Blue jays are fascinating birds. They are admired for their intelligence, appetite for a variety of food, and for being fierce protectors of their territory. Blue jays are also notorious for stealing shiny objects from other birds.
At first glance, one might view blue jay symbolism as an annoyance, a noisy whiner with a personality that one might find comparable to a bully in school. But if we look a little deeper, we will soon learn that there is much more to this creature than meets the eye. Bluejay symbolism is unique and intriguing yet oftentimes misunderstood.
Blue Jays are symbolic of intelligence, trickery, and aggression. This is mainly due to their high intelligence and aggressive nature. They possess a strong territorial behavior and never get along with other species. Oftentimes, they are noticed bullying smaller birds. Because of their somewhat wicked and aggressive nature, the blue jays have a negative representation in Native American culture and literature. Dreaming of them can mean a number of things but is often a warning to be more cautious in life.
Do you feel like you can identify with the spirit of the blue jays? Or are you seeking guidance from their totem? Don’t worry; you will find everything you’re seeking in this article.
The meaning of the blue jay is much deeper than most people realize, but we’ll get into more detail. Increasing your understanding of Blue Jay’s symbolism, and seeing how it applies to the journey of life, can be very helpful.
Blue Jay symbolism
Before we embark on our journey of exploring the spiritual meaning and symbolism of the blue jays, let’s discuss a little about these birdies. Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata) are a species of medium-sized passerine birds that belong to the Corvid family. Endemic to the eastern parts of North America, these birds have a brilliant blue plumage.
Blue jays possess a white face, with a black collar stretching to the side of their face. While their underparts are off-white in color, their back and feathers range from lavender-blue to cobalt blue.
Their primary wings and tail are covered in black, and occasionally white, bars. Atop their heads is a blue crest, which can change its position according to their mood. Like all the other corvids, the blue jays also display minimal sexual dimorphism; both sexes appear identical, except the males being slightly larger than their female counterparts.
Now, coming to their symbolism, the blue jays stand for intelligence and trickery. As you already know, these birds are one of the Corvids, and intelligence runs deep in this avian family. Many researchers have claimed that the corvids possess almost human-like intelligence and are sharper than most of the other birds their size.
As for trickery, well, these birds aren’t too noble. They have the gift of mimicry and can easily imitate the calls of other birds, particularly the Red-tailed Hawks. However, they’re often seen exploiting this gift for their advantage. For instance, they make hawk-like calls in yards and gardens to scare away smaller birds from the feeder so that they can have all the food to themselves.
Blue jays are also famous for their aggression. Despite being a songbird, these birds lack the gentleness and passive personality of any other songbird. On the contrary, they’re loud, short-tempered, and aggressive. They’re quick to pick a fight with birds that are both smaller as well as larger than them and have rightly earned the ill-reputation of bullies.
If you want to witness the unadulterated aggression of the blue jays, observe how they react when someone tries to interfere in their territory. There’s hardly another songbird that is as territorial as the blue jays.
They’re fiercely protective of their nesting site, for both their younger ones as well as for their privacy. When it is hindered, they won’t hesitate to attack the intruder, be it another bird, a cat, or even humans. If you’re planning on messing with these birds, be prepared to be besieged by them.
What does it mean to dream of Blue Jays?
While it is common to spot the blue jays creating a ruckus in your backyard, to see them in your dream is not something that happens every day. Did these birds appear in your dream? It is possible that their appearance has a spiritual motive behind it. But are you well-equipped to figure out what they’re trying to tell you? Don’t worry; we’ve got you.
While many general ideas are associated with blue jays’ dream appearances, to interpret these dreams properly, you have to pay attention to the subtle details in them. For instance, if you dream of a lone blue jay, it could be a warning to watch your back. Such a dream indicates that someone is trying to hurt you mentally and emotionally and are just biding their time, waiting for the right opportunity. Under these circumstances, you must be cautious at all times.
