Seeing a single Magpie can mean a variety of things depending on your culture however many people link this sighting to the sense of being reunited with someone that you love that has been absent in your life for too long. Other meanings vary between bad luck to career success depending on what context the magpie is spotted.
In this article, we will cover all symbolism of seeing a single Magpie and give you an insight into how cultures around the world view the magpie.
Overview of the Magpie
The magpie, a crow family bird, is thought to be the most intelligent bird species on the planet. The bird appears black and white, but when examined closely, it reveals a purple-blue hue on the wings and a green hue on the tail.
The name is derived from the words “mag” and “pie,” where “mag” means to chatter and “pie” refers to the bird’s pied plumage. “Pied” was also used to describe things with a rainbow of colors many years ago. The two words together refer to a bird with iridescent black plumage and a mixed color hue (purple, blue, and green), and who chatters constantly.
The bird is also the subject of a nursery rhyme adapted from British folklore. There are many bird species in the United Kingdom, but the magpie is the only one mentioned in most superstitions. In Europe and the United States, the bird is associated with evil, but in East Asian countries such as China and Korea, it is associated with positivity.
What does it mean to see a single Magpie?
The most common interpretation of seeing a single magpie is that it may indicate that you will soon be reunited with someone you love that may have left your life for a while.
You may have been missing a presence in your life that you once had that might show itself to you again. This may lead you to re-finding your inner confidence.
Magpies can be a little reserved in the forest yet some are friendly around people. Their quirky personality can be a sign for you to show the peculiar and fascinating qualities in your personality. A sighting of a magpie may be your sign to get try and overcome your shyness or lack of confidence so you can widen your horizons.
Reuniting with this lost love can spark this.
If you see a single magpie in your dream, it can represent feelings of loneliness or being left behind. If you see a single magpie in your dream and something bad has happened in your life recently, it may be a sign to act on it before it gets any worse.
Magpies as Symbols of Bad Omens
It has long been believed that a single magpie always brings bad luck, whereas magpies in a pair (two magpies) bring joy or are positive. As the nursery rhyme suggests, magpies have been associated with superstitions concerning bad luck, negativity, and bad omens for the last 200 years.
The magpies are largely seen as symbols of bad omens in religion too. The bird is thought to be possessed by the devil in many religions. Magpies are sometimes associated with evil since they can trick people and are known for stealing shiny goods (like jewelry). The eating habits of magpies are also as evil this is largely due to the fact that they sometimes eat other dead animals.
Magpies as symbols in Career Success
Interestingly, when it comes to career success the Magpie is seen as a sign of luck, contrary to its reputation as a sign of bad omens in other parts of life. This is particularly true in many Asian cultures.
People will change their screensaver on their work computer to a magpie. A picture of a magpie sitting on one of a tree’s tallest branches is thought to bring particularly good luck and fortune.
Maybe next time you’re going for a promotion or job interview, it might be worth setting your background as a magpie, even if it’s for one day!
What is a Magpies symbolism in other cultures?
Many people around the world have tried to find remedies for the Magpie’s traditional ‘bad luck’ reputation. Some believe that if you treat the magpie with complete respect, they believe this will nullify any bad luck the magpie might otherwise bring.
Some traditions have even gone as far as to salute or wave at magpies as a sign of respect.
Funnily enough, some cultures have begun winking when they see a singular magpie in order to try and deceive themselves that they are seeing double. As mentioned earlier in the article, seeing two magpies is seen as a sign of good luck.
What is a Magpies symbolism in Feng Shui?
Magpies became a common art motif since they are well-known (and common) in China. For example, if you see a magpie or if a magpie makes a nest close to your home, that may be an indication and a good omen of incoming success and good news.
They are regarded as “birds of joy” and are said to be messengers of good luck. This magical bird is also frequently spotted in pairs to signify love, contentment, and happiness in a loving union.
For life, some magpies will mate. A pair of magpies is frequently shown in Chinese art as a sign of a happily married couple living in harmony. To further emphasize their symbolic importance, magpies are often combined with other fortunate themes like plum blossoms, bamboo, and other natural components.
