What Does It Mean When You See A Red-Tailed Hawk?
A personal story of transition, trust and spiritual symbolism.
What does it mean when you see a red-tailed hawk????
I find myself in a personal transition that seems to go on and on. I long for a sense of arrival — a moment when I can finally say, “I’ve landed.” I’ve asked for help from the Archangels and opened my heart to receiving a surprise. Sometimes I wonder how this new way of being will take form, but then I remind myself: I’m open to a grand surprise. I know I have something meaningful to contribute in this next stage of life… even though I have no idea what it is. I’m deeply aware of changes unfolding within me, though the outcome remains unclear.
I’ve been told that synergistic wonders and magical events often herald a turning of fortune’s wheel — a moment when luck, purpose, and timing align. So I hold the feeling of what I desire and try to recognize the frequency of that feeling when it comes. I’ve come to think of it as a loop, almost like the infinity sign sending out the feeling of movement, creativity and luck and anticipating it’s return.
Yesterday, while finishing a glorious hike, I had a strong intuition to look up. As I leaned back and gazed directly above me, I saw a huge bird — a hawk, or perhaps a golden eagle — suspended motionless in the sky. It wasn’t flapping its wings or soaring on a breeze; it just hovered, floated, as if watching… or trying to connect with me.
I stood there, neck craned, transfixed — until it became too uncomfortable to keep looking. Eventually, I turned and continued home.
Later, my partner asked if I’d seen the huge red-tailed hawk near the trail. I hadn’t realized it was a red-tail — but I knew instantly I needed to look up its meaning.
So what does it mean when you see a red- tailed hawk???
I turned to my favorite source: Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews. You can learn more about the spiritual and magical powers of all creatures great and small in this book. This is what he writes about red-tailed hawk:
“This powerful bird can awaken visionary power and lead you to your life purpose. It is the messenger bird, and wherever it shows up, pay attention — there is a message coming. The red-tailed hawk teaches how to fly to great heights while staying grounded. It is tied to archetypal forces that teach beauty and harmony in moderation.
It reflects a greater intensity of energy in your life — physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. It stimulates hope and the birth of new ideas, encouraging openness to the new and the ability to guide others toward that same openness. Be observant: messages are being sent.”
Reading that, I felt the spark of recognition. What higher truth am I being shown?
Which part of this message mirrors where I am right now — and what questions am I already asking that this hawk has come to answer?
That moment cracked something open in me. I realized this isn’t a time to search for answers “out there.” This is a time to grow inwardly — to listen more deeply.
So I asked myself: What is the truth this hawk is showing me?
Perhaps it’s this: that my visionary power is being activated… and that messages are already in motion. That I’m being invited to rise — to elevate — while remaining firmly rooted. That the keys to greater consciousness are beginning to reveal themselves. That my energy is intensifying across all levels of being.
And maybe most of all — that it’s time to give birth to something new.
Why do I need to know this? Because I’m stepping into my dream — creating something meaningful, something aligned with the highest good. Something that helps me, and helps others.
And that realization… opens my heart.