Planet Soul

When Objectivity Fails to Keep Us Human

Sometimes you need to reach beyond ‘the facts’ to find peace

Ethan Maurice
Human Parts
Published in
7 min readFeb 11, 2020

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A photo of three birds flying in a blue sky with faint clouds.
Photo: Erika Maurice

My friend is a true artist. A feeler with strong intuition, she lives in deep connection with the desert she calls home.

Her walks through the desert are her daily source of renewal. The smell of creosote in rare desert rains moves her more than anyone is moved by a smell. She feels an energy between all things that I could once only logically intuit.

I am often inspired by her connection to everything. Our time together has connected me to all these gifts, strengthening my connection with the natural world. Recently, however, she told me something I simply have not been able to believe or connect with: red-tailed hawks are messengers.

To her, sighting a red-tailed hawk is more than a coincidence — its flight path is more than a result of biological needs. A red-tailed hawk often bears a message for her, usually beckoning her to be more courageous in life and art. She reads meaning in their flight patterns and believes they arrive when she needs them most.

I understand the archetype of a red-tailed hawk. I understand how this majestic bird — effortlessly free, graceful, and powerful — can serve as a symbol that helps us find those…

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