Actually, I am being really unreasonable. However I would like to ask those who have experienced Angel Feathers to....

[DioneTheDiabolist]

...answer a few questions that I have.

1). What does it feel like when you see that feather?

2). What are your thoughts when this happens?

And

3). What would you say are the long term (if any) effects that you would attribute to these encounters.

I understand that this belief has been the subject of some ridicule here. I have no intention of ridiculing anyone. This thread has been inspired by a previous AIBU thread, but is not a thread about a thread. I am not a journalist. I am not seeking results to use in an academic submission or publication. What I am seeking is knowledge and understanding in the hope that I can use it to help others.

IABU for the following reasons:
I only posted in AIBU for the traffic. If MN rule that I have breached guidelines, can it be moved and not deleted.

And I ask the skeptics not to put people off answering honestly. If you think it necessary, I can start another thread for all your thoughts to be discussed. Perhaps the scientifically minded of you could look at this as an information gathering excersise.

Someone pointed out that white feathers used to mean cowardice. It would be interesting to know just when that changed. Perhaps a specific money-making scheme was brought over from the US say 20 years ago.

I can't think otherwise why someone would suddenly leap to a conclusion about a random feather.

On the other subject. Several people have expressed disaffection with the rules that allow people to post who don't agree with them. This is a common complaint and I'd like to point out to them that if in future they write their post in their diary instead of on a public forum they won't have to deal with the emotional turmoil of being disagreed with.

I have had several things happen to me and that I can't explain but am a very rational person. I keep an open mind. The feathers thing was my Mum's partner's belief. Just relating what happened.

My best friend and her Mum are very open to an afterlife and experiences. It was the norm in their household. When her Nan died and they inherited her piano they would often hear it played in the night after she died and the room would be filled with her perfume. They took comfort in that and weren't in the least bit spooked. Her Nan was said to be psychic so all sorts of stuff was not out of the ordinary for them. So for some it is not just a feathers thing they experience.

BackOnly that has already been covered up thread - basically the feather as connection with spirit thing massively predates the white feather as a cowardice symbol, it's a very very ancient concept within a lot of cultures & faiths - the whole tacky commercialism of it is new though, probably why it's seen as new as its now more in your face in a bad way.

You latter point has already been covered a lot too

Rockinhippy, could you let me know whether you have seen my post to you at 11.28?

True SteppedOn my very atheist DB would never have recognised a feather as a sign from our DM - even though he got one in the chapel during her service - he mocked.

He didn't mock the next day, after talking to me after the service, upset that in his words he had lost his best friend - he opened up his computer to find a Facebook friends request from our DM - he also had a Skype one

DM had accounts with neither when alive

No curlew I hadn't - TBH now I have I can't be bothered - too much to go though & I really don't think you would see it anyway, if I did, then maybe I would make the effort, but I'm ill here & don't have the energy to waste my effort on what is probably a fruitless task - sorry

DM had accounts with neither when alive

Then someone was playing a very sick joke.

Ok I will tell you my story because it is a bit weirdy.

I had never heard of the thing 'angel feather' thing, i.e.. a white feather floating down and landing near you or just appearing out of nowhere as a reminder of a dead loved one, or of the presence of an angel watching over you. I had reached the age of 40 and never heard of this. Until one day I was chatting to some people on another forum and the subject of angel feathers came up. I asked what on earth they were talking about and it was explained to me. I thought ' sounds a bit woo and a bit superstitious and far fetched, but ok'.

At that moment I turned to look out of my window, at my garden pond which was right outside thew window, very close to me - no idea why I did this but anyway, and OMFG a pure white feather was floating down right in front of my eyes, and landed on the surface of the water.

I will never forget how I felt. Sort of creeped out and yet comforted all at once. I am not in the habit of talking to dead people or sky fairies but I did that day, I can tell you.

You've probably seen thousands of white feathers floating down in front of you, Yo, just not registered any interest before.

It's a bit like when someone uses a word you think you haven't heard before - but then you hear it in virtually every conversation from then on.

Happened to me with "segue".

Rockinhippy you said "the feather as connection with spirit thing massively predates the white feather as a cowardice symbol"

Of course it does, but does it in the UK? It does seem to be a new thing here so it's reasonable to suppose that it might come from another country.

It could even be that people picked it up from US forums where it was talked about casually.

