California Condor

Keynote: Ancient mysteries of life and death; communion with the spirits; soaring above our limitations.

The condor is a larger and more powerful relative of the vulture. Like the vulture, they are experts at soaring. The vulture, buzzard and condor often signify the divine power of disposing that which is dangerous to health and life. Their true energy is one of re birth in the mystery of life and death. The appearance of condors often reflects greater spiritual vision and leadership that will be followed.

Mythically speaking, the vulture and condor are links to the ancient griffin. The griffin was often given the features of a variety of animals, but it was always a protector, especially of Nature and all of her spirits. To encounter a griffin was to meet a guardian of sky and earth and usually meant that great magic and power would awaken within our own life.

Condors, like griffins, lend their immense strength and readiness for whatever task may present itself for those to whom it appears, becoming a guardian like the griffin. Once it enters our life, it never leaves, although it may seem absent at times. Condors signal a time of re birth and lifting up of the spirit, a time of action and salvation through linking the physical with the spiritual in powerful new ways.

Condors have ruffs at their neck where the body bridges the head, symbolizing the links between worlds and between the physical and the spiritual, between life and death. The Andean Condor differs from its relative the California Condor in that it has a ruff that is white, emphasizing the bridge of light between realms.

Condors prefer to live in remote, high mountains. Mountains are ancient symbols of spirit and animals that live within them help us rise to our own spiritual powers. To climb a mountain is to rise above obstacles in our life. No animal reflects this principle better than the condor.

The California Condor is the largest North American bird, with a wingspan of about nine feet. The Andean Condor is the world's largest flying bird, weighing about 25 pounds with a wingspan of about 12 feet.

The Andean Condor soars over coastal plains and slopes but prefers to roost in the mountains. The mountains provide up drafts for them to take off and soar. The Andean Condor reminds us that we are spirit first and must always return to our source.

Some questions to ask yourself when Condor comes into your life:

• Are we focusing too much on things of the physical?
• Are we getting too flighty and need to be grounded?
• Are we not taking time for ourselves?
• Are we focusing too much on the negative and not on the positive?
• Are we ignoring our communications from spirit?
• Are we relying solely on spirit for our accomplishments?

When condor appears, we are entering a time of greater protection, especially in things of the spirit.