Kestrel Guardians
Kestrel Guardians
Original Watercolour Painting by Roberta Orpwood
Kestrel as Omen:
Every year, I find myself drawn to the lands of Germany, where I spend a few wintering days in quiet contemplation. These “betwixt and between” days, nestled between Christmas and the New Year, offer a liminal space to reflect. For me, the year never truly begins on January 1st; it feels more like a door that gently creaks open, starting as early as the Winter Solstice in December.
Upon returning this year, I sought to ease myself into my creative and working flow by taking an omen walk. These early January walks often reveal signs and messages from Spirit, offering guidance for the year ahead. As I did last year, I entered the walk with a quiet hope of catching a glimpse of the elusive Little Brown Owl in Richmond Park who gave me last year’s guidance for the year ahead.
Though I yearned to find them, their familiar presence among the trees was absent (or so I thought!). Still, I carried on, undeterred. The air was sharp and cold, and the ground lay hidden beneath a delicate blanket of snow. Sunlight glinted off frozen puddles while the clouds above glowed with a soft, ethereal orange tint. The world around me felt transformed—an almost otherworldly realm, tranquil and imbued with a quiet sense of wonder.
As I marvelled at the beauty of Earth, my eyes caught the silhouette of two birds perched atop a trimmed willow tree in the distance. Intrigued, I moved closer. To my amazement, two kestrels sat—a male and a female.
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Watch these two Kestrels come to life through this time-lapse art video below.
Roberta Orpwood
A London-based Shamanic Practitioner and internationally-published Oracle Illustrator known for her visionary watercolours, spiritual seership, and devotion to act of making sacred art.
Her paintings act as gateways for healing, awakening the spirit through colour, ceremony, and mythic symbolism. Rooted in Shamanic living and spiritual devotion, her artwork bridges the visible and invisible worlds, offering sacred mirrors of transformation and remembrance.
Roberta’s work has been published by Hay House, Blue Angel Publishing, and Quarto, and can be found in widely loved titles such as The Tree of Life Oracle, The Crystal Power Tarot, and The Ultimate Guide to Chakras.