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We here at Whisperingtree.net get a lot of questions about our Native Made Feather Fans, so we decided to write up the answers to our most commonly asked questions!
1. How do you use them?
This is probably the single most asked question we get. Most people know about smudging a room with a fan or feather. This is when you burn sage (or other herbs/resins) and use the fan to waft the smoke all the way through the space, or over the person you are trying to cleanse. Essentially it's smudging is another name for cleansing/consecrating with smoke, and is a practice found the world over. This is one of several reasons why incense and resins were so valuable in ancient times.
Smudging a space is not the only use of feather fans, though. They can also be used to direct energy in a space or within a person, in a gentle way. You can sweep the fan along the energy field to move along anything that needs to move, or to smooth out rough spots. This can also be done when clearly a room or any other space.
We also have a friend that's a Wasco Medicine Man, and he will not only use his fan to clear as described above, but he will also tap each part of the body as he blesses it when he finishes a healing. It's a nice technique to draw attention to the physical body, and allow DIvine Energy to settle in place.
2. What are the different feathers?
While every listing we have does describe the feathers in the fans, typically white, brown or gray large feathers will be Heritage Turkey feathers. Roger Lee actually gets his from a farm that's raising turkeys for eggs/breeding rather than meat, which is why all of them are heritage breeds. I like Turkey Feathers as a good substitute for Raptor feathers (hawks, eagles, etc), since it is illegal to own those feathers unless you are a falconer, of native blood, or are an institution such as a zoo or wildlife sanctuary. Since the appearance of many Turkey Feathers mimics raptor feathers nicely, it is a simple matter to infuse the energy of that animal spirit into the Turkey Feather.
Blue feathers will all be naturally shed and are from Macaw Parrots. Roger Lee gets his parrot feathers from birds that live in a free-flighted aviary down in Florida. Since birds molt their feathers each year, the feathers are collected when they fall from the bird to the ground.
Finally, all the fans have a group of small feathers on the front. Those feathers will be Pheasant, and should there be any other type of feather added in, we typically note that in the listing itself.
3. Which Fan Should I Get?
Just like when people ask me what singing bowl they should get, I tell them to get the one that talks to you. Often we are drawn to the healing tool that wants to work with us. Some tools may not speak as loudly, but they do talk to us if we listen. :)
4. Why are Macaw Tail feathers more expensive?
The short answer is simply that there's fewer of them. A bird has two wings and one tail, so half the amount of tail feathers as there are wing feathers. Also, the tail gets a lot of abuse as the bird steers with their tail. Additionally, with Macaw tails being so long - particularly the center feathers - they're are more likely to catch on things, so getting tail feathers in good shape, especially when the birds are able to fly around, can be a little more difficult.
