Meanings of the Kestrel Totem

kestrel totem
I have a dear friend who obviously has the kestrel totem in her life right now and I thought it might be a good idea to discuss the meaning of this animal spirit here on my blog so that others would benefit from the knowledge from this interesting creature teacher. When my friend first ask me if we had kestrels here in the US, I thought that we might but I didn’t think that we had any near where I live. Oh my goodness was I wrong! You see, she lives across that big pond known as the Atlantic ocean and I thought that these birds of prey might be more prevalent in her area than in mine. The ones that she sees are known as the Common Kestrel and are slightly different than those found on the North American continent. The totem meanings and lessons are the same, though. Remember, we are all connected!

A few facts about the Kestrel

Before we can truly understand the lessons that any spirit animal wants to share with us; we need to know a little about the animal as it exists in the wild. Kestrels are the smallest of the Falcons. They are about the size of a mourning dove but don’t let that diminutive size (for a bird of prey anyway) fool you. These birds are not known for hunting other birds but rather feed on grasshoppers, beetles, mice and other small rodents. They have been known to take a small bird but that is not the norm.

A unique thing that a kestrel can do that most birds of any species can not is that they are able to hover in flight. They fly with great speed and precision and then just stop in mid-air to wait until the time to strike is right; then dive with a graceful accuracy to grab the food source that they spotted.

Hovering Kestrel Posters
Hovering Kestrel Poster

by ddovala on Zazzle.com

It is unusual to see more than one kestrel at a time. They tend to hunt alone and we often see them perched on a wire overhead, a tall branch of a tree or even a ledge on a building. They are just as comfortable in the city as they are in the country. I didn’t realize that these small falcons are the most prevalent of the falcons found in the US until I started to research this bird totem for my friend. Since, I don’t think that I have ever noticed one, I was not aware that they can be found all over the state that I live in. I will be watching for them now.

The Lessons Of The Kestel

So, what does this animal spirit come to tell us? The main messages are that of Mental Speed, Agility and Grace. That makes some sense since this littlest of the falcon family does fly with great speed and is agile in flight along with being graceful.

It can also bring us the message of looking into past-life connections. The reason for this message is that falconry has been practiced for thousands of years. It is still practiced across the globe. There could be a connection of souls that you have shared lives with in the past when you see the kestrel enter your life.

As I told my friend, the hovering ability of the kestrel is very significant in her life right now. Her movements or decisions can be performed with great speed and precision but also the power to stop and use the flight to its fullest advantage. I feel for my friend that she is currently in a “hovering” pattern waiting for the precise moment to strike on some ideas that she has struggled with acting upon. This struggle has caused her to feel a little frustrated because she felt that she should be doing something. Now we know that she is just supposed to wait and she will know when to plunge into it with all she has. There is another aspect of this hovering gesture; patience. Once she knows the time is right; she will be able to fully commit to her activities and with the greatest of success.

If the kestrel is working with you right now just know that it is stimulating your senses so that you will have a graceful, quick and agile mind. You are being taught to use your mental faculties more effectively and more patiently so that you can capture what you most desire and need.

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