The Magic of Flowers: A Guide to Their Metaphysical Uses & Properties - Tess Whitehurst 2013

Bird of Paradise
The Flowers

According to authors Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field in The Meaning of Flowers, “The extraordinary tropical bloom of the bird of paradise suggests that something strange and wonderful is about to occur.” And you’ll likely find that a mere passing glimpse of this exotic beauty can be a window into arcane alchemical wisdom and the invisible, whimsical reality that shapes and animates all things.

Magical Uses

Awareness of the Interconnectedness of Life

The fact that a bird who shares this flower’s unique color combination pollinates him—and that the blossom itself is ideally constructed to accommodate the bird—is an appropriate metaphor (and actual representation) of the flower’s unique vibrational message: that all of life is interconnected and interwoven into one giant organism, and that the entire universe is one interconnected, unified field of energy. Magically working with bird of paradise blossoms can open us up to this awareness, which has a wealth of benefits, including:

✵ an increased feeling of meaning in one’s life

✵ motivation to make a positive difference in the world

✵ inspiration

✵ creativity

✵ joy

✵ goodwill toward other creatures and the planet

Quiet contemplation, ritual work, or working with the flower essence are all great ways to employ the flower for this use.

Awareness of Invisible Reality

In the same vein as the previous section, bird of paradise can help us become aware of the invisible reality that underlies, animates, and connects all things. For example, if you’ve ever seen the artwork of Alex Grey, you’ve likely noticed that even though his images don’t depict everyday reality in the usual sense, they still seem familiar—like you’re aware on some level of the inner mechanisms they depict. This is because they take the invisible reality (which we can all sense to some degree) and make it visible to our everyday eyes. Bird of paradise can help us sense this invisible reality in an even deeper and more conscious way. For this purpose, try any of the previous suggestions.

Intuition and Insight

Naturally, since bird of paradise helps us perceive the interconnectedness of all things and the subtle invisible reality, he also helps us see and understand the inner workings of things in highly useful ways and manners that might be accurately described as intuitive and insightful (although it should be noted that bird of paradise gifts us with a form of intuition that’s more thought-based and less feeling-based). This can be especially helpful for those times when you have a burning desire to understand a particular mechanism or phenomenon, or when you’d like to be able to clearly and dispassionately see the patterns at work before making a big decision.

To receive these benefits, try spending time in quiet contemplation with a blossoming bird of paradise. Once you’ve tuned in and aligned with his vibration, silently present everything you know about the issue or situation in a detached, almost mathematical way. Then, on an internal level, explore the patterns at work in the issue or situation. Take your time, and look both backward and forward in time as you feel guided.

Mathematical Prowess

When I say that bird of paradise can share the gift of mathematical prowess, I don’t just mean he can help us ace our calculus class (although he can). I also mean that he can help artists, architects, musicians, dancers, investors, computer programmers, and anyone else whose work (or play or finances) can benefit from an infusion of mathematical structure, precision, and insight.

Try connecting with the wisdom of the blossom and consciously aligning with his vibration. Then set the intention to consciously direct this alignment into whatever aspect of your life would most benefit from it.

Protection

Because bird of paradise helps us to align with our intuition, the inner patterns at work in any given situation, and the invisible reality, he can be an especially protective magical ally for those of us who are prone to free-floating anxiety and fear, especially when coupled with an unsettling feeling of being overwhelmed with life, mired in muddled thinking, or out of control in our life or environment. He settles our minds, clears our thoughts, and helps us feel that we are more than equal to any situation that may arise. Receive these benefits by spending time in quiet contemplation with a blossom or employing the flower essence regularly until your inner disarray is replaced with a feeling of calm self-mastery.

Sacred Geometry

For those whose magical practice tends to veer toward the alchemical and sacred geometrical side, the previous sections may have helped you correctly surmise that bird of paradise is a wonderful floral ally for you. He can also help you enhance your expertise when it comes to other geometry-heavy magical modalities such as feng shui and hexwork (from the pow-wow tradition).

Walking Between the Worlds

Consider this flower’s name: bird of paradise. Birds have been associated with omens and divine messages all over the world since time immemorial. And paradise—well, that’s another name for the realm of heaven, or the divine realm. And since bird of paradise is a plant firmly rooted in planet Earth, you might think of him as a bridge between the realms of form and spirit, visible and invisible, physical and metaphysical. Hence, he can help us be in the physical world while staying aware of the invisible aspects that shape it and weave it all together. In this way, we can consciously and masterfully co-create our destiny through a partnership with the interconnectedness of All That Is.

Magical Correspondences

Elements: Air, Fire

Gender: Male

Planet: Mercury