Bird Magic: Wisdom of the Ancient Goddess for Pagans & Wiccans - Sandra Kynes 2016
Hawk: Cooper’s Hawk, Red-Tailed Hawk
The Profiles
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
The hawk family name, Accipitridae, means “to seize,” which describes how these birds take their prey.78 The hawks included in this book, red-tailed and Cooper’s, come from different genera. The accipiters (Cooper’s) are speedy with shorter wings that enable them to maneuver through forests as they pursue their prey. The buteos (red-tailed) are less fast, relying on eyesight and stealth. The red-tailed hawk is considered the most common in North America. It has a shrill, raspy call that is most often used by filmmakers to portray the sound of a hawk, regardless of species.
Using birds for hunting was a widespread practice before the advent of guns. Later, hawks were included in the sport more widely known as falconry; however, it was also called hawking. Today, hawks fly a fine edge with farmers who value them for rodent control but also shoot them for killing chickens.
The name of the Greek goddess Circe is the feminine form of kirkos, meaning “hawk” or “falcon.” 79 Kirkos also means “circle,” which describes the hunting flight pattern of these birds. In Celtic myth, one of the oldest animals was the hawk of Achill, which was said to hold memories from the deep past. In addition, the ancient Welsh legends called the Mabinogi mention Arawn, the king of the otherworld, hunting with hawks. Elsewhere in Celtic legend and fact, hawks were important in gift exchanges along with horses and hounds.
Even though the goddess Artemis came to be associated with the moon, amulets of solar hawks have been found in her early shrines. Also, figurines of her priestesses were depicted with these birds. Hawks were regarded as messengers that could travel between this world and the otherworld. Shape-shifting heroes and gods such as the Norse Loki often took the form of a hawk. The Egyptian soul bird, called the ba, was frequently depicted as a hawk with a human head.
Magical Workings
As in Celtic and Egyptian traditions, hawk links us with the otherworld and the afterlife, bringing messages and representing omens. It is a creature of memory that helps us tap into our past-life experiences. Call on hawk for aid in developing psychic abilities, especially clairvoyance. It will also help you learn to trust your intuition, especially when interpreting visions. This bird can bring clarity to communications on all levels and help to strengthen awareness. Hawk can bestow illumination when seeking truth about a situation or oneself.
As a bird of power and wisdom, it can serve as a guide to help traverse the astral realm. Use a picture or figurine of hawk on your altar during spring or autumn equinox rituals to boost and hold the energy. Call on hawk to bolster courage when confronting problems or any situation that requires confidence. This bird aids in fostering leadership skills and the ability to seize opportunities. It also stimulates creativity.
Make Connection
To connect with hawk energy, sit in front of your altar or other quiet place and close your eyes. Become aware of your body, your contact with the floor, and ultimately with the earth until you feel grounded. Bring your awareness up to the top of your head and then visualize a hawk hovering above you like depictions of the Egyptian ba. Reach out with your energy until you can feel hawk’s presence and perhaps a slight whisper of a breeze from its wings as it continues to hold its position. Once you make contact, you will be able to call on hawk whenever you need guidance and protection.
Associations
Zodiac: Aries (red-tailed), Scorpio
Element(s): Air, fire
Sabbat(s): Mabon, Ostara
Goddesses: Artemis, Cerridwen, Circe, Danu, Hera, Isis, Nephthys
Gods: Apollo, the Dagda, Hermes, Loki, Mercury, Ra
Solar system: Sun
Moon phase: New
Ogham: Saille
Bird Identification
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
Size: 14 to 15 inches
Wingspan: 24 to 35 inches
Comparative size: Pigeon to crow
Description: Broad, rounded wings; dark cap; steely blue-gray upper body; warm reddish bars on the underparts; thick, dark bands on the tail, which has a rounded tip
Range: Throughout the United States, parts of southern Canada, Mexico, and parts of Central America
Habitat: Woods with clearings or nearby meadows and leafy suburban backyards
Eggs: Pale blue to bluish white
Red-Tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)
Size: 19 to 25 inches
Wingspan: 45 to 52 inches
Description: Large, stocky body; broad, rounded wings; short, wide tail; dark brown upper body; white breast; brown band across belly; brick red underneath tail; coloration varies by region
Female: Larger than male
Range: From Alaska to Nova Scotia and south throughout the United States, Mexico, and Central America
Habitat: Broken woodland, grasslands, fields, scrub land, suburbs, and urban areas
Eggs: White or buff with brown or purple blotches or speckles
Collective noun(s): An aerie, a cast, an eyrie, or a kettle of hawks
78. Eastman, The Eastman Guide to Birds, 149.
79. Judith Yarnall, Transformations of Circe: The History of an Enchantress (Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press, 1994), 28.