circle of peace
by julia gaunt of A Spirit’s Wings

Not quite a year ago I was searching for answers. I was searching for something new and different that would grab me, inspire me and give me new direction. I asked the universe to give me a new kind of work. I am an artist but I sought to find another way of expressing myself other than my current medium of fabric. I found more than one way, I found a whole flock.

I answered an ad in a local paper that read “bird handler” and not far into our 20 minute conversation I knew this was my new direction. Closing my cell phone I yelled, “Yes!” Turns out it wasn’t a job being offered but a business doing white dove releases. Now I had done a lot of releasing in my 52 years on this planet, but this kind of releasing had a different twist. But releasing is releasing after all. Open up, let it go, be detached. The difference however is that these birds come back, so letting go holds a different meaning. Sounded relatively easy to me. Right.

It’s kind of like the boomerang effect, you just throw it out there and something in the velocity of the dynamics of the shape of the thing swings it back around again. With doves, specifically Rock Doves, it is believed that they may have the equivalent of a compass in their brains allowing them to sense magnetic fields that aid their sense of direction and locating capabilities. Another possibility is that these birds use subtle differences in polarized sunlight, various landmarks and, at night, star patterns and motions to calibrate their “compass”. But typically, most homing doves do not fly at night, unless they are trained to do so. Anyway, with decent flying conditions and good training, homing doves home.

Needless to say, within two weeks I miraculously acquired enough money to get started. You know sometimes how you just know that you are supposed to do something but you are not at all sure how you are supposed to do it? Well, that was clearly the situation. I knew I had to go for it. Looking out my kitchen window, there was an old kid’s playhouse we had thought about tearing down. Perfect. With a little help from my friend, my ex-husband that is, we managed to convert that old scrappy building into a decent loft. I think he figured it was in both our best interest that I find another livelihood. He was right about that.

By the third week, I had young doves settling into their new home. Along with the young birds, I acquired eight breeding pairs and set them up in small cages in the back room of my workshop. Keeping 'prisoners' as they are called was not my ideal of housing birds, however, and before too long even the prisoners were given their freedom to fly—with training of course.

About a month into keeping the young doves in the loft who were to become the flyers, I began to let them do what is called routing. This is the term meaning to allow a homing dove to become familiar with its territory. They have already learned to trap, which is the name for the one way door that leads into their loft. Now at this point in their training, exploring the terrain in all directions of the loft is of utmost importance. After another couple weeks, the doves begin to fly together in a flock formation. To watch that coming together is a sight to behold. Around and around and around the circumference of the house and yard they fly—maybe 50 to 75 times with each outing.

Within several months I had my flock trained up to about ten miles. Since the birds tend to fly clockwise most of the time, I had to calculate drop points so that each time the birds were freed they would fly over a previously flown territory.

I really enjoyed releasing the doves spontaneously in shopping centers or at schools or just by the roadside. One time I was in a parking lot. I just drove up, parked, opened the back of my van and let them fly out. There was a spectacular 360 degree view and the doves waited until they were all together and then flew in a huge circle, not once but many times around way up in the sky. They appeared like diamonds in the rough, sparkling against the deep blue of the sky. When one bird flew astray, the others would circle back to gather that one into the flock before their journey home. A woman on break from her job was standing there watching. She approached me and said “Somehow I just feel uplifted from seeing those birds fly. Thank you.”
I began to do these spontaneous releases on a regular basis to give the doves the training they need to go the distance that might one day be required. Another time I released them near the Airport at a hotel. I walked inside as I often do to see if anyone wanted to come and witness a white dove release. "A what?” they said. It was a group of elderly World War II veterans who were there for their yearly convention. "Dove release" was all I had to say, and their pigeon stories began. Apparently there was a homing pigeon named GI Joe who was credited with saving thousands of lives—racing 20 miles in 20 minutes to deliver a message calling off bombing raids of a town captured just hours before by allied troops. There was another story of a pigeon named Blackie Holligan who was released into a barrage of enemy fire. He showed up long overdue, bloody from shrapnel, but still holding on to his message. After sharing their bird stories, the men and their wives made their way out into the parking lot to witness the release. Some 25 folks stood in awe as the doves flew and then gathered together in the blue sky. When it was all over an old gent turned and said to me ”That was the best thing happened here all weekend—thank you."

Once again, I was awestruck how a simple thing like letting some white birds fly can touch people and lift their spirits.

Throughout history, the White Dove has long been recognized as a symbol of peace and goodwill. The dove is a true hope for the future—a future of peace.

Doves have occupied a prominent and generally revered position in most cultures and religions. Today, the dove maintains its symbol of purity and innocence in most religions. The dove is also a bird of prophecy and can help you see what you can create in your life. I’ll vouch for that! The dove has also been associated with female sexuality and the goddesses Astarte and Isis. The dove not only symbolizes peace and purity, but because of their devotion to their mates, they are a symbol of chastity and unending love. Doves spend their days preening their mates, looking after each other, building their families and rearing their offspring. Doves are loyal to their mates until death. Their love for each other is neverending.

I didn't know that doves mated year round, continually loving and kissing their mate. I discovered that both male and female doves sit on the nest, alternating shifts and once the babies are hatched both feed them. Equality seems to come naturally to these loving and devoted birds.

Funny how I came around to having birds in my life again. I asked that I might find an occupation where I may be of service. Through ceremony, doves aid us in letting our souls soar freely. Whether it be the blessed wedding of a couple about to embark on their journey together or a deceased soul’s family benefitting by actually touching and releasing that symbolic soul into the sky, these birds offer a kind of unity and healing that astounds me.

“Oh that I had wings of a dove, for then I would fly away and be at rest”. Psalms 55:6

We, as a whole, seek upliftment and by witnessing the doves in partnership, families, and communities, we too can learn from them ways of being in love and support with one another. Talk about no child left behind! Here we have no dove left behind. For when it’s time to make that journey homeward, the doves wait for each other until they are all there and then they fly home.
I am grateful to have these winged creatures because they show me the circle of life, they teach me to trust, to have faith, to let go, to fly, to take risks, and to truly soar above it all. I feel a sense of peace when I watch them. I set them free and in turn they set me free. And when a dove does not come home, I grieve. And then I realize that to give a creature its freedom is to know that it may not return and I need let go of thinking I can protect them from all things.

Sometimes late at night when I go to count my doves and one or two are gone, a sadness comes over me and I say to myself, “Oh another bird is lost or eaten by a hawk, oh no!" And then another part of me—my wiser self—opens my eyes to see all these beautiful white birds I am blessed to have in my life and I say, “Is my loft half empty, or half full?“ Thank you doves!

Julia Gaunt has lived in Asheville for 25 years as an artist/milliner/bird woman. Yes, she still makes some hats. And yes, they do come home!

A Spirit’s Wings offers white dove releases for all kinds of special events. [ 828-582-9115; aspiritswings@yahoo.com ]