 For
the Birds
by Ann Trump
Most mornings, I hear the birds chattering their greeting to the dawn at
least a half an hour before I see them.
I have several bird feeders around my house, but I have strategically
positioned a feeding area outside my bedroom window between the Korean spice
bush and the quince. While I drink my first cups of coffee, before the day has
gotten a firm hold on my attention, I allow myself the joy of bird watching. I
highly recommend it.
Back yard bird watching satisfies the yearnings of my soul, that place in me
that wants a peaceful and calm demeanor, that place that trusts life and wants
to leave behind the hurry. Without effort, I experience an alert, meditative
state. Even on a busy day, if I stop for just a moment, and catch the scattering
of sparrows as a noisy blue jay lands on and claims a feeder, I am instantly
brought into the present moment.
From a Feng Shui perspective, inviting birds into your environment is
inviting good chi and blessings from Heaven. Birds are symbols of new
opportunities and good fortune. Feeding birds is a fabulous way to increase
energy around the home and keep it from becoming stagnant. Introducing a bird
bath is a wonderful way to incorporate the water element into your landscape.
The material and color of the feeder can be a way to add a deficient element or
enhance an area of the bagua.
Be mindful of placement, for example adding a feeder to the north area of
your property or in a northern widow of your house may give you added energy and
blessings for a job search, as the north represents career.
Tips for feeding the birds:
- Keep the feeders full. Birds will return to feeders if they know there
is a continuous food supply. If you are new to feeding, don’t be discouraged
if birds don’t flock the feeder the minute you fill it. Be patient, they
will find it.
- Birds like cover when they feed. Feeders hung near shrubs and trees or
under porches provide safety from predators. Try draping pine branches or
grape vine around feeders that are too exposed.
- Birds prefer wooden feeders to plastic feeders, with the exception of
hummingbirds and finches.
- Don’t forget squirrels will invade feeders and have ravenous appetites.
Give them a feeder of their own filled with corn and sunflower seeds, or buy
corncobs just for them.
- There is a variety of attractive window feeders for city dwellers. A red
hummingbird feeder is an ideal energizer for any area of the bagua that
needs a little boost and is a perfect feeder for apartments.
- Experiment with homemade bird treats. Pinecones rolled in peanut butter
with birdseed sprinkled on them is a nice project for children. Hang them
from your porch or on trees. Birds love suet. Try the recipe below.
Suet
- Use as much lard as desired.
- Add peanut butter
- Add any dried fruits or nuts that you have available.
- Mix in enough birdseed to make it desirable to the birds.
- Put the mix in recycled onion sacks and hang outdoors.
Bird watching and bird feeding is a soul pleasing past time and good Feng
Shui.
On the wall above the cash register in my favorite Chinese restaurant there
hangs a beautiful painting of One Hundred Birds. The symbolic meaning of the
Chinese painting is good fortune and financial blessings. I have actually
counted forty four mourning doves feeding at one time in my yard. Arriving in
pairs, I believe they bless me with the fortunes from Heaven.
Learn about the Feng Shui services available from
The Nanta Bagg.
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