Like with candles, thread, and many other magickal ingredients: the color of a feather is one of the most important aspects. All colors have their traditional associations, along with what an individual associates them with. For example: red can be a color of love, a color of passion, a color of anger, or whatever else you may associate it with.
Another important factor is the bird from which the feather came. If the bird was a pet of yours who you have a strong relationship with, or a wild bird which visits you often, the feathers will have uses that they could not have if you simply found them on the ground. This does not mean feathers you found somewhere aren’t useful, but they have different uses than feathers from a bird with which you have a strong connection. Feathers from a bird you know, similar to bones from an old pet, can be used for protection spells. I used a feather from my cockatiel for a spell to protect my mind from my abuser, since my bird and I have a strong, loving relationship.
The third important factor about feathers is from which species of bird they come from. Like other animals, the spirits of different birds can have different intentions. Hawks represent intuition, owls represent wisdom, crows represent prophecy and luck, and eagles represent bravery (these associations, like those with colors, can change depending on your personal beliefs).
Also, though I will mention elements different kinds of feathers are associated with, remember that regardless of color or species, all feathers are associated with the element of air along with whatever else their color or species may define.
Common Color Associations
Brown
Earth, stability, safety, concentration, locating lost objects, construction, material objects, food, grounding
Grey
Simplicity, loneliness, contemplation, purification, modesty
White
Unity, purity, cleansing, balance, healing, innocence, truth
Black
Protection, safety, banishing, black magic/curses, repelling negativity and black magic, defense, reversing curses
Yellow
Sun/solar magic, happiness, success, youth, inspiration, imagination, socializing, charm, childhood, memory, creativity
Orange
Fire, intelligence, celebration, fun, creativity, healing, mental health, success
Red
Fire, passion, vitality, love, anger, danger, war, sex, physical fitness, fertility, assertiveness, survival, power
Feathers from a Bird You Know Well
Spells to strengthen relationships
Spells to strengthen yourself (physically, emotionally, or spiritually)
Hold it in your hand while meditating to help contact your inner self
Give as an offering to a spirit you want a stronger relationship with
Hawk
Intuition, knowledge, seeing the “bigger picture,” visions, astral projection.
Hawks are known for their eyesight, able to see incredibly far with great accuracy. As they fly through the sky, they often see the world in the form of a bigger picture, and their ability to see far away helps with astral projection.
Crow
Death, prophecy, luck (good or bad), curses, divination
Crows are typically associated with death and luck, both good and bad. They are also known to be great prophets, as well as signs of future events.
Owl
Wisdom, knowledge, strategy, victory, levelheadedness, protection
As most people know, owls are most commonly associated with wisdom because of their association with the goddess Athena (AKA Minerva). Athena was also the goddess of war strategy and tactics, and often brings levelheadedness and calm to those in stressful situations - mainly battle.
Eagle
Bravery, confidence, victory, strength, protection
Eagles are known best as the national bird of America. They are meant to represent bravery, strength, confidence, and many similar ideas. Despite these mainly being an association with bald eagles, the spirits of other eagles often embody these traits.
Cockatiel
Friendship, happiness, youth/childhood, innocence, creativity, playfulness, self-expression
Cockatiels are playful, silly, and never take themselves too seriously. If you’ve ever had one as a pet, you know they value friendship with their humans, and they generally have the attitude of a young child who always wants attention.
Parakeet
Solar magic, communication, intelligence, loyalty, trust, love, alchemy
Parakeets, like cockatiels, love attention. But unlike cockatiels, they are much more trusting and loyal to both other birds and humans they’ve learned to love. Cockatiels are often unable to comprehend these ideas, having such childish spirits, but parakeets feel very strong loyalties toward those they love. Their ability to mimic sounds also makes them a good representation of communication, and they are good guides to call upon when you want to learn to speak up or stand up for yourself.
Parrot
Communication with higher powers, intelligence, friendship, communication, diplomacy, trickster magic, happiness
Parrots are also very social birds. They have long been associated with gods, as they were beautiful, colorful spirits seen flying through the sky. Their intelligence allowed them to be both benevolent and tricksters.
Finch
High energy, physical activity, happiness, diversity, energy, family, vulnerability
Finches are energetic and excitable. They live fast-paced, high energy lives. There are so many different varieties of finches, and they are so unlike any other bird, so they do well in representing diversity and originality.
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