On the other hand, seeing too many blue jays in your sleep is not a good sign either. These dreams are ominous are foretell a horrible accident in your future, which could threaten your relationship. If you and your partner are having trouble communicating with each other or are upset because of something particular, it is a sign that you should prioritize mending it. Take the dream as a warning not to let things get out of hand, or you might regret it terribly.
Blue jays are well-known for their melodious songs, which can captivate any listener. If you hear the blue jays singing in your dream, it has a positive interpretation. It indicates that something you thought had been lost a long time ago will likely return to you. It could be your precious piece of jewelry, money from an old investment, or an old friend with whom things had ended on bad terms. Whatever it is, it is certainly going to bring you joy.
However, apart from singing, the blue jays are adept at something else as well; yes, we’re talking about imitating. These birds have a tendency to imitate other birds, often hawks and owls, as well as cats. If in your dream, you see a blue jay imitating someone, be it a human, animal, or bird, it is a bad sign.
Such a dream is a warning about a threat looming over your loved ones (friends, family, or partner). You must warn the people you care about to be attentive and careful for the next few weeks; you must keep an eye out for them as well.
Blue jays often tend to hide extra food so that they can eat it later. Dreaming of them hiding their food is a message for you. It tells you that you’re not using your full potential in life, which is probably why you’re yet to reach your final destination. This dream is asking you to push yourself a little more, for you’re still unaware of your capabilities.
Dreaming of flying birds is often a sign of freedom. However, if you dream of a flying blue jay, it means that you shouldn’t trust others to fight your battles. Blue jays might be social, but they’re not dependent on anyone else for anything. Their appearance in your dream might be to tell you that you need to learn to be independent as well.
As you might already know, blue jays are true love birds and mate with a single partner for their entire lives, which is highly uncommon among the songbirds. If you see a couple of blue jays in your dream, it means that now is the right time for you to find your life partner. Most people believe in the fact that love will find them, but blue jays are not one of them. These birds believe in working to find their true lovers and might be asking you to do the same.
Blue Jay symbolism in the Bible
The symbolism of blue jays is scant in the Bible, but the devout Christians have perceived these birds as messengers from Heaven. Blue jay’s major symbolism in Christianity is persistence.
Whenever people found themselves in situations that are out of their control, the blue jays come to them to strengthen their spirits, telling them not to give up hope. Additionally, these birds are also regarded as a symbol of fearlessness and protection.
What do Blue Jays symbolize in the Native American culture?
Unlike their vague but positive representation in Christianity, the Native American culture sees the blue jays in quite a negative light. The loquaciousness, aggression, and bullying nature of these birds are highlighted in different myths and folklore of the Native American tribes.
Blue jays have been presented as a trickster in most Native American stories. In some stories, they’re seen replacing Ravens, their close relatives, as a trickster figure.
In other native tales and myths, these birds have also been known to work alongside the wicked foxes and coyotes. It was believed that they used their attractive appearance to gain people’s trust and then exploited it for their own benefit.
There was also an age-old tradition in some Native American tribes related to the blue jays. In these traditions, uncles would feed their nephews the tongue of a blue jay so that their climbing abilities could enhance considerably.
Moreover, seeing a blue jay was considered to be a bad omen in some Native American cultures. Because of their attributes of lying and cheating, their sighting indicated that your ill-wishers were envious of your success and prosperity and were plotting against you. To conclude, blue jays’ arrogance, trickery, and noisiness made them infamous in the Native American culture.
Representation of Blue Jays in Literature
While the symbolism of blue jays is scarce in the Old-World cultures and mythologies, these birds have found significant representation in literature. Let’s take a look at how the writers and authors have perceived them in their works:
“What Stumped the Blue Jays”
“What Stumped the Blue Jays” is a book written by Mark Twain. In the book, Twain has remarked how animals, particularly the Blue Jays, are similar to humans in many ways.
Twain’s focus in the book has been on how these birds are highly social and have a tendency of gossiping endlessly, often making a spectacle out of something insignificant. All of this is done by them solely for the sake of entertainment, which can also be seen among humans.
