In 2021 I lost a friend, it was unexpected and in the midst of covid-19. It was hard for many to come, gather, and go through all the proper rituals our tribe’s culture has when our elders pass. A little over a year since his passing, he appeared in a dream of mine. When I woke up, I thought to ask Creator to show me a hawk as the message that my friend is doing “ok”. A hawk is what my friend’s spirit was in my dream so it felt like the right thing to ask from Creator. I never spoke my request out loud, so I was slightly skeptical when on my walk that morning. I immediately noticed a hawk following me down the road for the entirety of my walk. It seemed I may have offended my ancestors by brushing off the first experience as mere coincidence. For the next week I was ambushed with many more hawk sightings, the most significant moments I’ll go into detail now.
I was walking back from my friend’s apartment in the city. In the 20 years I’ve been coming to Portland I have never spotted any hawk, but the day after I dreamed of my friend, two hawks were circling over my car. One hawk eventually perched on the trash can next to my car.
The day after that, I was at one of my jobs. This job is right by the highway in a strip mall, so wildlife is a rare sighting as well. I was outside washing pots when a hawk perched itself on the flimsy tree in the parking lot. The hawk never took its eyes off me for the nearly 20 minutes while working out there. I thought to myself, “if this is my friend or a sign from my friend, it will let me get within arm’s reach”. I kept walking closer and closer and it stayed still and stared at me the entire time. It let me stand within arm’s reach for a long while, before I eventually returned to my work.
Weeks later when I was telling another friend about these experiences, she encouraged me to look into some of the spiritual meanings of hawks since they were so present in my life for a few months. I learned that hawks are a common animal and tool our ancestors use to reach out to those still living. They can act as a spirit guide to those who have a strong communication with the spirit realm already. I keep researching everything about hawk interactions, but at this moment I am content in knowing my friend and I are still connected even though we live in different realms now. And I can only laugh at how many times he had to send me messages until I finally took the time to listen and reflect.
— Esper G.
I can relate to this story. A friend of mine also passed during the pandemic. A friend told me to ask him for a sign that he was still there and could hear me in the spirit realm. I asked for a hawk to appear. That night, I dreamt of a large hawk landing on my left shoulder. The feel of it’s talons and warm heavy body was all encompassing as he sat leaning against my head. I just tried to stay still and then the dream ended.
Two days later, I was pulling out of my condo complex when I spotted a hawk just outside my car standing on the ground staring at me. I thought, “This NEVER happens!” It stayed for about 20 seconds Just looking at me, before it flew off to catch up to some turkeys down the road.
When I looked up to see what kind of hawk appeared, it was a Red Shouldered hawk… So I had a dream hawk on my shoulder and a red shouldered hawk show up for my friend! He certainly answered my call to the spirit realm like your friend did Esper! Hawks can be messengers!