Signals From Above by Doreen Virtue – a great book linked to this topic.

The Symbolic meaning of Feathers:

Symbol meaning of feathers deal with ascension and spiritual evolution to a higher plane. Feathers were worn by Native American Chiefs to symbolize their communication with Spirit, and to express their celestial wisdom. Also in the Native American Indian culture, feathers represented the power of the thunder gods, along with the power of air and wind.

Native American Pueblo Indians would pay homage to the Feathered Sun which is a symbol of the cosmos and the center of existence. Another symbol meaning of feathers also revolves around prayer, and the Pueblo use feather sticks as they dance in prayer for rain during solstice rituals.

As a Celtic symbol meaning, the feather was worn by Druids in the form of ornate feathered robes. Celtic Druids donned these robes in ceremonies to invoke the sky gods and gain knowledge of the celestial realm. It was believed that the feathered cloak along with the presence of the sky gods would allow the Druid to transcend the earthly plane and enter the ethereal realm.

The Egyptians believed that feathers were symbolic of sky gods too. Ma’at, the Egyptian goddess of justice, would weigh the hearts of the newly dead in the underworld against the weight of a feather to determine the worthiness of his or her soul.

In Christianity feathers represented virtues. In fact, an image of three feathers were made into signet rings – each feather symbolizing Charity, hope, and faith. These rings were worn as a symbol of a virtuous soul – they were also used as wax seals. The ring would be dipped in warm wax then pressed against documents to seal the closure. The recipient would know the documents came from a virtuous man by the indication of the three-feather symbol in the wax.

In dreams feathers mean travel or the ability to move more freely in life. White feathers in dreams indicate innocence or a fresh start in a spiritual sense.

A quick summary on symbol meaning of feathers:

* Truth
* Speed
* Lightness
* Flight
* Ascension

Angel Delight – Angel Signals

by Diana Cooper
Angels of Light (2 hr CDs)

Because angels are such high frequency beings, very few people ever see or hear them. So they make their presence known in other ways.

Little white feathers are their symbols, so if an angel wants to draw your attention to the fact that it is there, it will leave a little white feather in an unexpected place.Dee phoned me up to tell me this story. She had been to an angel workshop and everyone around her seemed to be getting lights and messages and feel wrapped in angel wings and she felt nothing. Yet she knew the angels were there. So she asked the angels to come into her dreams that night. She received nothing. Feeling very cross, she thought it was most unfair that she was the only one that the angels did not touch. She was studying the Course in Miracles, so she picked it up and opened it. There, in her page for the day, was a little white feather!

If you know someone who is skeptical about angels, do not waste time and energy in persuading them of something they are not ready to believe. Angels have far more effective ways of drawing their presence to their attention. A friend of mine, Ann, went for a walk with a skeptical friend. When Ann talked to her about angels, she laughed sarcastically. Ann quietly mentioned that their symbol was a little white feather, which they wouldproduce to remind you they really are there.They paused at the end of a path and leant against a gate to admire the view. Out of nowhere a small white feather dropped from a clear blue sky and landed gently in her friend???s upturned hand. Ann told me that her friend???s eyes shone with wonder as she looked at it.

A businessman called Robert phoned me one evening to tell me this intriguing story. He had been reading an angel book at his gym, when suddenly he felt pulled out of his body and taken into the Angelic Kingdom. He felt filled with joy and ecstasy and totally overwhelmed by the beauty and sense of love of the angelic presences. Then he returned to his body. Luckily his personal trainer was a very spiritual man who was able to help him come to terms with his extraordinary experience. As he left the gym, he bumped into an old friend he had not seen for many years. This man was a medium, who gasped when he saw him and said. ???Oh, you???ve been with the angels. Your aura is full of feathers.???

Whatever the circumstance, angels have a perfect way of reminding you they are there, bringing comfort, hope and help. For many years Merity stayed for a week in the same bed and breakfast each summer.One year there was a great sadness over the house as the landlady???s fourteen-year-old son was ill. Merity had not seen him and did not realise how ill he was, until one of the landlady???s friends passed her on the stairs and whispered. ???Not long to go, I???m afraid.??? For the first time Merity realized he was dying. She went to her room and lit a candle. Then she prayed for him and asked the angels to look after his spirit. Afterwards she went to the window and looked out. A beautiful cloud formed in the perfect shape of an angel. Even the feathers in the wings were defined. She said ???thank you??? to the angels and the cloud dispersed. The boy died two days later and she knew

that the angels were with him. Angels always come to help you when you pass over but it is lovely to have a clear reminder of their presence.

