The vulture is a master of Vayu, the Wind. When the winds of change are upon you–can you smell and sniff out what is coming? Can you sense the tide that is approaching you on the horizon? Are you meant to be on it or are you meant to let it pass you by?

The turkey vulture, in particular, relies heavily on its sense of smell. Each wind and each breeze that comes their way brings them closer and closer to a food source. Their sense of smell is so heightened that they are even able to sense and locate carcasses that are hidden. Death may smell bad to humans, but to vultures, it is their opportunity for food. Keeping our sense of smell–our sensory cues heightened–is what can allow us to spot opportunities that others may miss or pass over.

While we have associated the vulture with death and dying, it is important to remember that the vulture is generally not a killer. It is not a hunter that seeks out a prey. Instead, the vulture makes full use of all of Mother Nature’s resources by collecting and recycling what is already dead and what is past its prime. I find that by making donations of unwanted items or giving away what we no longer need, we make room for new energy to come in. We should never allow ourselves to keep things that we have no intention of using.

How many things are hanging around in your space that are no longer necessary? This could refer to objects that you hoard, emotions that you no longer require and even clothing that you would never be caught dead in. Excuse the pun. Take your cue from a vulture and either make use of it or give it away. You don’t need to keep things that are no longer valuable to you.

Look to vulture as a guide and as a teacher when you want to stop worrying so much about what others think of you. In some societies, there is a stigma surrounding second-hand goods even though they are still perfectly good to use. Do you allow yourself to conform to the the status quo when you know that there are plenty of opportunities for a good find just lying around? Why not make full use of all the things that others no longer want nor need? Why not allow others to make use of that which you no longer want or need? Give it away, I say. Release it to the vultures who will recycle it and put it to good use.

Fly strong, fly high and do your own thing, even if general society doesn’t understand or appreciate the role that you play. They will not understand why you have made the decision that you have made. Death is inevitable. It is one of the facts of life. Why do we make such a ruckus over it? Why do we kick up a fuss about letting things go when we know that we no longer need them?

Did you know that the vulture can eat rotten meat that is toxic to other creatures? They were born to perform a great service to Mother Nature. I must come back to their sense of smell. The vulture’s sense of smell is so strong and potent that they can sense death from over a mile away. They psychic awareness is exceptionally strong. Their heightened awareness of death allows them to do their job and to clean up what others dare not go near.

The vulture can teach us a lot about cleansing–or even giving away–the excess baggage that we have accumulated without realising. The vulture can teach us to properly release it once and for all. Whatever you feel has been weighing you down, the time has come to drop it, depart and move on. The vulture usually only arrives after death has already run its course. The vulture is not here to mourn or grieve. Its arrival reminds you that life continues on. It is time to find a whole new way to live your life. It is time to let go of what you can no longer use.

Vultures can provide fresh insight into matters of the past by allowing us to surrender it once and for all. The appearance of a vulture usually foretells the coming of new wealth. Vultures tend to live long lives and have few natural enemies. When we see a vulture circling, we know that someone is watching us closely to see if we are going to die. But then again, since vultures do not kill, we have nothing to fear.

The vulture symbolises purity for it can purify toxins by clearing away what has already died. By destroying toxins, vultures prevent the spread of disease. They remind us that we should be noticed for what we do instead of how we appear or look. The vulture can spot a perfectly good meal from miles away due to their strong and heightened instincts. They can sense a good deal, spot it and and take immediate action.

Vultures, for the most part, are not very vocal. They remind us that we do not need to speak, let alone shout, to get attention or make a difference. All we have to do is be ourselves and do the job that we were created to do. We do not need validation or praise from anyone, especially since we know our life purpose and what our Maker has created us to do.

The vulture reminds us that everyone is born to play a part that only they can play.