Omen?

[LiberalEsto]

I just looked out a window near my desk, and counted nine large crows perching on the branches of a silver maple tree in our back yard. They were fairly close to the window. Each one was scooping up beakful after beakful of freshly fallen snow from the branches and eating it.

I've never seen crows eating snow before.

We've had about 2 inches of snow today in my part of Maryland, about 17 miles from the White House as the crow flies.

Since the ancient Romans looked for omens in the behavior of birds, I wonder whether these nine crows might symbolize something. Like the nine Supreme Court Justices, for instance. Maybe the snow eating symbolizes cleansing or purification. And the snowfall in itself might mean a blessing and cleansing on the city of Washington DC.

So taking a guess I would say these snow-eating crows might foretell a gradual improvement of the Supreme Court in the near future.


Would anyone else like to offer an interpretation?

[SheilaT]

1. You really aren't making this up?

Wow, how amazing. I can't begin how to interpret this, but thanks for sharing.

Even if there's no higher meaning, what a cool thing to see.

[LiberalEsto]

4. I looked out again this morning

and there are still bare spots on the tree branches where the crows were sitting yesterday. It was am amazing sight.

The crows haven't stopped by this morning, but I did spot either a purple finch or a house finch with a lot of red on its tummy flying through our front yard.

[MorningGlow]

2. Well, I just HAPPENED to have here beside me

Animal-Speak, by Ted Andrews, as I was refreshing my memory about fox symbolism (one ran across the road in front of my car the other day, in broad daylight). :D

The entry for crows is very long, but the summation is "Wherever crows are, there is magic. They are symbols of creation and spiritual strength. They remind us to look for opportunities to create and manifest the magic of life. They are messengers calling to us about the creation and magic that is alive within our world every day and available to us."

I also like this bit, earlier in the description: "The crow, because of its color, was a common symbol in medieval alchemy. It represented 'nigredo,' the initial state of substance--unformed but full of potential."

And "Crows have a great mythology about them. This can reflect not only past-life connections to those times and cultures but it also reflects some of the archetypal forces that it can connect with us. As with many animals, crows also have been known to predict tornadoes, rain, and other changes in weather by the way they fly. Working with crows can help you to see how the winds are going to blow in your life and how to adjust your own life flights. Crows have long been considered magical, and my grandfather once told me how even finding a dead crow was a sign of good luck."

Add the magic number of 9, and you've got one potent message out your window, LE! :hi:

[LiberalEsto]

5. That is fascinating

The book sounds like something I'd want to read, so thank you for mentioning it. Crows are amazing creatures.

Does your book mention finches? I just saw either a purple finch or a house finch flying across our from yard this morning. It had a reddish neck and belly.

The Romans believed the direction birds fly in is important, and the finch was flying from my left to my right as I faced east.

According to one source on bird divination (see link below) seeing a bird flying from one's left to right is a favorable omen. So is seeing a red bird. I will take this as a very favorable omen for our about-to-be-President Obama.


http://books.google.com/books?id=sjbRq2VtNmAC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&dq=ornithomancy+direction&source=bl&ots=n0J_nanevm&sig=hpZFCxKjeQQbpifF8SPe3dtRbN0&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=2&ct=result#PPA98,M1

[MorningGlow]

7. I STRONGLY recommend Animal-Speak

It's one of my bibles--I use it all the time. I've also had the honor of editing some articles (columns) Ted's written, and his stuff is just fascinating. He really knows his stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Speak-Spiritual-Magical-Creatures/dp/0875420281/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232467888&sr=1-1

Animal-Speak has a TON of background information on animal symbolism, and half the book is on birds. I glanced through the intro stuff quickly but didn't see anything about the direction of flight--however, I'm sure it's in there somewhere. I'll look again when my attention isn't taken by the inauguration. (Woo hoo!) Some of my former coven sisters were very attentive to which direction birds flew, and they had their strongly held interpretations, but then again I've also heard that it's a personal interpretation instead of hard-and-fast for everyone. I say if the Roman belief resonates with you, then go with it! :D

Finches (I love finches!): "A finch that becomes a totem will always increase opportunities to experience a variety of activities. Everything is amplified....Anytime a finch arrives, life is going to become more active."

