As with all of the Creature Beings of the Earth Mother, the coloring of the Great Blue Herons` feathers is significant, as each color carries with it special attributes unique to that Creature.  Blue in nature is connection to Father Sky  and also represents Peace and Tranquility.

Although the Great Blue Heron is by nature a predominantly solitary bird, during mating season, Herons will gather in clusters to nest and raise young in what are called ~colonies.~  It is quite remarkable to witness the peace and harmony that abounds in these colonies, and is a testimony to the ability of a highly independent creature to adapt to ~communal life.~

***Just as the Blue Heron must find within him/herself the ability to live in cooperative peace with other members of the colony, so does the two-legged beside whom Heron fly enter the Earthwalk with the theme of Peace.  This may either be a natural state of ~Being~ for one with this bird as a Primary Totem, or in the instance where Great Blue Heron has surfaced as either a Messenger or Lesson Totem, the Lesson then becomes finding Inner Peace and Tranquility.

If Great Blue Heron is one of the Primary Totems, much focus throughout life will be in establishing and maintaining Peace.  Initially however, this quest for harmony may manifest as the Blue Heron Soul attempting to direct Others to such a state, preliminarily failing to recognize that Peace must first come from ~Within.~  Consider the following quote by the renowned Sioux Holy Man, Black Elk:

When Blue Heron soul finds that Peace within the ~Self,~ the lesson gained in the journey there will be shared as a means of guiding ~Others~ to finding that same Peace within.  Yet when in peaceful attunement and harmony with Self, the two-legged beside whom Blue Heron flies will also emit a powerful and profound tranquil vibration that will effect all around them and inspire the burgeoning soul to become in balance and harmony with All, a priceless Gift to give indeed!***
 
 

As a member of the Stork family, these large birds are distinctive in appearance partially due to their blue feathers which can range in color from a dusky slate-grey to a deep blue.  Their long legs, which serve them well as they wade through the shallows of swamps and wetlands, and elongated neck are also distinguishing characteristics of these splendid birds.

When wading through water in search of prey or standing and observing their surroundings, these birds are the picture of grace and stateliness, yet when in flight their appearance is a bit gangly as they fly with their heads supported between their shoulders, rather than stretched out before them as is typical of their White Crane cousins.  Their blue feathers are also a feature that distinguishes them from other members of the Crane family.  These separating characteristics suggest that those beside whom Great Blue Heron flies will also be individualists who will utilize their own differences to elicit change in the world around them.

***For the two-legged with Blue Heron as a Totem, there will be a desire to establish themselves as a unique and independent Being, often making these souls the revolutionaries that disrupt the status quo of society in order to elicit change and evolution.  Although this is a trait with many challenges, when operating from its Highest Vibration, Blue Heron souls teach the rest of us the value and importance of each individual contribution to the Whole.

When young, the Blue Heron individual will be quite unusual in either appearance or mannerisms in ways that they may often find themselves ostracized by peer members.  In extreme circumstances, even their own family members will tend to distance themselves, forcing the Blue Heron individual to establish separate and independent lives at an early age.

The teen-age years which are often met with a sense of awkwardness for any human maturing and evolving, are particularly painful for the one beside whom Blue Heron flies, as their appearance and/or behavior will tend to set them apart at a time in their growth when they seek the most to integrate and ~blend-in.~  Often, there will be long limbs, above average height and a uncoordinated gait that may be the object of ridicule during the angst of their emerging from childhood toward adulthood.

Yet with sufficient maturation (and as these individuals grow into their height and distinguishing characteristics), these very souls that were once considered "odd looking" suddenly blossom into stunning adults that may quickly find themselves thrust into the attention and admiration of many suitors.  More than a few fashion models and actors/actresses have Blue Heron predominately placed amongst their Primary Totems, as the very characteristics that once set them painfully apart, becomes an attracting force of beauty and grace that pulls others toward them.  Even in those instances when there is not great "physical beauty," there will be a special spark to these individuals that will later draw positive attention with a great deal of  magnetic force.

On a spiritual level, there will also be a phase of awkwardness and groping for identity.  Many revolutionary ideas are first conceptualized by the Blue Heron individual, as they will not be content with watching society operate in the same mode it has done for generations.  As a child this independent thought will be a great consternation to parents and guardians, yet as the body, mind and soul of Blue Heron grows and develops, this same ability to think independently may serve them in professions such as exploration and research, politics and scientific discovery and invention as these souls once more learn to transform what was once viewed as a ~liability~ into an asset.***
 
 

One of the dominant physical characteristics of the Great Blue Heron are its long, spindly legs.  Like all members of the Stork family, Blue Heron utilizes these elongated limbs to wade through the marshes and swamplands that constitute their natural environment, in search of the food that swims in the water or crawls along the spongy banks.

It is not uncommon to see a Great Blue Heron standing with one leg drawn up in a resting position, and balancing like a seasoned acrobat on the other leg.  Herons are often spied dozing while standing thus on one foot as well (like their White Stork cousins) and as discussed earlier, tend to prefer solitude and their own company (when not in mating season and living in communal colonies).

