The Pelican

A personal story on the alchemy of sacrifice

“It's not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.”

—Mother Teresa

The pelican represents sacrifice in old European symbolism. The story was that a starving mother pelican would pierce her breast and feed her young with her own blood. There is no science behind this but you can see old churches embellished with this symbol as a reminder of Christ's sacrifice. One of the early alembic vessels of alchemical experiment was called the Pelican after this symbol. Early chemists thought it looked a lot like the bird's neck reaching down into itself to bring forth more life from its own resource. This vessel allowed the elements inside to distill itself over and over by creating a circular flow within.

Besides all this, the pelican is my favorite bird. As a coastal creature, I’ve long related to these creatures, and I love to watch them fly in formation. I guess it was the idea that they are so awkward and angular on land but so effortlessly graceful in flight that made me such a fan.