Wow, lots of info here already!
I did a study with several books, and I tried to synthesize the various meanings and stories, so forgive me if I sound like I’m just parroting the book. I’ll move on soon, I promise!
It’s interesting to know that they sing (and crack shells!) in the morning dusk. The book made it seem they sing in the evening dusk. Do they do both? Either way, it’s a good symbol for the meaning of being guides to another world. The card beautifully shows the stars and moon just coming out (or fading) and the cave-like entrance to the other world. I also saw the story that it is the first of the oldest animal to lead the seekers to the string of other, older animals as another way to say it is a gateway to the otherworld (of very old animals!).
I found the connection with blacksmiths interesting. Do you think it’s just because they’re black (as iron, as the face of a blacksmith covered with soot)? If we connect blacksmiths and blackbirds with alchemists, who can turn mundane rocks and lumps of metal into amazing things, it’s yet ANOTHER association to spiritual guidance. Plus I see the blackness of the feathers contrasting with the gold of the beak. The bird combines lead or iron and gold? Or it is part of the earth (black) but it speaks of spiritual gold (through its beak)?
The tree the blackbird is perched on is the rowan. (I’m in the process of studying the trees shown on the cards with a big ogham study, but I’ve only gotten through the first two trees. Luckily the rowan is the second one I’ve worked on!)
The rowan has strong associations with magic and divination, as well as protection from harmful magic. Rowan trees are (were?) planted near houses, and rowan twigs are (were?) tacked above doors of homes and barns to protect the inhabitants from not-so-nice witches. In Irish legends, druids (on both sides) would make fires of rowan wood before a battle to see the outcome and maybe influence it. Magic wands made of rowan were used by good magicians (to kill a giant with an evil eye that killed everyone he looked at) and evil. Witches made the hero Cuchulain eat dog meat, which he was forbidden to do, that was roasted on a rowan spit. (This led directly to his death in battle.) A bed of rowan branches was used by the sleeper who, after partaking of a sacrificed bull, dreamed of the new king of Ireland. Whew, so--protection, magic, and divination!
Last two bits on blackbirds. I keep humming Paul McCartney’s:
Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life, you were only waiting for this moment to be free
Black-bird fly
Black-bird fly, into the light of a dark black night
We can learn to fly and to see, transcending our broken wings and sunken eyes. Sometimes we just need a guide like the blackbird to show us how.
I was interested to see that not all blackbirds are black. There is a blackbird in the Tarot of Reincarnation that is SO not black, which had me going ???. But the meaning worked for the card.
I found out the card--its the Tower! It makes sense, in that catastrophes and bolts from the blue can lead one to spiritual attitudes. I'll try to post the non-black blackbird when I get a chance.
And now I think that’s about enough from me! I look forward to reading other posts and posting on the other wonderful Druid Animals.