***This particular set of keywords indicates a powerful Lesson for those who share this Earthwalk with Blue Heron Totem, as there will be many experiences in learning to operate independently and to trust and rely heavily on the ~Self.~  This can be a dual edged sword however, as much like the Heron must find the proper equilibrium to balance on one leg, the two-legged beside whom Heron flies must also learn the delicate balance and counter-balance between independence and cooperative loving and living with ~Others~

Often times there are likely two distinctive scenarios which contribute to the development of the Blue Heron individual.  The first such set of circumstances is where the human counterpart enters along the Sacred Hoop of Life as a very peaceful and sensitive person that seeks out the company of Others, yet is often rejected by the very souls he/she loves and trusts the most.  This may establish a fear of rejection, and often effects their later interactions in adult relationships, as there is often the inherent fear or expectation that as soon as a bond of love or trust is formed, they will be rejected or betrayed.  Until the Blue Heron individual can heal from these painful episodes, examine the lessons that they have been present to teach, and integrate the experience to find a better center of balance, they will often either shut themselves off emotionally to avoid future ~hurts,~ or they may become lost in a repetitive pattern of choosing partners that will ultimately fulfill their expectations of abandonment.

The second ~grouping~ of Blue Heron individuals are often highly
independent (seemingly from the moment of birth), and tend to prefer the solitude and comfort of their own company over interacting with family members and friends.  There is the sense about these souls that they are capable of handling any task so long as they are left alone to their own devices to accomplish it.  The difficulty surfaces when they ignore the interactions with their fellow human that is a vital and integral part of our life in flesh.  Until these individuals are fully able to embrace the understanding that we are all here to interconnect with our fellow two-leggeds and the animals of the Ina Maka (Earth Mother), there will be an underlying restlessness and general dissatisfaction with life.  Their challenge thus becomes learning to find the harmony between time spent alone, and time spent with their fellow Earth inhabitants.

In both instances, the primary focus is upon gaining enough self-confidence that they are well capable of relying upon their own highly developed sense of timing and action, and tempering it with embracing loving relationships that operate within healthy parameters and involve requisite sharing and co-nurturing with the respect of individual freedom and independence.  Yet when this fine balance is struck, the end result is a beauty to behold and often leads these souls down the pathway as impartial judges, counselors and artists who convey through their choice of medium a world in which all live in true Harmony.***
 
 

All of the Winged Ones (birds) are believed to be messengers of the Great Spirit, and hence carry messages from the ~One Above~ and the Ancestors to the minds and hearts of the two-leggeds who walk the Red Road of Physical Life.  Each Winged One has a specific task to perform as Messenger, for the Eagle it is to bring Illumination into the Souls of humans, for the Crow, it is to assist those who are making the journey from darkness into light, and for the Blue Heron, it is the Medicine of Connection to the Blue Road of Spirit.

In Earth Medicine, Life is viewed as a Sacred Wheel.  We enter at the Eastern point along this mighty Wheel and traverse the Hoop until our Life Path for that present incarnation has been filled.  At this point, we once more cycle off the Red Road of Life to walk the Blue Road of Spirit.  The Blue Road in Earth Medicine is the equivalent of what some traditional religions and philosophies may view as ~Life After Death~ and is the place that our souls journey to after the physical body dies.  On the Blue Road, relatives and loved ones who have crossed over previous to us await us there, as do the Ancestors and the Elders who guide the footfalls of the Earth`s inhabitants while we are encased in ~flesh.~

For the Blue Heron, the significance is found once more in the coloring of his/her feathers, hence the link to the Blue Road of Spirit.  Blue Heron carries messages from those walking the Red Road of life to those who walk the Blue Road and vice versa, flying in between ~planes~ and carrying with him/her contact between realms.

***As a part of the Medicine associated with this splendid creature, the one beside whom Blue Heron flies will have innate abilities to tune into messages from the ~other side.~  This often manifests itself via what some think of as "channeling" wherein once the two-legged with this remarkable gift has learned how to step out of the way of fears and judgment for the information received, a wealth of knowledge and wisdom may be imparted through him/her so long as they remain as a "hollow tube" through which the workings of the Great Mystery may flow.

Often, this will manifest as one who receives information via ~automatic writing~ where words are written in a rush without the conscious self understanding where those messages may have originated.  For others, this same gift may present itself as precognitive dreams, or in the most extreme cases, instances where the physical vessel is put into a deep alpha state trance so that verbal messages can be conveyed through the voice and personage of the two-legged with Blue Heron as a prominent Animal Spirit.

Some cautions should be taken however, as in any work that involves ~channeling,~ such an open vehicle needs to establish a form of protection that will prevent negative or ~low-level~ energies from manipulating or controlling the individual.  One of the best steps in preventing this from happening is for the Blue Heron soul prior to attempting any form of channeling to envision themselves surrounded in a brilliant cone of white light, encapsulating them in a loving shield of protection.  It may also be useful when visualizing this light for the Blue Heron individual to say a mantra aloud such as, "Only those operating from Higher Intent and of the Divine Source may have any contact with or through me.  I am safe and surround in love and protection at all times."

Also, those who may be experiencing a sense of losing balance or maintaining the ability to stand firmly in the ~material plane,~ should not attempt channeling during such times, as this furthers the risk to psyche, body and soul.

Yet when operating from a secure and safe place of Higher Intent, the messages and guidance that often arrives from the Blue Road of Spirit is a profound unfolding of Medicine to bear witness to, and a genuine blessing of the Divine.***