all the time?

"Many Winters the Wind Clan has traveled to these hills because we cannot fish the frozen streams and lakes of our homes during that cold season". Phoenix spoke again. "Some of us have come to love the streams, lakes and mountains of this land you call Ozark. Plus, many of the homes of the Wind Clans have become overcrowded. It has been suggested that perhaps the younger Sons and Daughters could begin new clans. Rainbow and I have chosen your valley for the home of our new clan".

"We chose this valley for another reason", Rainbow spoke with a voice that sounded a little like the Wind in Summer, brushing across tree tops. "Eagle has an important new message to bring to our two-legged relations. Tree, Coyote and many other four-legged and plant relations have spoken your name as one who knows the Sacred Language of All". Again the woman's thoughts stumbled over this Sacred Language. "Phoenix and I came to this valley to meet you. We knew that we could deliver our new message through you to other two-leggeds".

"Eagle represents the power of the two-legged's will to overcome", Phoenix continued. "There was a time when Eagle was gone from the Sky. Attempting to control their Mother, two-leggeds doused the land with poison that crept into every strand of life's web. Water, crops, everything we touched was infected with this poison. Soon our children stopped being born. We could bring forth our eggs, but just our efforts to warm the eggs would break them, aborting the life within".

"It was almost too late when the two-leggeds realized what they had done" Rainbow picked up the story. "Still, they took action to fix the problem. Humans came together to solve the problem they had created. They wrote laws and punished those two-leggeds that broke them. They found other ways to combat insect relations that interloped on their crops. They invested money in labs where eggs could be rescued from the wild and raised. They nurtured these Eagle babies as their own, then returned them to the homes of the ancient Eagle clans".

"Yet, despite this lesson, you two-leggeds are still repeating your destructive behavior, as if you are unaware of the delicate threads of life woven around you. You must be reminded, and this is the message we ask you to take with you Woman Who Walks. So much will be lost if you do not remember".

A fatal urgency had entered Rainbow's voice, and it made the woman shiver.

"I carry the name Phoenix to share the message of rebirth from destruction. Just as the hand of humans took Eagle to the brink of absolute death, love and determined intent brought us back. I am the child born of that destruction. My grandparents were both hatched in labs and nursed by the power of the human's love for life. My blood is the legacy of that power".

"Each of you carries the power to change the course of history. Collectively you can create peace out of the war intentions of your leaders. Collectively you can force the market and politics to behave in ways that do not harm your Mother or Father. Never doubt the power of your common will to alter destiny. You just have to want it with a pure and unwavering intent".

"I am named Rainbow for mine is a message of hope. I carry the promise of calm following the storm. That the devastation of rain, wind, thunder and lightening is actually the essence of creation. I bring you the belief that all is possible, even in the face of a great enemy, peril and uncertainty. It is in these trials that your strength is honed, your power and intent sharpened for the battle of light over dark".

"For my hopeful message is a fuel that fires your intent. You must be able to believe that on the darkest night, in the deepest pain, in the loneliest heart there will be a conclusion to your suffering that will reward all. Just as when the Eagle's plight appeared to be without hope, you did not become hopeless. Instead, you took up the light to bring back life to that which you had almost made barren."

Woman Who Walks had forgotten all about the Sacred Language as she listened to the Eagles' message. Of all the times she had watched the Eagles soaring, not once had these thoughts occurred to her. It was time for her to speak.

"I have watched you many times, your wings spread against Father Sky, playing on the Wind. Each time my heart has soared with you, filled with an unexpressed joy. Now I understand the message of your flight as I did not before. I also understand the importance of sharing your words. I will be honored to take them with me and send them out into the two-legged's world in any way that I can."

The three sat briefly on the creek's bank, their silence served as a seal on their agreement. Then Rainbow and Phoenix took flight. Woman Who Walks watched as they disappeared across the valley and up into the trees covering the hill's top.