We have been engaging serious work within our Munanso, during this time as we traveled to an important point, we saw the Eagles feeding on a deer carcass. There were both adult Eagles (with the white heads) and a young eagle (brown). There was also a Raven respectfully looking for his share of the carcass. All these photos are the photos we took of this sight. Click on the photos to enlarge to appreciate more fully.
We always pay attention to our trails, regardless of the intensity of the work we are currently engaged in, however when we are engaging serious work, we are even more alert to what appears. The Eagle is always a deeply awesome sight, especially when he appears so close to us. In this case it was not just one eagle but three, and all eating, which is of great significance. We saw one of the eagles hopping around the carcass.
We also look for sequence of events or timing. This sighting of the Eagles occurred the morning after the night of the meteor showers. We had watched many of the shooting stars the previous night all over the eastern sky, which from the perspective we were looking is directly over our Munanso. As Paleros we consider the shooting stars to be manifestations of powerful Bakulu. The meteor showers (especially in clear conditions) is a powerful time to work with the Misterios, and to charge Nkisi and Spiritual Baths, Cemis, trabajos, and much more. We had seen powerful spirits during the night, and then saw more powerful spirits during the day.
Eagles are large and powerful birds, and as they landed on the tree, the tree swayed under the force of their landing. Eagles also fly to great height. We often see the eagle high in the sky above our Ceremonial Grounds, identifiable by the soaring flight and wing shape. It is not as often that we see the eagle on the Earth and when we do, it is generally for nourishment. Seeing three eagles on the Earth is even more rare, and the Raven is a bird of particular Ancestral relevance to us.
The Eagle takes his nourishment off the Earth and then takes flight into the skies.... transforming earth-bound power to flight power, and the eagle is one of the birds who flies the highest. There are many stories of the significance and power of the eagle.
The eagle has sharp sight, like many predatory birds. This sight is also of significance to us as Paleros. We rely on our Spiritual Sight, those things the Ancestors can see, which we cannot see. The Ancestral perspective is much greater than our own. Just like the difference between the Flying Eagle's perspective and our own earth bound perspective, the Eagle represents a greater vision, a "Vititti", spiritual vision, that is vital in our processes of both working with the Mpungos and with navigating through our day to day lives.
When we work with the Nkisi, this process of taking nourishment from the Earth and transforming it into spiritual power takes place. The eagle reflects this process. We are directing energy to cross "between worlds", and we are taking the process of consumption, and rather than simply using it to maintain life as is, we are using it for progression, for building stronger foundations, for growing in wisdom and understanding, for standing with our principles more strongly, for bringing forth life, for educating our children, for so much.
When the Paleros utilizes this sacred process for exclusively establishing "power over" others in the earth-bound world, this is like an eagle who cannot fly. Interestingly enough on this same journey, we needed to stop at a certain point across the road from the zoo. We took the children to check out the animals briefly (although we are not in favor of caging up wild animals), and saw an eagle in a pen, where the eagle's wings were obviously non-functional as it could not fly away. It was a sharp contrast, and again significant on the trail.
The trapped eagle is in physical enslavement, and being a bird of the air, we can see that as representing for us mental enslavement. The free eagle is a reflection of the breaking of those chains of mental enslavement, and returning to our natural traditions where we communicate between worlds for the benefit of both our physical well being and spiritual well being. In this process we examine the various "taboos" which have been mis-educated into us, so that we can release those or break those which have been imposed through mental enslavement, be that the mental enslavement of colonialism, religion, or ignorance.
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