https://society6.com/rosesandbone

Crow wasn’t always black, she was born white. But she was fascinated with her own shadow. She kept picking at and scratching at her shadow until it woke up. Crow’s shadow became alive and ate her. Now Crow is Dead Crow, inhabiting both the physical world and the world of spirit. So Crow knows all unknowable mysteries of Creation, and is the keeper of Sacred Law. Knowing the mysteries and the laws, Crow can bend the laws of the physical world to shapeshift. This is an art that includes consciously being in two places at once, taking on another physical form, and becoming a “fly on the wall” to observe what is happening far away. This was an art witnessed by many European settlers who were frightened by shamans taking the shape of an animal to enter their camps or dwellings to observe the strangers.

Crow lives in the Void where time does not exist. Because of this, she is able to see the three fates at once; past present and future. The Void is all darkness, all potential. Crow signifies that all things are born of women, just as Creation is born of the Void, and day is born of the night.

Because of this women were the keepers of the Creator’s Book of Laws. This book was bound in crow feathers, symbolizing the spirit made flesh. Crow is protector of the “ogallah” or ancient records.

Nearly every culture in the world has a legend or myth of crows. In Norse myth, there is Odin and his two messenger birds.

Two ravens sit on his (Odin’s) shoulders and whisper all the news which they see and hear into his ear; they are called Huginn and Muninn. He sends them out in the morning to fly around the whole world, and by breakfast they are back again. Thus, he finds out many new things and this is why he is called ‘raven-god’ (hrafnaguð). ^{http://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/others/hugin-and-munin/}

In celtic lore can be found the Morrigan; a goddess of battle and fertility who can appear as a trio of goddesses- the Morrigan, Badb (Crow) and either Macha (Crow) or Nemain (frenzy). She also frequently appears as a crow herself. Apart from being deities themselves, crows will show up in stories often as a messenger- as in the story of when Apollo turned the raven black, burning him in a fit of rage for having told the god of his wife’s infidelity. They are also known as navigators as in Japan where the three-legged crow Yatagarasu served as a guide to the first emperor Jimmu across the mountains in his search to claim lands.

In the Old Testament, in the story of Elijah, God instructed Elijah to hide from Jezebel and sent two crows to feed the man. Even since ancient times the lives of humans and crows have been intertwined. Crows are exceptionally intelligent. They will wait and watch and observe whatever goes on around them in order to find opportunity. Being omnivorous, crows are able to find food in a multitude of ways, often earning themselves reputations as thieves and pests. But they truly are ingenious.

Crows have been seen dropping nuts in the road in front of traffic so that the cars will crack open the nuts. They are able to keep track of time through keeping track of human routines such as trash day in order to raid garbage bags for food. They are even capable of problem solving and using tools. A video demonstrating this remarkable ability can be found here. Additionally crows have a very complex system of language, and are easily able to recognize and remember faces and communicate this information to other members of the murder.

“My grandfather once told me that the crow was the smartest of all birds. What’s more, it knew it was the smartest of birds and enjoyed it to the fullest. In fact, it was so smart that it chose to stay a crow, rather than move on to some other area of evolution. It has a unique ability to outwit most birds, other animals and even some humans, and they make a wonderful living for themselves. It can be thought of as another being who felt it was better to rule in Hell than serve in heaven. Crows seem to have mastered it well.” –Animal Speak, Ted Andrews

 

There’s a blackbird perched outside my window
I hear him calling
I hear him sing
He burns me with his eyes of gold to embers
He sees all my sins
He reads my soul
…
Come join the murder
Come fly with black
We’ll give you freedom
From the human trap
Come join the murder
Soar on my wings
You’ll touch the hand of God
And He’ll make you king
And He’ll make you king

-Come Join the Murder, The White Buffalo

 

RESOURCES

*print is available for purchase here.

Medicine Cards guidebook; Jamie Sams & David Carson

Animal Speak; Ted Andrews

http://norse-mythology.org/gods-and-creatures/others/hugin-and-munin/

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/m/morrigan.html

Old Testament :Kings I 17:1-7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVaITA7eBZE