Good to know about red birds--in the past couple of days I've frequently driven down a road near my house with marshland on either side, so lots of wildlife, and each time I've seen a TON of cardinals and house finches. :hi:

[Kind of Blue]

3. Something about the number of crows eating snow

caused me to think of the numbers in the story of Joseph's interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, and was moved to go to http://www.aish.com/spirituality/kabbala101/Snow_The_Dark_Side.asp,

And the following resonates with me because I do not like snow, having grown up with a lifetime of shoveling it, living in Maryland, as well.

"The question is how we relate to snow. Do we look at the superficial, hampering, destructive effects of snow, become discouraged and annoyed, and stop at that? If yes, then all we will see are snow's negative aspects. But if we allow ourselves to dig deeper, to uncover and sift the depth of what snow is, then we will touch the beautiful, holy and spiritual aspects of snow."

It seems to me the birds were devouring, absorbing and removing snow. But snow can be dirty. I remember a grade school teacher, trying to stop us from eating it, brought a jar of packed snow and let it melt in front of us all day. Of course, the water was filthy! So perhaps it will be in the 9th year (9 month, I hope) we will see clear, unadulterated stability, after 8 years of pealing away and removal of what Bush has accomplished.

But that is my relationship to snow and my interpretation. So all that matters is how you relate to snow and the unusual sight of the 9 crows eating it. I trust your interpretation more since it came from your direct experience, and it's so immediately positive :)

[LiberalEsto]

6. I shoveled a lot of snow in North Jersey

and I generally dislike it because it makes driving hazardous.

But yesterday's snowfall came like a blessing from the skies, huge beautiful flakes. There was just enough snow to barely cover everything and make the world look enchanted. I'm sure it will melt in a couple of days. To me it represented Mother Nature's way of saging or smudging the Washington DC area as a cleansing, preparing it for a real President.

:hi:

[Celebration]

12. this post makes me wonder

Well snowflakes all obviously have the same six pointed crystal shape--sort of. They are also all different from each other. And we all know the "magic" of the hexagon/hexagram.

I am wondering if the crows sensed something about the shape of these particular snowflakes, and were therefore attracted to them?

In other words, the crows ate the snow for energetic health reasons.......

If so, it sure would be interesting to look at microscopic pictures of these particular snowflakes.

[Silver Gaia]

8. The Greeks and Romans considered crows to be ill-omened, but I do not think

this applies in our land where the crow holds a special place of honor in the tales of many of our native peoples.

Since Animal-Speak has already been quoted, I decided to pull another book on animal symbolism from my shelves to consult. As I opened the book, it fell open to the page on the symbolism of crows, and my eyes went immediately to this passage:

"In North America, the crow was considered to be the keeper of all sacred law, the one who knew the deep mysteries of creation. Seeing a crow in certain situations was an omen of coming change. Spiritual crow power could lead a seeker to the gates of the supernatural." (D.J. Conway, Animal Magick, p. 159)

...keeper of all sacred law... omen of coming change... these words resonated with me...

[Why Syzygy]

9. There is also

the legend of the crow bringing fire from the Creator to the earth. He lost his singing voice and multicolored feathers. But, the Creator pointed out that as a result, the meat of the crow was not suitable for eating and he would never be caged for his singing. He would be free and unhunted.

[ropi]

10. i love crows..

they seem to follow me everywhere-no matter where i move they always appear en masse.

[LiberalEsto]

11. You must be magical

MorningGlow posted this quote above: "Wherever crows are, there is magic."

[ricochetastroman]

13. I heard that

crows gang up on owls in the daytime, they work together, because they are helpless to the owls at night. And that, they are a reminder that YOU have spiritual help available to you all the time and you may not be "looking up". You may be trying to handle everything yourself when help is available.

[MorningGlow]

14. Hm! Maybe this!

Or yet another interpretation to add to it. I love it when there are multiple facets to a mystery.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x4879020