Plants have thorns to protect themselves. Humans also are prickly to guard against dangers. Thorns are little things that can fester and become really harmful. They can entangle us and choke our...

Grasshoppers are insects found all around the world that can jump, fly, and work together to do wondrous things.  They have provided spiritual meanings from ancient times including in the Bible...

The brown thrasher is a North American bird, a relative of the catbird and mockingbird.  It is a shy creature willing to attack when necessary. They “thrash” around on the ground to obtain...

Sandhill cranes, named after the Sandhills in Nebraska, are the most common kind of crane. Sandhills have a distinctive batch of red on their forehead among white feathers.  Their loud cries and...

Black vultures (one of three types of vultures who live in the United States) are scavengers but also mate for life and gracefully fly through the sky. This two-sided quality is reflected in their...

Yellow birds come in many varieties. The common canary is a type of finch and goldfinches particularly have had many spiritual meanings from ancient times.  Spirituality is a personal process of...