When the Sacred Waterbird, Blue Heron, comes to you in the Native American Totems tradition it gives you a lesson of self-reflection. Heron medicine teaches us about the power of knowing ourselves so that we can discover our gifts and face our challenges. We learn to accept all of our feelings and opinions and not to deny the emotions and thoughts that go with them. Blue Heron encourages us to follow our intuition and to take the empowering journey into self-realization.
I chose this totem message today (or perhaps it chose me) because in the last few days I’ve been on a journey of 
self-reflection. As much as I work with the lessons of the Native American Totems, one would think that I would have recognized that the Sacred Waterbird was flying over me. Sometimes we two-leggeds can be a bit dense when it comes to the messenger totems that enter our lives. When I sat down to free my mind and decide which totem to write about today, the majestic Blue Heron landed in my mind’s eye. Let’s just say it was one of those “Ahhh” moments. Let’s explore the message that Heron is bringing to me personally and probably to you too if you found this post today.
Blue Heron comes to us encouraging us to dive into the world of our feelings and to look for our truth. If we only look at ourselves in a negative frame we never understand our true potential or recognize the opportunities that come our way. We don’t want to get stuck in the notion of self-importance. We should not think of ourselves as having little or no worth nor should we wallow in self-pity. Heron says to reflect on your feelings and get to know ourselves intimately to find our true calling.
The Sacred Waterbird tells us not to blame others or point a negative finger at the situations of life. This majestic bird says to claim responsibility for our own actions and to face the enemy within us all. We need to find a balance to our inner truths, work on our inner weaknesses, and develop our strengths to know our own spiritual essence. This takes courage to make this journey because it isn’t easy to look at ourselves in an honest way.
We can find wonderful healing for our souls, truly allow ourselves to make our dreams come true, and live our lives to their greatest potential if we listen the the messages of our Native American Totems.
~ Mitakuye Oyasin ~ We are all related
5 years ago, the weekend after we buried by Mother, I was staying in my hometown for the weekend at my friends beach house off of Lake Erie.
The first night I was there, I was looking out off of the bluff to the water. The sky was a deep blue just before dusk, the water was still, so was the air. I noticed a blue heron standing at the end of the pier looking out at the water.
On my drive home, I saw several of them flying in the distance. I always kept seeing those moments in the back of my mind. I thought it symbolic of God/The Universe that is all knowing and knows of our suffering but also knows of strength as well.
Years passed and just this summer of 2022 went back to her beach house. I was walking down on the beach looking for sticks to find for my son to write in the sand with. I looked up to the sky and a blue heron flew over me. I then looked down and found a stick that so incredibly resembles a blue heron. I couldn’t believe it. I finally received the message the blue heron was sending me.
The whole year of 2022 has been nothing but a year of transformation for me. Letting go of the people and the things that no longer serve me nor my spirit. I decided to go back to school and create a better life for my family and so many things. To me this was validation that I am indeed on the right path, to have patience as the blue heron does, to persevere, to embrace the dark and light sides of my self as well as others and to continue on the path that I have created though the grace of God. It was an amazing moment. I am glad to see others have had similar experiences. God Bless
6 years ago, I use to go to the waters edge of a river near to my house. There was a Heron there each time I came. (He would fly away, somewhat bothered at my intrusion, it seemed, ) so i would tey to go slow and ask for his blessing to join him by the waters…. I said prayers of bringing new love, and one came. It was intense and dynamic and full of pleasure and fun, and then ot fell into the depths of despair; addiction and then narcissistic abuse and rehab. I climbed my way out and eventually peeled my life out of the clutches of this person and my own codependency factors. I had to face that part of me that was looking for my mother, which is inherent in Narcissistically abusive dynamics. Looking for a man to fill an emptyiness in me that is inappropriate at best to ask for. Excruciating pain to go through, a pain only others that have been through can truly grock the deep well of confusion it leaves one in, being abused in this fashion.
Heron Medincine for me was about me taking my dignity back, my wholeness; only found inside and through a connection to Source/Spirit/God…. Now when I see the Heron fly over me, I bow I deep respect for the deep power that one can have, by knowing one’s self! Not power over, but power To Live Life Authentically, true to one’s own path, not giving away oneself for safety, but owning one’s own safety with clear intentions, boundaries and Love.
Interesting. I’ve been dealing with failed back surgery,and feeling very hopeless and useless. I never in my entire life, would have thought that I would be unable to do simple things in my mid 40’s, yet here I am. I have really felt down on myself and wondering what sort of life I can live like this, in this condition. I still don’t have that answer. I may never feel physically well again, and I am certain that this will continue to affect every aspect of my life, but maybe I need to think outside of the box on this one. It’s hard for me to do things, however, I can still share my knowledge of the old medicines and Native ways, and perhaps, in doing that, I can still be a healer in this world. I don’t know. We’ll see.
A Great Blue Heron knocked on my sliding glass door yesterday. Looked me deeply in eye for two beats and flew off. How powerful that was.
I saw 6 blue herons while walking on the way to volunteer at my son’s school today. 5 flew away, 1 stayed watching me. Blue herons have been in my life for years, always showing themselves (only ever 1 at a time) at times of my own strife. Today, 6. Big work to do within myself and for myself.
I am a cyclist. Was riding very early morning in the dark. A road near a canal. I saw a large heron flying from right to left. Very low. Then turned right toward me , close! Landed on road in front briefly then took off. I knew I was supposed to pay attention but wasn’t sure what I needed to see. I found it so exciting. Hawk is my usual friend who has also been showing up low and close.
There is a most beautiful Great Blue Heron that I see every night while walking to work and every morning while walking home. The first time I saw it, I told him that he was beautiful, and now he waits for me to speak to him each time I see him. If I don’t, he lets out a squawk to let me know he’s there. Is there some significance to this? My friend thinks the bird is in love with me.
We saw one yesterday diving under the water at the ocean/bay we were at <3 Thank you! I knew he had a message!
I was driving and came upon a dead tree. In the top of the tree, was an Eagle. Two branches below was a great blue Herrin.
I knew this was a very significant moment in my life. That the Universe was speaking directly to me.
Never truly understood the meaning. Until years later looking back at teverything that occured.
I knew I loved Blue Herons for some reason. Yes, the outer walk is dependent on the inner. And that is a constant job — keeping ourselves free of judgment of others and ourselves on a positive plane.
.-= Joan Adams´s last blog ..Guide Dogs for the Legally Blind, A Second Review =-.
I absolutely love blue herons and am a pretty reflective person. Self-reflective is another matter, something I also have been working on lately. What came to me while reading this beautiful post was the word “humility” – humble enough to realize our failings but also our gifts.
.-= Kim´s last blog ..I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith =-.
Very good thought, Kim. Humility is a wonderful word to describe the lesson from Blue Heron. It is quite humbling to reflect on our inner self and see that we have much to work on so that we can truly like the reflection in the mirror of our soul.
The Blue Heron is very wise. Definitely hard to look within, but truly life-changing if we do.
.-= MiMi´s last blog ..MiMi commented on the blog post Shaker Furniture: Craft, Style, And Beauty =-.
Yes, MiMi, Blue Heron reminded me to stop pointing fingers or finding blame with others and work on improving my own outlook, my own abilities, my own weaknesses. That should keep me busy for a while!
I love this! Such a great message for me, today. And the special gift of seeing a heron, as I exited the freeway! So grateful.