In mythology, the phoenix is symbolic of moving from parts of life that are dying, then rising to a new birth. Depending on our culture, we identify with this powerful bird in many different ways, but all represent dying and rising. In Christianity, the bird can represent death and resurrection, or in ancient Greece, it can represent burning away in flames, then rising again into regeneration.
All of life seems to follow this pattern of dying and regeneration. The fall brings shedding of leaves, dying of grasses, and winter preparation in the animal world. For people, dying and rising can represent the letting go of a life we had in exchange for a life we desire. Or the phoenix can represent a burying of what is already dead then anticipating the birth of what shall renew.
Regardless of how we see this powerful symbolic bird, change is inevitable. Sometimes we have a choice as to what dies, but sometimes we don’t have that choice. Our choice is within how we regenerate. When our bodies die, we hope to reunite with the spark that is God. When parts of our lives must die, our choice is to how we are going to rise.
Therefore, our life plays out according to the choices we make when the moment is offered. Shall we continue to die with the flames and embers of a life that is not moving onward? Or shall we rise in the beauty and transformation that a new opportunity of metamorphosis brings us? Again, the choices are ours. I will make this more personal: the choice is yours!
Loving you from here,
Dr. Rev. Jenine Marie Howry, PhD
**image is a free stock image
Life Lessons by Jenine Marie 