Bird Magic: Wisdom of the Ancient Goddess for Pagans & Wiccans - Sandra Kynes 2016
Kingfisher: Belted Kingfisher
The Profiles
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon syn. Ceryle alcyon)
In Greek myth, this bird was called the halcyon and was said to lay its eggs at sea just before the winter solstice. The kingfisher was believed to have the power to calm storms, and the days of peaceful weather came to be known as halcyon days. In reality, kingfishers are not seabirds, despite the ancient belief that they floated nests like rafts on the ocean. Kingfishers actually nest in burrows that they excavate three to seven feet deep into soft riverbanks.
The kingfisher’s legend is intertwined with the story of Alcyone, the daughter of Aeolus, god of the winds. Alcyone and her husband Ceyx affectionately called themselves Zeus and Hera, which was considered an affront by the supreme Greek god. When Ceyx was on an ocean voyage, Zeus sunk his ship with one well-placed thunderbolt. After Ceyx’s apparition appeared to her bearing the news, Alcyone threw herself into the sea in grief over her beloved’s demise. Instead of journeying to the underworld, they were both transformed into halcyons/kingfishers. As a bird, Alcyone laid her eggs on the beach around the time of the solstice. Her father subdued the winds and calmed the waves to allow her peace. Alcyone has been honored as the brightest star in the Pleiades, which are most prominent in winter.
In the past in Britain, this bird was known simply as a Fisher. According to folklore, sighting a kingfisher was an omen of good things to come and its appearance was believed to calm life’s turmoil. The direction in which a kingfisher was sighted was important for weather divination.
In medieval Europe, the kingfisher was a symbol of protection and good luck, and keeping one of its feathers in your pocket was believed to hold misfortune at bay. The kingfisher’s feathers were powerful in other ways, too. A woman who wore them was said to have more beauty than others around her. According to the Tartars of southern Russia, kingfisher feathers were powerful love talismans.
Magical Workings
Place an image of kingfisher on your altar on December 15 to mark Alcyone’s feast day and the beginning of the halcyon days. More than anything, this legendary bird is a symbol of the winter solstice and the peace, hope, and harmony of this season. Also place an image or figurine of kingfisher on your Yule altar to engender these qualities and invite warmth to your ritual.
Call on this bird when you engage in any form of divination and prophecy to aid your concentration and bring clarity of purpose. Kingfisher is also an aid for spells dealing with love and marriage, especially when seeking fidelity and happiness. For centuries, this bird was portrayed in literature as a symbol of harmony among the elements. Kingfisher is also instrumental when inviting abundance and prosperity to the home. Call on it for protection from storms as well as stormy times in life.
Make Connection
To connect with kingfisher energy, sit on your knees in bed and pull the covers up over your head as you crouch forward, creating a tunnel to represent the kingfisher’s burrow. Leave the opposite end open so you can easily breathe. Enjoy the darkness and warmth of this tunnel/nest. Kingfisher makes its presence felt with a gentle and calm sense of security. Let the experience run its course, and then thank kingfisher for its blessings.
Also connect with kingfisher by locating the Pleiades in the sky. They are visible from late autumn to early spring. To find them, locate the big hourglass figure of Orion. Orient yourself so the alignment of the three stars in Orion’s belt looks higher on the right than the left. Follow the direction that the stars point to the right, and look for a cluster of six stars in a semicircle. It has the soft glow of a nebulous haze that can usually be seen with the naked eye.
Associations
Element(s): Earth, water
Sabbat(s): Litha, Yule
Bird Identification
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon syn. Ceryle alcyon)
Size: 11 to 14 inches
Wingspan: 19 to 23 inches
Comparative size: Pigeon
Description: Stocky body; large head with shaggy crest; straight, thick bill; short legs; medium-length, square-tipped tail; upperparts powder blue with white spotting on wings and tail; white underparts with a broad, blue breast band
Male: One blue band across the breast
Female: Two breast bands, one blue, one chestnut or rusty; more brightly colored than the male
Range: From Alaska across Canada and south throughout the United States, Mexico, and Central America
Habitat: Along the edges of streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, and calm marine waters
Eggs: White, smooth, and glossy
Collective noun(s): A concentration of kingfishers