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I had no idea where Brunswick Town was when I got into my jeep that morning, but with map in hand I started out the day anticipating the events I was about to become part of. Within a short time I had arrived at my first powwow.

I parked among the trees and off I went with many thoughts in mind but only one goal for the day, to relax and have a little fun for the weekend, this beautiful sunny November weekend in Coastal North Carolina. I continued to walk blindly ahead, or was that clearly forward, with an open mind and heart but with what felt like an empty and wandering spirit. I needed something to fill that empty void inside me, something to give direction to my life when I was so desperately in need of clarity.

My pace quickened as I began to hear and follow the sound of the powwow singers and drums, which beat loud and rhythmically, drawing me closer to the arena. The vibrations of the drums filled me with a feeling of strength and seemed to ground me in the place where I now stood, listening intently to their songs. Songs I did not understand, sung in their native tongues, holding deep meaning to those who understood their words, but the words were indiscernible to me as the sound of the drums echoed through my mind and body. The sound and songs instilled a feeling inside me that was as unique to me, as it was to each of the many people who were present around the circle that extraordinary weekend.

As the beat of the drums echoed in the warm air, I suddenly felt the overwhelming presence of something else, something even greater then I had imagined to see that day and from the heights of the clouds it descended, soaring above the banks of the adjacent river. The majestic bald eagle approached from the east; gracefully he circled the area above us, while surveying the activities below. Each time he turned, he displayed the magnificent color of his feathered head as if he was showing us that he was the legendary and sacred bald eagle. The eagle landed in a group of trees just below the powwow arena where he was to remain for the majority of the day. To the Native American, the bald eagle is one of the greatest, most admired birds of prey and this day he was welcomed as a blessing to the event that was taking place, and for this he was honored with the next song the drum sang.

As I sat listening to the drums I couldn't help but wonder... Was the bald eagle there as a symbol? As a sign? I believed so, and I was inspired by his presence to learn what message he was there to bring me, that beautiful autumn day. I had sat down along the riverbank hoping to catch another glimpse of the eagle when my mind began to wander and soon I began to receive and know the answer to my questions. The eagle was there to tell me to gather up all my strength and courage, for the universe was presenting me with many different opportunities to soar above this currently uneventful and mundane period of my life. It was time to broaden my sense of self beyond the presently visible horizon. 

The eagle was reminding me to give myself permission to be free of all that has bound me and seek out the joys in life that my heart desired. Eagle said my broken wings could heal with love, if I could ever learn how to love myself. Did I have the strength to align myself with the power of the eagle? The courage necessary to take on the responsibility of becoming so much more than I thought I could be? The integrity to accept a powerful new dimension in my life?

What degree of effort and commitment would be necessary before I could answer yes to these questions? What sacrifices would I need to make? I would have to look deep inside before I would discover the true answers to these many questions.

As the sun began to set, I found myself questioning the message I had received from the eagle and the experience entirely. I desperately wanted to know if the eagle was really there for me, or was I just struggling too hard in search of the next piece to this mystery puzzle I am calling my life? Once again, I began doubting myself and resisting what I already intuitively knew. Would I ever stop resisting life and open up to this healing that was taking place on many different levels or would I go home that evening and forget the whole thing ever occurred, dismissing it as a product of an overactive imagination?

The drums quieted for the night as the sky darkened and I began to leave knowing that I would be back the following day, for my purpose for coming today was not yet complete. I had much to contemplate and process in relation to the visit from the eagle, but I put it all out of my head for the ride home.

That evening as I settled down to sleep, I quietly cleared my mind of the events of the day and began listening to the wind chimes outside the opened patio doors leading from my bedroom. I could smell the clean, crisp salty air as it blew from the ocean into my room and see the stars and moon which appeared closer tonight then ever before. I began to visualize the bald eagle as he floated effortlessly above, gliding like a kite in the wind, rising and falling with each change of current in the air. I thought about the significance of the eagle in my life and the questions I had earlier asked myself. Did I have the strength, the courage, and the integrity necessary for real change to occur in my life? And with this thought in mind I drifted off to sleep...

Sometime during the night I was awakened by a noise in my room. I sat up and was startled by the presence of the eagle, which had entered my room and strategically placed himself at the foot of my bed. He was staring at me, almost through me. I rubbed my closed eyes, and then opened them and looked again, expecting him to be gone, but he was still there.

Eagle then began to speak. He asked me why I was resisting life when I had the ability to soar among the clouds in the sky and the stars in the universe? It was time to surrender the fight and give up the battle. "You have the power, like the eagle to rip, tear and destroy people and things in your life with your words and actions." The eagle did this with his talons and beak, but he did it because he had to, he did it to survive. 

I had also been taught to do this and had become quite skilled at the technique, but it was not necessary for my survival and had only limited my growth in life. I was just beginning to understand how much effect this was having on me and how it was keeping me from being the person that I truly was, the person I wanted to be. I needed to gain control of not only my actions, but also my words, which had the ability to cut so deeply, to cause so much pain, and to effectively hide all my fears, hopes, and desires. 

The eagle said, "You have the courage, the strength, and the integrity necessary to align yourself with the eagle, but only if you stop resisting life and begin to accept things as you find them. You do not have the ability to change the world but you can change yourself if you will only acknowledge your weaknesses and draw on your many strengths. Look inside yourself", he said, "and discover from within the things that I can not teach you, the things you must learn for yourself.  Only then will you find the clarity, the joy, and the happiness you seek in this life!"

The next day, as I drove back to the powwow, I thought of the visit from the eagle. Was it just a vivid dream? Could it have really happened? Had I finally truly lost my mind? Was I now having bizarre nightmares and suffering from delusions?

I laughed aloud at these many thoughts, when suddenly I saw him again. The eagle soared above the tree line and field that was adjacent to the road I traveled. I laughed no more. I knew, and chills ran up and down my spine with the realization of the power and greatness of the bald eagle and his message.

That day, at the powwow, the eagle did not reappear, but a red tailed hawk had visited before I arrived. Although I missed seeing the hawk, I was able to enjoy the memory of seeing the eagle earlier that day as he soared to heights unknown and places unseen. It was as if he had come to see only me that day -- to confirm the experiences I had that weekend. I knew as I drove home that evening that my first powwow would definitely not be my last and that yes, I had indeed heard... Eagle Speak!!!

copyright 1998 Coastal Connection

The Power of Miracles: Stories of God in the Everyday
by Joan Wester Anderson.

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About The Author

Kim Hartman resides in Coastal North Carolina where she spends her time writing about her personal experiences and publishing Coastal Connection a Holistic/Metaphysical monthly magazine. She is a Reiki Master, Igili & Feng Shui Practitioner, a Certified Hypnotherapist, and a fulltime volunteer with Special Olympics. She can be reached by email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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