Poem, poetryfoundation.org:
The Wild Swans at Coole by William Butler Yeats
The trees are in their autumn beauty,
The woodland paths are dry,
Under the October twilight the water
Mirrors a still sky;
Upon the brimming water among the stones
Are nine-and-fifty swans.
The nineteenth autumn has come upon me
Since I first made my count;
I saw, before I had well finished,
All suddenly mount
And scatter wheeling in great broken rings
Upon their clamorous wings.
I have looked upon those brilliant creatures,
And now my heart is sore.
All’s changed since I, hearing at twilight,
The first time on this shore,
The bell-beat of their wings above my head,
Trod with a lighter tread.
Unwearied still, lover by lover,
They paddle in the cold
Companionable streams or climb the air;
Their hearts have not grown old;
Passion or conquest, wander where they will,
Attend upon them still.
But now they drift on the still water,
Mysterious, beautiful;
Among what rushes will they build,
By what lake’s edge or pool
Delight men’s eyes when I awake some day
To find they have flown away?
The swan is a bird of grace, beauty, and love, transforming from a grey fluffy duckling to a white, elegant swan. English poet William Shakespeare used a swan feather for his quill to write his poems and plays. Peace and tranquility surround the large bird as it floats downstream: the white swan for purity, black swan for mystery and wisdom.
ADVICE: It may be a time for you to be inspired to take up your quill and write, write, write – an article, song, or story of love and beauty. Connect deeply with your soul to write with passion, but demonstrate grace and majesty at all times. Believe in your transformation – beauty is in the eye of the beholder, including you. You always were beautiful and handsome in your own way, but now people are noticing your true beauty. Time to be a stunning swan!
“His own image; no longer a dark, grey bird, ugly and disagreeable to look at, but a graceful and beautiful swan. To be born in a duck’s nest, in a farmyard, is of no consequenceto a bird, if it is hatched from a swan’s egg.” – Hans Christian Andersen, The Ugly Duckling
Swan:
Bird
Anatidae family
Long neck
Graceful
Mate for life
Transformation from duckling to swan
Aquatic
Temperate environments (absent from tropical regions)
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
REFERENCES: A combination of the following Oracle cards were used (with a dash of my own lifelong learning).
Archangel Animal Oracle Cards by Diana Cooper
L’Oracle du Peuple Animal by Arnaud Riou
Messages From Your Animal Spirit Guides by Steven Farmer
The Druid Animal Oracle Deck by Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm
The Spirit Animal Oracle by Colette Baron-Reid
DISCLAIMER: This website’s author does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician or psychologist, either directly or indirectly. Therefore, information provided here is not intended to replace readers’ existing or other medical, psychological, financial, or legal advice. The author’s intent is to offer general information to help readers in their quest for emotional, physical, and spiritual wellbeing, guidance towards self-empowerment, and/or for entertainment purposes only. Rainy Day Healing and Martina Nicolls shall not be held accountable for any loss which may arise from any readers’ reliance and implementation of any information provided. For information on courses and personal consultations, see TERMS AND CONDITIONS.