Sometimes angels give you physical objects to remind you they are there helping you. Nina Dickerson was living in Italy with her husband. He had been under considerable stress and was very ill. Most of the friends who had been her support system had moved away and she felt alone and quite desperate. The weather was sizzling hot and they both felt frazzled. Added to that they were in the process of moving country and were collecting boxes in which to pack their belongings. One morning as her husband picked up a carton and put it into the car to take home, she closed her eyes and asked for a sign for both of them. They drove home and hurried into the cool of the house. Later her husband went to fetch the box from the car. ???Look???, he called to her. There in the bottom of the carton were two little china angels with golden wings. She knew it was the sign she had askd for and they still sit on her window-sill as a reminder. Indeed from that time the tide of her life turned. She now holds angel classes herself and has helped many people to connect to the angels.

Your Guardian Angel and other angels are always close to you, wanting to help, guide, inspire and heal you. Because you have free will they cannot step in to help unless you ask. So do make yourself calm and still and ask for help whenever you need it. It does not matter whether you ask for something big or small, as long as it is for your highest good and that of everyone involved, they will do what they can within spiritual law to bring it about.

Acknowledge the angels when you see a little white feather. If you see a cluster of them or several in a line, take special notice. The angels are around you in force.

Angel Exercise

Draw a feather on a piece of paper and write a wish in it. Ask the angels to bless it. Hold the paper feather and repeat your wish every night for a week. Then let it go and burn or bury the feather. If it is for the highest good the angels will bring your wish about.

Feathers

FEATHER
COLOR

MEANING

WHITE
White feathers symbolize purification, spirituality, hope, protection, peace, and blessings of the Moon.

RED
Red feathers symbolize physical vitality. Also courage, good fortune, and life.

BLUE
Blue feathers give mental abilities, peace, and protection. Also psychic awareness.

YELLOW
Yellow feathers give cheerfulness, mental alertness, prosperity, and blessings from the Sun.

GREEN

Green feathers symbolize money, prosperity, growth, health, and fertility.

Green and red mixed feathers affect financial matters.

ORANGE
Orange feathers bring attraction, energy, and success.

PINK
Pink feathers attract love.

GRAY
Gray feathers symbolize peace and neutrality.

BROWN

Brown feathers give stability and respect. They also symbolize the home and grounding.

Brown feathers striped in black, like the tail feathers of a pheasant, give a balance between the physical and spiritual life.

Brown feathers banded or mixed with white bring happiness and give the kind of protection that enables one to go unnoticed amidst those who would harm them.

Brown and red mixed feathers bring healing to animals.

BLACK

Black feathers give the mystical wisdom that comes with true spiritual initiation.

Black, iridescent feathers give mystical insight.

Black and white mixed feathers give union and protection.

Black (or gray) feathers banded or mixed with white give hope, balance and harmony.

Black mixed with purple means deep spirituality.

Black, white, and blue mixed feathers brings change.

The “eye” on the end of the peacock tail feather protect against the “evil eye” and stimulates inner clairvoyant vision.

The rooster’s two prominent tail feathers (called sickles) are symbols of the God and Goddess. The black ones are sacred to the God because of their resemblance to the curved horns of the Horned God. They are also a symbol of male virility.The white ones are sacred to the Goddess because they resemble the tool (the sickle) with which grain (sacred to her) is reaped. They also resemble the waxing and waning Moon.

Making the Witches Ladder

Items needed:

3 cords of equal length, each 3 feet long (Traditionally, these cords are red, black, and white for the three aspects for the Goddess, however you may substitute any color for its magickal correspondence.)
9 feathers
Ring on which to tie cords to anchor them while braiding (Optional)

Assemble materials. Cast circle or create sacred space. Light a candle in a color corresponding to your magickal working. (Blue for peace, etc.) Burn incense which corresponds to your purpose. Have a small bowl of salt and a small bowl of water at your workspace.

