A murder of crows...sideways....
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Before I even begin my story here, let me just say that raven and crow are solitary creatures who could care less of our opinions of them. So much of the superstition that surrounds their appearance in nature ( or city settings) really has only been a belief common within the last couple of hundred years....perhaps all the negative connotation has to do with their appearance on battlefields...but being the scavengers they are, and superbly curious creatures it sort of follows that they would show up there.....
Ravens and crows ( part of the family of corvidae) in actuality possess incredible intelligence...perhaps one of their best features. Check out this TED video about how smart they really are...toolmaking and all!. Another little known fact is that they can be trained to speak, and many legends of yore depict them as the ultimate oracle!
There are many cultures, particularly those of the northwest coast , that point to the raven as a keeper of powerful secrets. Raven is also often seen as a messenger and communicator of deep mysteries, with a capacity to fortell the future, reveal omens and signs. I believe a bit of respect may be warranted!
Walking in the woods on Sunday a red tail hawk soared by above. I began to hear the ravens calling and within moments no less than 75 of them came flying from all directions....the ravens began to chase the hawk away from their woods...the sound was deafening...as they flew west, screaming and chasing...to the south, screaming and chasing some more...they swooped so low again and again.....until the hawk was able to get away ....and just as it began, one at a time, they flew back to their solitary sentinel perches.....
In my excitement of trying to capture this event on video, I pushed the wrong button on my camera, and missed the most dramatic parts...but I did get this...albeit...sideways!....oh well...I am sharing it anyways, mostly because I just love the SOUND of it all!.
Tough as nails, I just love raven medicine....
hoping your week is off to a shiny start...xo