By: Maranda Wabik
Legend, ,

Phoenix: Bird of Fiery Rebirth

For today’s post I would like to discuss the fiery bird, the phoenix.   The phoenix is a fire bird from mythology.    The story of the phoenix is a bird who gets engulfed in fire when it is ready to die.    The unique part of this bird is that it gets born again from its own ashes after death!    In that way a phoenix can be seen as an immortal magical animal.

Those of us born in the 90s have a very special version of the phoenix in our memory.    This is, of course, Fawkes from Harry Potter!    Fawkes was the pet of Dumbledore, and a phoenix was also connected to the ancient wizard by his patronus also being one.    So, yes, one of my favorite phoenix characters is the bird from these novels.   In these books we also learn that phoenix tears are incredibly healing.    This is a bird who can gift part of its immortality to others in the form of the healing tears it cries!    Later on in the books we learn that Dumbledore’s legion against Voldemort is called the Order of the Phoenix.    This is a fitting tribute to Dumbledore’s connection to the bird, and also a very special way of saying that they will not be defeated for long (they too would rise from any harm that may befall them)!

There is a connection between the phoenix and the dragon in certain cultures.    In this version the phoenix and the dragon are seen as perfect compliments to one another.   I have even seen beautiful couples necklaces featuring a phoenix and dragon as a symbol of true love!   I love that this bird connects the elements of air and fire, and similarly the dragon connects the elements of fire and water.    It provides a beautiful symmetry, and I love artwork featuring phoenixes, and especially ones that feature both a phoenix and a dragon!

In all we can learn from this magical bird.    To me a phoenix teaches me to know when to let go of old patterns, and outmoded ideas.    Sometimes we have to be willing to burn off the excess in order to become the most fully realized version of ourselves.    Fire is truly purifying in this way, and I think the phoenix is a prime example of this!    I would also like to mention that growing up my favorite roller coaster at the amusement park my parents often took me to was named the Phoenix!   Now it was not the newest one, it was old and a little rickety and made of wood not metal.   But that is what made is so special to me!

I hope you have enjoyed this short post about my opinions on the phoenix.   Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Note on Image: The image at the top of the post is a phoenix.   I found the image on https://numpaint.com/products/phoenix-bird-new-paint-by-numbers/.

Further Reading