Cardinal as a spirit guide

Cardinal reminds us to remain grounded in spiritual truth and to continue to feed the knowledge of our ancestors to newer generations

artwork by Abby Diamond

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SPIRIT GUIDES CONNECT WITH US IN ORDER TO TEACH US DIFFERENT LESSONS, LEND US THEIR HELPFUL QUALITIES, BRING US MESSAGES FROM GOD, & PROVIDE US WITH INSIGHT AND UNDERSTANDING. SOME GUIDES MAY BE WITH US OUR ENTIRE LIVES, AND OTHERS COME AND GO AS WE GROW AND PROGRESS THROUGHOUT LIFE AND OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEYS. ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR THE GUIDES THAT WORK WITH YOU, AND CHERISH THE MESSAGES THEY BRING.

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I do most of my meaningful thinking outside on my patio - partly because when I'm close to nature I feel close to Spirit, and partly because inside there is a two year old tornado running around. So today, while sitting outside pondering, I kept getting distracted by dead falling bugs. Yes, I said falling bugs. After about five minutes of staring up at the sky and trying to figure out where the hell these phantoms bugs were coming from, I saw a little head peek over the side of the roof right above me. It was a beautiful red Cardinal bird, chewing on his bugs, and then dropping them down to land on my head. 
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I stood there for a while, smiling up at this bird and singing his call back to him (Cardinal is the only bird call I know how to do because they were so prevalent where I grew up) - and then I realized what amazing symbolism Spirit was showing me. 
God is the metaphorical mama bird, building a nest for us where we can grow and be protected, and then when we're ready (whether we know it or not) pushes us out of the nest to start our own journey. 

Birds chew food, swallow it, and then regurgitate it back into their babies' mouths. I know that might sound a little gross, but it's necessary because the baby birds aren't able to swallow raw food yet. God, likewise, takes the knowledge and secrets of the universe, mashes them down and simplifies them and then spoon feeds them to us (through signs, symbols, thoughts, and lessons) in a way that we are able to comprehend and apply to our lives.

artwork by Louise DeMasi

Cardinals are a brilliant red color. The brighter the color the more successful the bird will be in reproducing. Also, this species of bird is known for bravely and diligently defending its territory. 
Red is symbolic of passion. Passion can be dangerously harmful, like fire, and it can be deeply unconditional like love. Both are helpful but both have the ability to cause great devastation. However, the color red is also representative of the Root Chakra. Cardinal reminds us to keep our first chakra working strong, and to remain rooted to our beliefs. Stand behind what you believe in with passion and courage. Passion is a powerful and uplifting thing when it is rooted, but when it is allowed to take over it can be destructive.
The lessons from the Cardinal remind me of the affirmation I feel when looking at the Tarot card, The Tower: I have faith. All is not lost if I am committed to my spiritual beliefs, even in times of great pain, ignorance, and suffering.