If using a ring, tie one end of each of the three cords side by side to the ring. (You could even use a belt buckle or hanger). Anchor this ring to a doorknob, handle, or chair back. If not using a ring, tie one end of the cords together loosely. Begin to braid, saying this or a similar rhyme:

Yarn of red, black, and white
Work your magick spell this night.

As you braid, work all nine feathers (all one color or a combination of colors, depending on your magickal intent) into the ladder, one at a time, as evenly spaced as possible. As you insert the feathers, begin this or a similar chant:

With this feather and this string,
Protection (or peace, etc) this charm will bring.

When all nine feathers have been tied onto the cord, and the length is braided, tie the ends of the cords together to make a circle (after removing the braid from the ring). Consecrate the ladder by passing it through the incense smoke and candle flame, asperge it with salt and water, saying:

In the names of the Goddesses
And the God
By Air, Earth, Fire, and Water
I consecrate this charm
Of feathers nine and cord of three
As I will, so mote it be!

Hang the witches ladder high in your house where it will not be seen by others, but where you can see it everyday.

Adapted from Pauline Campanelli’s Ancient Ways and Wheel of the Year

Sabbat Correspondences

Certain spells work particularly well on certain sabbats. Here is a list of feather, color, herb, and oil correspondences for Witches Ladders applying sabbat correspondences where possible. For instance, patchouli oil is a traditional Samhain oil which can also be used for protection. Rosemary is a Samhain herb that also increases magickal powers. These Sabbat correspondences are indicated by italics. These are only examples, feel free to create your own correspondences.

Samhain

To banish evil or for protection.

* Blue or white feathers for protection.
* Two black cords to represent the waning year, one orange or yellow cord to represent the Sun, which will inevitably return. (Traditionally, Witches Ladders for protection are made of red, black, and white.)
* A black candle dressed in patchouli oil, aka “graveyard dust”, for protection. (The reference to the graveyard is especially appropriate to this sabbat.)
* Burn rosemary as a protective incense.

For psychic development and divination.

* Black and/or purple feathers (iridescent is best) for mystic insight.
* Two black cords to represent the waning year and one purple cord to represent hidden mysteries coming to light.
* Purple or black candle dressed in rosemary oil (for magickal powers).
* Burn rosemary and mugwort as incense.

Yule

For prosperity.

o Green feathers for prosperity and/or red feathers for good fortune. (Green and red feathers mixed affect financial matters.)
o One red cord to represent the Holly King, one green cord to represent the Oak King, and one white cord to represent the Goddess.
o A red, green, white, silver, or gold candle dressed in bayberry oil (for prosperity).
o Burn cinnamon or ash twigs as incense (for prosperity).

HomeWhite Feather Shamanism

The shamanic White Feather Tradition

by Walter Toa-Toa Lübeck, Grandmaster & Lineage Bearer of the White Feather Tradition.

Shamanism is the most ancient and archaic way of healing.
A shaman (“the one who knows” as translated from an ancient Siberian language) is always initiated by Mother Earth, the Great Goddess, which is known by many names all over the world.
Some of them are: Devi, Shakti, Freya, Ishtar, Isis, and Astarte.
Because of this, shamanism is based on female spiritual energies.
It is Earth-Healing in its purest sense.
A shaman is a healer who helps people to understand and respect the nature around them and inside of them.
He or she builds bridges between the material world, the astral underworld and the etheric realms of the sky.
The shaman teaches people how to live according to their spiritual heritage, joining the other beings as brothers and sisters, creating together a paradise again where human beings and angels walk hand in hand.
The shaman is a social, psychological, medical and spiritual healer. In ancient times there were no doctors and no hospitals – so the shaman has to provide to the tribe all these services.
Today the situation mostly is different. That’s why modern shamans focus mainly on spiritual and sometimes psychological healing – which of course has many beneficial effects on any kind of illnesses and is neglected by western medicine nearly completely.
Shamanism uses a lot of different spiritual techniques and tools for helping people, animals and the land to get rid of problems and to regain health and wealth and happiness.

