Am I the only person who recognised the Harry Potter reference here? You know, when Harry is left alone in Dumbledire's study with his pet bird who is looking very ill. The bird then bursts into flames and Harry panics, worried Dumbledore will blame him. But, then Dumbledore returns and reveals that the bird is a Phoenix.
The moment I saw Philomena I was sure she'd be a phoenix as the Harry Potter thing came to mind, I guess because Celestia and Dumbledore are similar authority figures.