The Eagle, elemental of Air.

Feathers are the perfect natural representation of swords. They manipulate the air providing a bird (who even has air pockets in their bones) with lift, balance, power or silence, depending on the shape of the feather. A feather is shaped like a dual bladed sword or knife.

In many ancient cultures the eagle is associated with death or the journey of the soul. The eagle often carries the souls of the dead to the afterlife and does the same for the Sun. It is swift and powerful and has clarity of vision we can scarcely imagine. In some Native American myths the eagle is able to look directly at the sun without being hurt. It is possible to see this as a metaphor for looking at the countenance of God without being harmed.

The element of Air, to me, is the ascending, spirit half of the Earth/Air twins, born by Mother Water and Father Fire. It is like a strike of lightning, conveying electricity in both directions evening the tension between what is above and what is below. The heavens and earth are always creating each other and transforming each other and the lightning path is the channel of transmitting this energy. The bare branches of the tree, behind or even emanating out of the Eagle remind me of this. The crepe like material wrapped around the Eagles body binds the eagle to the earth, assuring that the channel is complete from heaven to earth and earth to heaven, the anchor of a physical body.