With drums states of trance are created for astral travelling and to tune in into ritual energy work, power spots and for contacting beings of light like angels or power animals.
Rattles are used in a similar way but also for harmonizing both sides of the brain to promote healing and for energetically cleansing.
Often rattles and drums are used together. They produce very archetypical sounds. Doctors found out that a baby in the mothers’ womb hears her heartbeat sounding like a drum and her voices sounding like a rattle. When working with a group of shamanic practitioners, drums and rattles are combined to accompany the singing of mantras and power songs. They add a lot of spiritual power to the songs and bring together the individuals as a group of healers.

Feathers are used to cleanse the aura and chakras of people but also rooms and other shamanic tools energetically. With rituals feathers are used to make energies and messages fly to people, animals, beings of light and places where they should work.
A broad variety of wands are used in shamanism also.
There are fetish wands which represent a very specific healing power of a certain spiritual being, power spot, plant or mineral for example. There are wands which are used to mark and guide a place for magical work.
There are wands that represent personal powers of a shaman; wands created for specific healing uses, sometimes especially made an individual, there are wands as tools for telepathic communication, psychic surgery, for meditation or astral travelling.
And there is a wand who is directly related to its shaman, representing all the wisdom, magical power and spiritual being s which work together with her or him.
With the help of brooms places are cleansed energetically, astral travelling is supported and these tools can also be very powerful guardians.
There is a chalice as a symbol of the presence of the spiritual water element. It is often used to bless water, which then is transformed into a powerful healing remedy. The chalice also helps to bring in fresh life energy (Prana or Ki) when needed.
The cauldron is used for making magical potions but also for scrying and for rituals which need a strong influence of the spiritual element of fire. The cauldron is a symbol for the mothers’ womb where life is created anew with a baby coming to this world. So cauldrons also are often used for supporting the personal development of a shaman or client.

Every shaman uses certain symbols which show hers or his transformation into a spiritual healer like a cloak, robe or special necklaces, rings, chains or talismans. By doing this it is easier to step from the world of daily life into the otherworld quickly and safely and not to be bothered by energetically influences when handling daily life affairs.

A cord is used for knot spells, for banishing (binding) energies, to draw a magic circle and to relate to spiritual beings, plants, minerals, people and animals.

Crystals, especially clear quartz crystals nearly every shaman uses for astral travelling, spiritual communication, to add extra divine power for healings and rituals, to energize potions, to conjure spiritual beings and lots of other topics.

Knives, like the Bolline (white handle) and the Athame are used for a broad variety of uses: The Bolline is a tool to harvest herbs, to inscribe candles, to slice plant offerings. The Athame is used to cut a magical circle, to create an energy focus, to carve runes and other powerful symbols and to stop energies entering the shamans’ area.

The bell is a Goddess symbol.

It calls Her in to participate with a ritual or healing session but also can be used directly for healing. Also it is a powerful block-breaker.
Candles are used to focus spiritual energies to promote a specific healing or to change a certain life structure to the positive. The help to meditate support remote-viewing and are good for some types of astral travelling.

Incense is used for cleansing, adding specific healing energies, to relate to the spiritual element of air, to relate to specific beings of lights.

With Runes divination is made, they are also a book of spiritual wisdom. Runes are used for amulets, talismanic purposes and spiritual energy work of all kind.
Pentacles help to banish energies and to conjure them. They create doors to the otherworld.

Powersongs raise spiritual energy, help to establish communication to spiritual beings and to change the structure of life to the positive, besides others.

Besides the above mentioned common tools there are a lot of others of course, which are more specific to certain traditions and cultural backgrounds.
To differentiate shamanism from ways and traditions of Natural Magic and Wicca, it is necessary to understand, that a shaman after having learned the basics of The Craft which in many ways is similar or identical to Wicca or Natural Magic traditions, needs to develop her or his own ways of magic within the tradition he or she is initiated. This is always done by working together with a shamanic master and the Teacher Angels of the tradition. Also, the spiritual personal development, the opening of one heart to real love, the decision to work for the good of all creation, to honour the body as a temple and to stick to the law of giving and receiving in a fair, natural way are of extreme importance. Only this enables a shaman to get access to the real power which is guarded by Beings of Light.

