in the coal mine, from the ashes considers the many ways that the life force of all things, that which we may call the “spirit”, remains across the borders of mortality realized through the recurring symbol of the bird. It is a series that deals with the deep longing that comes with grief, with spiritual mystery, with the rich wisdom of nature. Throughout human history, birds have been symbolic of many things. They have often been aspirational figures, reflecting a deeply rooted, primordial desire that we hold to quickly and freely traverse distances. Among common themes across time, distance, religious difference, and various cultural wisdoms, the belief that birds have the ability, either literally or metaphorically, to communicate with the dead has been recurring. Birds live in two worlds. They are of the earth and of the heavens. They connect our tangible reality to the outer reaches of imagination and possibility – to the idea that what we have lost may remain, transformed but present.
It is also a deeply personal series. In 2020, three of my loved ones passed away one month apart from each other. Coincidentally, in all three of these relationships, observing birds was an important aspect of our bond. I began to seek solace in the birds and have had numerous experiences where I could feel my loved one’s presence being mediated through avian symbolism or even direct encounters. As I talked to more people about this, I recognized that others have had similar experiences. The connection points branched, multiplied, took flight.
The law of conservation of energy states that energy is neither created nor destroyed. We apply this science to our tangible world. Why then shouldn’t we imagine that our life force, our soul energy, should abide by the same rules? To consider this possibility, to view a symbol with a legacy of cross-cultural significance as rich as that of the bird, to contemplate our own personal experiences, to observe our environment with reverence, curiosity, and open-mindedness towards the unknown -- to participate in these actions invites meditations that could move us towards our own highest truths. Ones that may invite us closer to the invisible, to what is lost, and to what remains.