This photo is is a representation of the mythological Phoenix, or “Fire Bird” created by local fabric artist Debra Fell, which hangs in my office. Mythic narratives weave the divine and natural realms together in ways that can become antidotes for the anxieties and fears of our time, inviting us to embrace what past beliefs and practices have to teach us. As I clinician, I am honored to walk with individuals as they “rise from the ashes” to transform themselves. In truth, we are all invited, again and again to transform ourselves, to grow. I encourage you to join me!

Ancient sources vary in their descriptions of the Phoenix. Some state that the mythical bird was the size of an eagle. Others describe it as the size of a peacock or an ostrich. Its color has been described as red, gold with red, or purple. All mythology describes the bird as emitting sun beams or having a golden aura.

The earliest stories of the Phoenix come from ancient Egyptian mythology. It was inspired by the Benu, an African heron that Egyptians associated with Ra, the sun god, and Osiris, the god of the underworld. The Benu was also associated with the seasonal flooding in the Nile valley. Flooding generated fertile land, and the bird symbolized rebirth and immortality.

According to Greek mythology, the Phoenix lived for 500 to 1461 years. It was a radiant and solitary bird, with only one Phoenix living at a time. The creature was said to live in Arabia near a cool well. At dawn, the sun god would pause at the well to listen to the Phoenix sing as it bathed.

At the end of its life, the Phoenix builds a nest made from aromatic wood and then set the nest on fire, becoming consumed by flames. From the ashes, a new Phoenix emerges. Embalming the ashes of the previous Phoenix into a myrrh egg, it flies the egg to the city of the sun, Heliopolis. There, the new, young Phoenix offers the egg at the altar of the sun god who continues to reign it’s powerful radiant healing energy upon our Earth.

Phoenix mythology is also found in many different cultures throughout the world. Within each culture, the description and role of the Phoenix vary slightly.