No, there was a lot more that happened, still does,

besides DB is a recluse, he only had me, DD & 3 of our cousins as friends on Facebook - none would see that as funny - & he only uses it for a game & as a way if keeping in touch as we don't live close - people don't know he is on there, he is also a shifty git, doesn't use his name for lots of reasons his account is tightly locked down & he can't be searched - he showed me his settings, I was sat with him when he discovered the requests -

there was no logical explanation - though I could see why someone who didn't know him or his situation would jump to that conclusion as it makes more sense to an outsider, but it doesn't in reality

Yes BackOn it's an ancient part of pagan, shamanic & probably Celtic belief too

Sorry, really, but you can't honestly, truly believe that the only logical explanation for that is that your mother opened FB & Skype accounts from beyond the grave?

Er....OK.

And I think you've been incredibly rude, btw, to curlew. You went off on a rant about her "obnoxious & rude" posts, and then when she politely asked you to show her where they were, you can't be bothered .

Well, let me help since you're too unwell to do it yourself.

I've looked at her posts. None of them are rude, goading or obnoxious. And I think by ignoring her polite request, you've proved that.

I agree with that Hettie that does happen a lot, our perception for words or whatever is suddenly tuned in because attention has been drawn to it, yes it happens lot.

What doesn't happen though is the feeling that accompanies it - THAT is what makes the difference - I see lots of white feathers that don't make me tingle & feel calm & at peace, some might seem to be in an odd place, but there usually turns out to be a reason - I see others that do give me the feeling that Yo describes & they usually defy all logic as to why they are there - not always, but the accompanying feeling is enough for me

In that case do we know when in the UK that went from obscure footnote in a history of paganism to an actual belief among 20/21st century christians that white feathers came from angels. Note that it's a very different belief system and I'd not heard of the white feather before I saw it on MN.

Not actually expecting you to know. Just saying that the appearance seems to have been quite abrupt.

They don't defy all logic. The logic is ignored.

I don't know what I believe Hettie I only know it did happen & the sick joke angle doesn't fit - the accounts disappeared by the way - DB didn't delete them or the email notifications - but they were gone after a few days

I wonder what your take on a large sharp knife suddenly hurling itself across a room & smashing a mirror - only missing me because I bent over at that same moment - ironically to pick up a white feather I had presumed my cat had brought in

I don't think Curlew has been obnoxious at all.
Why are we not allowed to question all the woo on here.
I can say on MN I'm an athiest and don't believe in God, why shouldn't we be able to question other's beliefs?

Not actually expecting you to know. Just saying that the appearance seems to have been quite abrupt.

I don't know Hettie & you are right it's definitely become a more mainstream idea - I wonder if its down to the Internet & people discussing it as we are here - the time scale would fit that as would the charlatans jumping on the bandwagon & it becoming popular - though the America Indian art thing becoming popular since the late 80 s would fit that too.

That said, I've been experiencing it & more, since I was tiny (& Im old) - I had no idea it was a known phenomena, just something that happened to me, it's only in more recent years I've realised others get it too

I wonder what your take on a large sharp knife suddenly hurling itself across a room & smashing a mirror

I would need evidence, I'm afraid, to believe that anything like this happened at all.

And before you have a go - no, I'm not calling you a liar. But probably mistaken in what you saw and how you interpreted it. There's loads of evidence that people mis-remember things, and none whatsoever that inanimate objects can fly across a room of their volition.

Backonly, just guessing here, but I imagine with the advent of the Internet when American websites purveying angel chat and tat created a market for that kind of belief became accessible in the UK. It's basically an Internet meme.

I think that is also the spurious 'backstory' of an origin in shamanism and Celtic mythology. Certainly birds are crucial to Celtic myth - particularly birds of prey, crows, ravens, and their connection with battle goddesses - but there's no connection at all to white feathers being dropped by supernatural design to comfort the bereaved, and which sounds Christian- lite, if anything. I think the mythic backstory comes from websites and blogs written by people who just think having a 'spirit bird' is kind of cute.

lady
that has already been covered & covered again, it's not the questioning, but the way that its done by some posters that is so offensive - questioning it is fine, not believing it is fine, mocking those that don't, derailing & goading is not fine

In your opinion hettie which is fine, you are entitled to that, but not fact as you insist on stating it - you weren't even there nor know the people involved so you cannot state it as fact.

Right that's me done on here

X

I like to muse upon the imagery in RL. Much like an author creates imagery in stories to give clue to how events turn out I think life can contain imagery.

There is something deep within our psyche that will make sense of things, like how we see faces in trees for example.

I am a Christian and I have also studied literature and narrative theory. When images from the Bible appear in real life it draws my attention. Prophecy is often communicated in imagery. It can be very mundane and seemingly everyday. I can find meaning in cleaning my floor!

Anchoress, yeah I think it's a bit of a leap from battle goddesses too.