Blue Jay symbolism in “To Kill a Mockingbird”
The symbolism of blue jays in Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” is very crucial to the plot of the novel. Blue jays are presented in stark contrast with the mockingbirds, which is true in the real world as well. While the mockingbirds are innocent and harmless birds, the blue jays are aggressive bullies.
There are some similarities in these birds as well, such as both of them have a melodious voice and can sing beautifully. Moreover, they can both imitate the calls of other birds as well.
However, blue jays, being the greedy birds that they are, often bully the mockingbirds out of their homes (nests), leaving them homeless and defenseless. To sum it up, the symbolism of blue jays in the novel is a negative one.
Blue Jay totem
The blue jay totem will enter your life when you’re surrounded with problems but feel incapable of tackling them. Their totem exudes strength and power, and you can draw these from them to set all your wrongs right.
Blue jays’ totem is also highly ambitious; these are not the kind of birds that will go for anything mediocre, no. They are used to setting big goals for themselves and keep working until they’ve achieved them. Be it a food source or a nesting location; once they’ve set their eyes on it, they will have it.
If you lack that kind of determination in your life, their totem might come to remedy that. They will lend you their strength and zeal and motivate you to get out of your comfort zone and push your limits until you’ve reached your true potential.
Blue Jay spirit animal
Are you someone who is confident, hard-working, and determined to make the best of your life? The blue jay’s spirit is probably fueling your energy. Above anything else, these birds are strong-spirited; they know what they want in life and how to get it. Ambitiousness is one of their integral qualities; they are not the ones that like to settle for less.
A blue jay-spirited person is instinctively opportunistic; you will often be surprised to find them at the right place at the right time.
But this is no mere coincidence; such people always put in an extra effort to be one step ahead of everyone in the room. It is because they know that in order to achieve the extraordinary, you must be prepared to walk the extra mile as well.
Powered by the aggressive spirit of the blue jays, these people are quite fond of putting others in their place and can be considered a little mean for it. However, what you think of them means nothing to these people unless you’re a part of their circle. Yes, you heard right. These people do have a circle; they’re not lone wolves.
Much like the blue jays, that are bullies to others but are highly social in their own community, these people also have a close (almost exclusive) circle.
Not anyone can be a part of their circle; they’ve learned to choose their friends carefully quite early in life. However, having them as a friend is nothing short of a blessing.
Once they start caring about you genuinely, they’ll be fiercely protective of you. They’ll cheer you on, push you to be better, and share in your sorrows and troubles. They’re the kind of friends that you can always count on in life.
Inside their family, you will see these people in a very different light. They’re sweet, warm, and caring. More often than not, they’re the uniting thread of the family; every member, despite their age or relation to them, can connect with them deeply.
Blue Jay tattoos: Ideas and interpretations
While some people might get tattoos randomly and impulsively, most of them want their tattoos to mean something. For these people, their tattoos are a form of self-expression; that’s why they choose for their tattoos something they can identify with, something that speaks to them.
Are you wondering how you can identify with the blue jays? Well, if you’ve been paying attention so far, you must already know that there’s so much these birds represent.
The first and foremost reason to admire bluebirds is for their strong, unafraid spirit. Despite their small size, these birds will even attack a hawk if it tries to invade their territory. If you believe in their strength and confidence, getting a perched blue jay inked on your body would be a great idea for you.
Blue jays are also praised for their high intelligence quotient, which is unparalleled in the songbird community. They’re sharp and intuitive and know how to use their knowledge to their advantage. Do you think you resemble their sharpness in your life? Then the tattoo of these witty birds would be ideal for you.
Blue jays are also known for their loquaciousness; you will rarely find them perched quietly. If being talkative is one of your vices as well, a blue jay tattoo would be a lovely way to express it.
Conclusion
In the world of spiritualism, blue jays have one of the most powerful symbolism in the avian world. These birds have a strong and unafraid personality and are fearless despite their lower rank in the food chain. They’re bright (both inside and out) and form a deep social bond within their community.
To be guided by the spirit of these birds can enrich your life with strength, confidence, and self-assertiveness. They can motivate you to dream bigger, meanwhile providing you the determination and passion for achieving all your dreams.