FLYING FOLKLORE
Training and Hunting with Birds of Prey
“You can't forge a relationship with learned helplessness, you can only force one and it will always be tenuous. There is always the possibility the peregrine will rediscover the strength of his heart.” - Rebecca K. O'Connor
Spirituality and Falconry goes hand and hand - and grows with the bond developed between the handler and the bird.
Falconry can be considered a form of "Bird Wellness" and contributes to individual well being. Falconry aids in personal, communal, environmental, and transcendental well being. Falconers develop connections through social engagement, multigenerational learning, and events. There is a multi-cultural popularity among the sport as people of different races, cultures, and languages share the same bond.
Birds of prey represent spiritual messengers, bravery, strength and fear among different cultures and spiritual beliefs. As Civilizations continued to grow and spiritual beliefs were developed, falconry is the result of humanity and their desire to connect to the spiritual world. As the handler releases their bird into the sky, they are flying through them. Connections are made through nature, and a symbolic relationship between man and bird is created.
"On a crisp fall morning, I release my red-tailed hawk from my fist into the forest ahead of me. Cutting through the sunbeams, she flies to the highest point that her sharp eyes can spot. As I follow after her, I feel the sunbeams on my own face and cannot help but stop to lift my arms in awe of the beauty into which I have been absorbed. This is my therapy. There is something wholly refreshing about nature. Falconry is the soap that I wash myself with as I soak in my sunlit forest bath." - ( A personal reflection on the experience between a handler and a bird in flight).