Bird Magic: Wisdom of the Ancient Goddess for Pagans & Wiccans - Sandra Kynes 2016

Swallow and Swift: Barn Swallow, Chimney Swift, White-Throated Swift
The Profiles

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Although swallows and swifts come from different families, they have a great deal in common and their energy is similar, which is why I have presented them together. First, it is important to know their basic differences for identification. Swallows have deeply forked tails and a slight bend in their wings during flight. Swifts have long, crescent-shaped wings when seen in flight. While you may see swallows sitting on wires or fences, swifts cannot do this because their feet are so tiny. However, they have no trouble clinging to vertical surfaces.

The swallow was one of the birds often used to represent the Egyptian ba (soul), and it was believed that deceased people could return as swallows. The bird was also depicted riding in the prow of Ra’s solar boat, and Isis was said to change into a swallow at night. Because swallows and swifts nest in or near houses, the Romans considered them sacred to household deities. Always on the move, swifts can sleep on the wing during long migratory flights. They have been regarded as very mysterious because they seem to disappear so suddenly in the autumn.

Folklore has treated these birds differently, with the swift a negative omen and the swallow a positive one. It was considered good luck to have a swallow build its nest on your house. However, if a swift came all the way down a chimney and into a house, it was regarded as a sure sign that someone in the family would soon die. Despite being a bad omen, the swift, along with the swallow, was associated with the return of spring and increasing light.

Magical Workings

Swallow and swift are birds of the home, nesting under our roofs and in our chimneys. Light a candle in their honor for bringing security, warmth, and protection to your shared abode. Represent both or either of these birds on your Ostara altar to welcome the return of spring and the renewal of the green world.

Call on swallow to boost spells relating to love, fertility, and family. Swallow also brings powerful energy for manifesting what you desire and for reversing spells. Swift is an aid for inviting opportunities into your life as well as seeing the ones that may already be at hand. Swallow and swift foster healing energy and can be called upon to grace circle gatherings for this purpose. Both birds support divination practices; however, swift is especially adept at boosting psychic abilities and prophecy skills.

Make Connection

To connect with the energy of swallow and swift, go outside at dusk, gaze up at the sky, and with your arms out to the sides turn in circles. Visualize whirling and circling above the trees and rooftops with speed and agility. Stop spinning but continue to hold your arms out to the sides. If you feel dizzy, sit on the ground but keep your arms up. Close your eyes and imagine a flight of swallows or a flock of swifts above you. When they begin to fly lower around you, encircling you with their light, they are ready to connect with you.

Associations

Swallow

Element(s): Fire

Sabbat(s): Mabon, Ostara

Goddesses: Aphrodite, Inanna, Isis, Venus

God: Ra

Solar system: Sun

Swift

Element(s): Air, water

Sabbat(s): Ostara

Goddesses: The Muses

Solar system: Moon

Moon phases: Waxing or Waning Crescent

Bird Identification

Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

Size: 6 to 7½ inches

Wingspan: 11 to 12½ inches

Comparative size: Sparrow

Description: Overall cone shape; slightly flattened head; long, pointed wings; long outer feathers on tail; steely blue back, wings, and tail; buff to reddish underparts; blue crown and face; cinnamon-colored forehead and throat

Range: From southern coastal Alaska to Newfoundland and south throughout the United States, Mexico, Central America, and South America

Habitat: Open agricultural fields, suburban areas, marshes, and lake or pond shores

Eggs: Creamy or pinkish white, with brown, lavender, or gray spots

Chimney Swift (Chaetura pelagica)

Size: 4½ to 6 inches

Wingspan: 10 to 12 inches

Comparative size: Sparrow

Description: Slender, spindle-shaped body; long, narrow, curved wings; round head; short neck; short, tapered tail; short, wide bill; dark gray-brown all over; slightly paler throat; sometimes appears black

Range: From southeastern Saskatchewan across southern Canada to Nova Scotia and south through the plains states to the East Coast, along the Gulf Coast into Mexico and parts of South America

Habitat: Forests, open country, and towns

Eggs: White

White-Throated Swift (Aeronautes saxatalis)

Size: 6 to 7 inches

Wingspan: 13 to 14 inches

Comparative size: Sparrow

Description: Cylindrical body; black back, wings, and tail; white throat, belly, and flanks; long, pointed, swept-back wings

Range: From British Columbia through the Rocky Mountains, California, the Southwest, and parts of Mexico and Central America

Habitat: Arid mountains and rocky areas

Eggs: White

Collective noun(s): A flight or a kettle of swallows and a flock or a swoop of swifts