Ravens belong to the bird family called corvids, which also includes their close relative, the crow. Ravens are bigger than crows, and they tend to be shaggier looking because of the fluffy scruff on their breast. But the easiest way to tell a raven from a crow is by the bill and the tail. The crow’s bill is sharp and short; the raven’s is slightly hooked. The tail of a crow in flight is cropped, while the raven’s is a diamond shape. A crow speaks in a harsh, loud “caw,” while the raven’s call is a softer, “kruk,” or even a chuckle.
Ravens
eat a varied diet, but they prefer carrion. They are often companions of the
coyote and wolf, working with the pack. A wolf, with claws and teeth, can tear
open a fresh kill for the birds, who patiently wait their turn. In exchange,
ravens fly ahead of a hunting pack and lead them to a potential victim.
I
love corvid medicine and I’m happy it’s showing up again in my life. When
I began to study Wicca, the raven
was the first animal guide to appear to me in meditation, and suddenly they were everywhere: on camping trips, hikes, scavenging in
dumpsters, even nested in the stadium lights at my son's high school
football field. More recently, I’ve written several scenes
including ravens in my novel, Song of the Ancients. My Lakota
medicine man character, Sinclair, can shapeshift into a raven, and he carves a
protection totem for my protagonist, Samantha, that has a raven’s head and
wings atop a woman’s torso.
I'm
interpreting the bird’s reappearance en force in my life as a
sign that those scenes are on track.
These
intelligent and mysterious birds are powerfully associated with witchcraft
and magic. Unfortunately, they’ve also developed a rather sinister reputation
as harbingers of death.
The
ancient Celts associated ravens with The Morrigan, Goddess of death and battle,
and also a shapeshifter. When warriors saw a raven on the battlefield, they
knew The Morrigan was watching…waiting to mark the dead.
According
to legend, the Kingdom of England would fall if the ravens in the Tower of
London were removed. During the Second World War, most of the Tower’s
ravens perished during bombing raids, leaving only a mated pair, Mabel and
Grip, who also flew away to escape the loud explosions. Since the Empire was
dismantled shortly afterward, those who are superstitious say history confirms
the legend.
Just
to be safe, before the Tower reopened to the public in 1946, raven residents
were re-established. Six ravens currently reside at the Tower. To prevent the
birds from flying away, their feathers are trimmed by the royal Raven Master
(no, it doesn't hurt them).
Despite the trimmed wing,
some ravens do in fact go absent without leave and others have had to be sacked. Raven
George was dismissed for eating TV aerials and Raven Grog was last seen outside
an East End pub. Last fall, two unfortunate residents were killed by a fox. Luckily two extra ravens are housed at the Tower at all times just for such emergencies.
Many
Native Americans see the raven as a trickster, much like the coyote, except the
raven’s usually end with a positive result. Many tribes honor raven for
bringing light to mankind, and they are a common feature on totem poles.
For
me, these birds do not represent physical death, but the end of an
outgrown way of being that created an obstruction in my life. This process
is called “the resolution of opposites.” The presence of the glossy raven
says I am being urged to resolve a deep and long-seated conflict in my
psyche.
In
magic, Raven speaks of the process of life, death and continual change. It
signals the end of one part of life and beginning of something new. If a raven
guide appears to you, turn your focus inward. He is guardian of our
fears, and to see one in a dream is a message it’s time to examine what scares
you. He will show you how to go into the dark of your shadow self and bring out
the light, resolving inner conflicts that have long been buried.
Everything
has its own energetic spirit, including negative self-talk. Consider any
negative thoughts you hold about yourself. Is it a long list? “I don’t
measure up.” Or, “I don’t have the talent/drive/money/time to do what my heart
desires.” Or, “they’ve never loved me. I’m a disappointment to them.”
What energy is creating these disabling beliefs? What new action will dispel them?
Just
as the raven is often a silent observer, you may need to observe your
environment, the people in it, and your own actions and attitude, to discover
the true source. Your behavior is a deep and complex tapestry woven over
the expanse of your entire lifetime, so don’t expect change overnight. It takes
time to untangle the knots you’ve spent years making.
But
that’s what raven magic is all about.
3 comments:
Welcome to the blog, Sandy - a really interesting post!
Welcome to Paranormal Romantics Sandy! We are so happy you are her with us. Loved your first blog post and can't wait to see the next.
Wonderful post, Sandy! My Native American totem is Crow. Messenger, harbinger, bringer of insight. When Crow appears to me, it's usually because I have a choice to make, whether or not I realize it.
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