Momma Bear
Magic
The Broadcast of Robin
If Robin has hopped into your day, approach things with optimism. Speak your truth, it will keep your boundaries and open possiblities.
We have a family of Robins that live under our deck, and they are always a welcome sight in the spring. These happy go lucky birds sing their way into my heart. I enjoy watching them, when the dad arrives to woo his sweetheart. She will build a snuggly nest with his assistance, as I look on. Dried grass, twigs, mud and other yard debris are industriously placed. There she will lay her first brood of eggs which will hatch in about two weeks. Once the babies hatch, the parents become quite protective, claiming their territory with their song and diligence. But the younglings will only spend a short time in the nest, before they wander out to join the larger community. Mom and Dad may have another set or two of kiddos before joining the larger flock for the winter. Robin will run across the banister of our deck, making me laugh with his playful antics. Watching him puddle jump in the springtime reminds me of the joy of being a carefree child. He is not an overly serious character. Instead he carries with him a light-hearted and optimistic spirit. By the time the fall comes, we have a whole collection of them in a big and boisterous extended family, playing in the water fountain outside my window.
The Magic of Robin
Significant Qualities
Voice
The bright yellow of the robin’s beak was is a reminder to be mindful and truthful when we speak. But this is neither burdensome or heavy. Robin speaks of the bright road ahead and all that is possible.
Boundary
Robin will establish his territory by claiming it with song. He will state, in no uncertain terms, where the lines are drawn without hesitation or apology.
Luck
If you see a robin pull a worm from the ground, or catch him building a nest, that is a sign that your income will be sufficient to meet your needs. Seeing a robin at the start of spring? Make a wish and it will come true, so long as he doesn’t fly away before you are finished.
Begin
Robin, as the herald of spring, reminds us of the vitality and warmth of the sunshine after a long and cold winter. His red breast is connected to the kundalini, the dormant potential eager to reawaken your beautiful possibilities. He portends the begining of something extraordinary.
Joy
Robin is so full of optimism that he exudes joy. Like a child with yellow rainboots, he splashes around from puddle to puddle with an exuberant freedom.
Time
Day: Dawn
Month: March
Season: Spring
Sabbat: Beltane, Ostara
Moon: Unknown
Planet: Unknown
Zodiac: Robin’s Egg Nebula
Magic
Chakra: Throat
Tarot: Page of Wands
Rune: Unknown
Archetype: Innocent
Gods: Thor, Oak King
Nature Spirits: Unknown
Symbols
Stone: Chrysocolla, Turquoise, Blue Lace Agate, Blue Chalcedony
Herb: Red clover, Hibiscus
Element: Air, Fire
Number: Unknown
Direction: South
Gender: Masculine
Color: Red
The Science of Robin
Ornithology
Latin Name: Turdus migratorius (American Robin)
Family (Family): Turdidae (Thrush Family)
Other names: Ruddock, Redbreast
Group name: A round of robins
Female: Chick
Male: Robin
Baby: Robin
Type: Bird
Size: 9-11 in.
Weight: 2-3 oz.
Life expectancy: 2 years
Sustainability: Least Concern
Behavior
Shelter
Robin builds the nest on a platform, instead of in a house. Made from long grass, twigs, and feathers, the nest will be lined with soft finishings.
Range
The Americnan Robin can be seen throughout the continental United State, and will range as far north as Canada to as far south as Mexico.
Diet
Robin’s diet is made up of fruits and berries (about 60%) and small insects, such as earthworms, beetle grubs, caterpillars and grasshoppers (about 40%). They don’t often spend time at bird feeders, but might visit if mealworms or animal-fat suet is offered.
Mating
Robin is generally monogomous during a season, which can involve two or three nestings. But the following year, they will likely choose another mate. Male robins will sing to advertise the fact that they’re in search of a mate. Next he will feed her, so she can gain enough weight to lay her eggs.
Gestation
Robin is one of the first birds to lay eggs, starting in April. Her clutch will have three to five light blue eggs. The eggs are incubated by the female, but both mother and father will take care of the young.
Predators
Preditors usually target the eggs or the young robins. These include squirrels, snakes, fox, racoons, and cats. Some birds also prey upon the young robins, such as jays, crows, ravens, and hawks.
Vocalizations
The Folklore of Robin
Proverbs and Sayings
African Proverb
The worm don’t see nothing pretty in the robin’s song.
Latin Proverb
One tree won’t hold two robins.
British Proverb
Kill a Robin or a Wren, never prosper boy or man.
Unknown Proverb
No burial this pretty pair of any man receives, till Robin Redbreast piously did cover them with leaves.
William Blake
A robin redbreast in a cage puts all Heaven in a rage.
Except within poetic pale
I have not found a nightingale,
Nor hearkened in a dusky vale
To song and silence blending;
No stock-dove have I ever heard,
Nor listened to a cuckoo-bird,
Nor seen a lark ascending.
But I have felt a pulse-beat start
Because a robin, spending
The utmost of his simple art
Some of his pleasure to impart
While twilight came descending,
Has found an answer in my heart,
A sudden comprehending.