About the White Feather shamanic path

The White Feather Tradition of shamanism uses the most effective tools and techniques of shamanism as well as some unique ways of healing. The basic training includes the use of common shamanic tools and techniques but also genuine instruments of the White Feather path. An apprentice to White feather shamanism needs to learn at first five basic things:

To travel to the astral underworld and communicate in a constructive way with the spiritual beings who reside there like elves, dwarfs, brownies and gnomes. These people have a lot of wisdom about earthly matters, which plant can heal a certain illness or what healing properties a certain mineral owns. Some of these kinds of spiritual guides will assist with the energetically cleaning of houses or gardens for example. To travel to the etheric realms of the sky and communicate in a constructive way with the angels and other divine beings of this part of creation. Angels can help to heal with spiritual energetically means. They are able to teach divine wisdom and to understand your personal spiritual vision for example. Also they will assist you in creating a good ritual.How a magical ritual works and how to create a magical ritual.To understand and to work practically with the oracle of the shamans.To produce a personal medicine bag and to work with it properly. This includes the beginning of a conscious relationship with individual power animals and other personal spiritual guides.
Of course there are a lot more things to learn about shamanism. But in the White Feather Tradition we understand these as the fundaments.
Normally a shaman-apprentice studies years before he or she will be able to work with shamanic magic in a safe and effective way. Because for most people today it isn’t possible to take some years of for training – not to talk about the upcoming financial problems in this case – the White Feather path uses initiation to pass on certain shamanic powers, inspiration and contacts to helpful and mighty Beings of Light to the apprentice.
A special kind of meditation also helps the shaman-to-be to understand more easily the ways of shamanic magic. This meditation works with the help of the spiritual guides of trees, the so called dryads. These friendly beings take the apprentice on a journey through space and time and show him or her how to plant a little seedling into the energetically structure of the universe, to charge it with magic and then to help it grow in the right and most effective way to build up the kind of process someone needs to be healed, to get more success or to learn an important topic fast. Besides this, the general way of the development of an individual is more easily understood. By using different kinds of trees and their spiritual guides a vast world of spiritual wisdom enfolds. By using this kind of meditation on a regular basis, a kind of initiation happens to the apprentice and more and more natural healing power accumulates inside his or her energy organs (chakras).
There are no specific deities related to the White Feather path other than the Goddess. But we honour all deities and work together with them if needed in close ways. All deities support the White Feather path.
The White Feather tradition is completely positive: so we don’t curse anyone, do only defensive magic and use spells only with a positive intend which can be expressed in the sentence: May this work to the best of everyone involved!”

There are three spiritual principles which guide the students of the WFT:

Love
Consciousness
Personal Responsibility

There are grades of competence within our tradition which are related to the personal development and the practical power of the adept. These grades have two lines: The line of knowledge and the line of love. Both have to be honoured to be able to use more power. The access to power within a basic level is provided by teachings, exercise and initiations. To gain more spiritual power, a student of WFT needs to make proof about her or his commitment to the above given principles and personal competence in shamanic energy work and counselling.
White Feather spiritual energy work is very effective in blocking and harmonising any kind of negative influences. Even the students of the beginners’ class learn extremely powerful countermeasures against the negative techniques of energy work.
A shaman always should act according to the traditional Wicca Rede: “Do what thou wilt. An´it harm none!” To guard the powers of the White Feather Path and to protect its followers the Goddess had set powerful angels at the gates of the well of the magical energies which support our craft. No one will be able to get in if driven by negative thoughts.
The White Feather path has its roots in the spiritual Traditions of the lost continent Lemuria which has been lost in the Pacific Ocean about 12000 years ago.
I remember many of my past lives and from these memories I get most of the energy work and wisdom I teach. But the White Feather shamanism includes also other sources which I integrated or founded through my many lives as a healer and high priest of the Goddess.
Shamanism is always integrating useful things to be most effective – but it always preserves its core: the love and light of the Goddess which is given by Her as a blessing to each shaman who is just and rightful.
May the Great Goddess bless you and guide you on your path to the Light.
Merry meet and merry meet again.