Two Parrots

Last night I dreamed that I was the owner of two parrots that lived in a cage. In my dream I happened to walk by the parrots and remember that I hadn't fed them in awhile. I went over to the cage with the food and one of the parrots was almost dead and the other one was barely standing up on its perch. I felt so bad because it had been so long since I had fed the parrots or given them water and I knew that I was responsible for their near demise. Immediately I filled their little water bowl and put some food in a little bowl in the cage. The bird that was standing immediately started eating but the one that was laying down I had to hand feed until it was strong enough to recover. I apologized to the parrots for neglecting them and before the end of the dream both parrots were on the road to recovery and had forgiven me for my behavior.

Upon awakening, I contemplated the meaning of the dream. I looked up parrots in my animal meaning dictionary and got no help at all. Believing that Spirit was trying to tell me that I had been neglecting something or someone, I tried to think about who or what I had forgotten about. I faithfully call my dad and my daughter almost every day. I always make sure I am making time for my husband, who faithfully fixes me dinner almost every night and helps me with the business of being a published author. I work a full time job, and I am always there for anyone who calls or emails me for assistance. Who am I neglecting?

Eventually I thought how in the past few months I have realized my dream of being a published author and I have been doing a lot more shamanic journeys for people and seeing some real results. I remembered that many years ago I was taught to hear messages and that at some point in time I put my gift on the back burner and went on with my life. I realized that the two parrots represented the two gifts that have recently been "reborn" in me. At a certain point in my past, I had walked away from giving messages and writing and that in the past year or so I had "noticed" the dying gifts and had begun to feed them. I now realize that it is just recently that I have noticed the gifts getting stronger and more accurate.

I guess my reason for relating this dream is to remind us all that whatever we feed will grow. If we feed the gifts we were born with then they will grow stronger and stronger, but if we ignore them they will die. Just because a person is born with a particular talent or gift does not mean it will never go away. We have to nurture our Divine gifts and use them and the more we do the more we will find ourselves gaining skill in whatever we have been called to do.

In the same way if we constantly feed our negative qualities or tendencies those things will grow in our lives as well. The parrots could represent the good things in our lives or the bad things. What are we feeding? What are we neglecting? Just as we cannot expect to have a strong, muscular body if we sit around and eat chips and watch television all the time, so we cannot expect to have a strong spirit if we are not exercising the spiritual aspect of ourselves. One of my favorite affirmations is .. What I focus on grows...

Ask yourself ... what aspect of yourself are you feeding and what aspect are you neglecting? What does the parrot represent to you?