During your life, you have probably witnessed birds flying in circles on one or more occasions and wondered why they do that and whether it has some deeper meaning. Seeing birds moving effortlessly through the air without having to move their wings is a magnificent sight.
Every behavior and event in nature usually has a reasonable explanation and logical reasoning, and the same goes for birds that fly in circles. But on the other hand, since birds symbolize many things such as peace, harmony, prosperity, and success, the circular flight can have a deeper spiritual meaning. Keep reading to learn more!
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What Is The Spiritual Meaning of Birds Flying in Circles?
If you ever wondered what it means to see birds flying in circles from a spiritual perspective wonder no more! It is important to note that the interpretation of birds flying in circles relies on the species of birds and can have different meanings.
1. Message From God
Some cultures perceive birds as angels or messengers of god. Furthermore, in the bible, angels are depicted with wings and the ability to fly. This is why birds are often associated with the divine because they are believed to transcend dimensions and carry out messages.
Many believe birds can be a reincarnation of their beloved ones or provide clues and warnings from the other world. For example, Native Americans believe that it is a sign from the spiritual realm and that an ancestor or deceased loved one has visited you.
2. Omen Of Impending Doom
As mentioned, depending on the species of birds, their flight can have different interpretations. For example, if you see vultures flying in circles, that is considered a stroke of bad luck and an omen of an impending catastrophe.
Given that vultures usually fly in circles when they find a carcass, many cultures connect their circular flight with death, doom, and bad happenings. So please take it as a sign or a warning to inform your close friends and relatives that something disastrous might happen.
3. Sign Of Prosperity And Abundance
If you see a flock of birds flying in circles over you, it might signify that you will find success soon. If you had financial issues in the past, this might be your clue indicating that those problems will find a solution.
It can also mean that you will be greeted with numerous opportunities in the future regarding your profession or romantic life. Generally, most birds have positive symbolism and are considered to bring good luck, especially birds that sing.
Dreaming about birds flying in circles is also a good omen. It is believed that it might indicate that your social or professional life will see a tremendous positive change, affecting other aspects of your life.
4. You Are In Peace With Yourself
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Seeing birds flying in circles (not scavengers) is a sign that you are in harmony with your spiritual self and making progress. In addition, it is a clue from the spiritual realm that you are in the process or have already achieved stable connections with your family and friends.
Take it as a spiritual confirmation of your path- the universe is telling you that you are on the right track. Being at peace with yourself and your surroundings is essential to succeed and progress.
Our perspective and the way we approach problems in most cases can define the outcome.
5. You Need To Change Your Perspective
Birds are considered a symbol of shift and freedom, but also detachment from mundane concerns. This is because many of us are caught in the ever-evolving fast lane of life, both consuming and overwhelming us with change and transformation.
It is easy to get lost and lose your perspective on life. While we mainly concern ourselves with material things in life, the birds flying in circles signify that we need to distance ourselves from the material world and search for deeper meaning.
Even though we love to possess many cars, houses, and jewelry, real happiness is often found elsewhere. Having the right perspective and setting your goals are very important for your inner happiness. If you focus too much on the material, your spiritual self might get lost or dulled.
Why do Birds fly In Circles?
1. Taking Advantage Of Warm Air Current
There is a weather phenomenon known as thermal, a column of rising air created by uneven heating of the Earth’s surface. As the air expands when heated, it becomes less dense than the air around it, making it rise and float over the denser air.
Now, what does this have to do with birds flying in circles? Well, just like human beings or other creatures, birds also like to preserve energy or use the surroundings and phenomena to their advantage.
Thermal allows the bird to float in the air without flapping its wings. The warmer air or current, which rises high, provides them a sort of ‘free lift’ or natural elevator that they can use to take a break.
For birds, thermals are pretty helpful because the ‘normal’ sustained flight can be tiring and use a tremendous amount of energy.
2. They Sense A Change In Weather
Since birds are very sensitive to temperature changes, they can serve as harbingers of climate change or ‘forecasters’.
Although it sounds a bit silly, a study shows birds can predict storms. From a historical perspective, humans have used the behavior of birds to forecast the weather since the dawn of time, and it turns out that it is not just a myth or a folktale.
Birds sense the thermal change and often fly long distances to avoid a potential storm, hail, or snow. That is why you might see a flock of birds flying in circles; they preserve their energy before leaving or finding a safe place.
3. Searching For Food
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This usually goes for predatory birds such as condors, hawks, and falcons. You must have seen, at least once, a mighty hawk cruising in circles and thought, what is it doing?
The bird is either taking advantage of thermals or searching for food or a mate. In order to scour the ground and find a potential meal, a bird would slowly fly in a circle. They often use the thermals to rest while simultaneously searching for food.
Some species of birds, scavengers, which have a great sense of smell, often fly in circles when they find a carcass or a dead animal and use the thermals to hover, waiting for other animals, such as wolves, to finish the meal so they can feast on the remains.
4. Finding The Direction
Even though birds have an innate knowledge of direction and navigation, they can get lost from time to time, especially during migrations.
Birds have various tactics for navigating and finding their direction, including relying on the Sun, Moon, and Earth’s magnetic field. They also cruise in circular motions to find the right route and get back on track.
5. Avoiding And Confusing Predators
You have probably seen a massive flock of birds flying in circles and other shapes, as a formidable shadow made of tiny dots. Many birds stay in a group because it provides security and safety from predators.
Those birds that fly alone have greater chances of being attacked and overcome by a bird of prey. For these reasons, birds will instead stay in a group and swirl around, fly in circles, or suddenly change direction to confuse their predator.
Focusing on a single bird in a massive flock of birds can be challenging for any bird of prey despite their almost supernatural senses and abilities.
6. Murmurations
Birds often fly in circles when forming a murmuration. What is a murmuration? It is a process of creating random patterns in the sky, including circular motions.
A murmuration of large flocks of birds can include hundreds and even thousands of birds, simultaneously flying and creating a formidable and magnificent shadow.
Birds such as starlings usually form murmurations before a migration process, which is considered a visual invitation for other birds to join the flock.
Conclusion
The reason why birds fly in circles has numerous causes and spiritual interpretations. They fly in circles to preserve energy by using thermal, to confuse predators, invite other birds to join the flock, find direction, and search for food.
On a spiritual level, birds have a rich symbolism and are linked to wisdom, freedom, harmony, peace, tranquility, prosperity, abundance, and the divine. On the other hand, some birds, such as ravens, and hawks, particularly scavengers, can be bad omens and signify death and doom.
If you ever see birds flying in circles around you, in most cases, it is a good sign, indicating that something positive will happen to you. If it has already happened to you, please share your experience and thoughts! As always, any comments and questions are more than welcome!
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