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One of the books I got this year is The Healing Wisdom of Birds by Leslie Morrison. In addition to birds, I have a deep interest in mythology and comparative religion, so this was a good find. It is not a book about the natural history of birds (although there is some information on certain birds scattered throughout the book). Therefore, if your interest lies only in knowing more about bird biology, behavior, and identification, this would not be a good option for you. However, birds have touched human lives and cultures throughout our history. If that interests you, then give this book a read.
The book isn't very long (a little over 200 pages) and is a relatively easy read.
The book discusses the symbology of different birds in history as well as many myths associated with birds and the gods/goddesses they represent. The majority of the book discusses the use of bird feathers in various healing rites. (Keep in mind that it is not legal to have in your possession feathers of any wild bird without a permit--the author did mention she has permits).
I did find the short section on alchemy especially interesting. In most discussion of alchemy the focus is on the chemical transformation of base metals into gold. What I had not seen discussed in other books is the alchemical philosophy on spiritual growth. The various stages of spiritual enlightenment are represented by different birds. For me, this short section was worth the cost of the book.
An interesting read overall. Personally, I would have liked a more in-depth review of mythology and symbology, but as the title says, the focus of the book is healing, so it is appropriate to spend most of the book on the details of that. That part of the book was less interesting to me personally.
As it happens a book arrived in the mail shortly after Christmas on bird symbology, so that's in the TBR pile. I'll review that book later.
Good birding!
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