Post by Spirit of the Lynx on Jul 4, 2007 23:24:49 GMT -5
From: taraluna (Original Message) Sent: 4/30/2005 6:16 PM
RAVEN
Keynote: Magick, Shapeshifting, & Creation
Cycle of Power: Winter Solstice
The raven is one of those birds that has a trmendous amount of lore & mythology surrounding it, & it is often contradictory. It is a bird of birth & death, & it is a bird of mysticism & magick. In the near East, the raven was considered unclean-because it is a scavenger. It is one of the foods listed as forbidden in the Bible. The raven is one of the birds Noah sent out after the floods, but it did not return to the ark. On the other hand, also in biblical lore is the tale of how a raven fed the prophet Elijah when hiding from King Ahab.
In Scandinavian lore, the raven played a significant role. The Norse god Odin had a pair of ravens who were his messangers. Their names were Hugin (thought) & Munin (memory). Odin was known to shapeshift as a raven himself. This reflects the idea of raven being a messanger of the great spiritual realm.
The raven has a long history of being an omen. During the Middle Ages the craok of the raven was beleived to foretell a death or the outcome of a battle. It was even taught to the common folk in christian communities that wicked priests became ravens when they died. Even today, some old timers tell how you can expect hot weather when a raven is seen facing a clouded sun.
The raven is a member of the corvids family, to which belongs crows & magpies & other such birds. In truth, the only really significant difference between the crow & the raven is in size, the raven being much larger. It would be beneficial to study the information on the crow for anyone who has a raven as a totem. Much of the same information that applies to one, also applies to the other. It is simply a matter of degree.
The raven has a wealth of myth & lore surrounding it. In many ways it is comparable to the coyote tales of the plains Indians, the Bushmen tales of the mantis & other societies in which an animal plays a significant & yet confusing role. The coyote was both trickster & wise being-fool & wise one. This was true of the mantis in the tales of the kalaahri Bushmen.
In the Pacific Northwest, the raven has the same aura about him. In the Pacific Northwest, raven brought forth life & order. Raven stole the sunlight from one who would keep the world in darkness. Nothing could exist without raven. Raven is honored in art & on totem poles, reflecting the tales & mysticism that have developed around it.
With raven, human & animal spirits intermingle & become as one. This is reflected in its deep, rich, shiny black. In blackness, everything mingles until drawn forth, out into the light. Because of this, raven can help you shapeshift your life or oyur being. RAven has the knowledge of how to become other animals & how to speak their languages.
Ravens are great at vocalizations, & they can be taught to speak. They incorporate & mimic the calls of other species. In the Northwest are tales of the Kwakiutl Indians who offered the afterbirth of male newborns to Raven so that when they grew up, they would understand their cries. Raven can teach you to understand the language of animals.
Ravens are palyful, & they are excellent tool users.They will use sstones & anything else that is available to help them crack nuts & such. They are birds not intimidated by others, & they are very fast & wary. Because of this, they are not easy prey for other animals or birds. This implies the ability to teach you how to stir the magick of life without fear. They are also known for the amorous behaviour, reflecting the strong creative force to which they have access.
This creative life force can be used to work magick of spiritual laws upon the physical plane. It can be used to go into the void & stir the energies to manifest that which you most need. All this & more is what raven teaches.If raven has come into your life, expect magick. Somewhere in your life magick is at play.Raven activates the energy of magick, linking it with your will & intention.
Raven speaks of the opportunity to become the magician &/or enchantress of your life. Each of us has a magician within, & it is the Raven which can show us how to bring that part of us out of the dark into the light. Raven speaks of messages from the spirit realm that can shapeshift your life dramatically. Raven teaches how to take that which is uniformed & give it the form you desire.
The Winter Solstice & winter season is the time of greatest power for those with the raven as a totem. The solstice is the shortest day of the year. The Sun shines the least on this day, thus it is the darkest. From that day forth, the light shines a little more each day. This is symbolic of the influence of raven. It teaches how to go into the dark & bring forth the light. With each trip in, we develope the ability to bring more light out. This is creation.
This was derived from "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews
RAVEN
Keynote: Magick, Shapeshifting, & Creation
Cycle of Power: Winter Solstice
The raven is one of those birds that has a trmendous amount of lore & mythology surrounding it, & it is often contradictory. It is a bird of birth & death, & it is a bird of mysticism & magick. In the near East, the raven was considered unclean-because it is a scavenger. It is one of the foods listed as forbidden in the Bible. The raven is one of the birds Noah sent out after the floods, but it did not return to the ark. On the other hand, also in biblical lore is the tale of how a raven fed the prophet Elijah when hiding from King Ahab.
In Scandinavian lore, the raven played a significant role. The Norse god Odin had a pair of ravens who were his messangers. Their names were Hugin (thought) & Munin (memory). Odin was known to shapeshift as a raven himself. This reflects the idea of raven being a messanger of the great spiritual realm.
The raven has a long history of being an omen. During the Middle Ages the craok of the raven was beleived to foretell a death or the outcome of a battle. It was even taught to the common folk in christian communities that wicked priests became ravens when they died. Even today, some old timers tell how you can expect hot weather when a raven is seen facing a clouded sun.
The raven is a member of the corvids family, to which belongs crows & magpies & other such birds. In truth, the only really significant difference between the crow & the raven is in size, the raven being much larger. It would be beneficial to study the information on the crow for anyone who has a raven as a totem. Much of the same information that applies to one, also applies to the other. It is simply a matter of degree.
The raven has a wealth of myth & lore surrounding it. In many ways it is comparable to the coyote tales of the plains Indians, the Bushmen tales of the mantis & other societies in which an animal plays a significant & yet confusing role. The coyote was both trickster & wise being-fool & wise one. This was true of the mantis in the tales of the kalaahri Bushmen.
In the Pacific Northwest, the raven has the same aura about him. In the Pacific Northwest, raven brought forth life & order. Raven stole the sunlight from one who would keep the world in darkness. Nothing could exist without raven. Raven is honored in art & on totem poles, reflecting the tales & mysticism that have developed around it.
With raven, human & animal spirits intermingle & become as one. This is reflected in its deep, rich, shiny black. In blackness, everything mingles until drawn forth, out into the light. Because of this, raven can help you shapeshift your life or oyur being. RAven has the knowledge of how to become other animals & how to speak their languages.
Ravens are great at vocalizations, & they can be taught to speak. They incorporate & mimic the calls of other species. In the Northwest are tales of the Kwakiutl Indians who offered the afterbirth of male newborns to Raven so that when they grew up, they would understand their cries. Raven can teach you to understand the language of animals.
Ravens are palyful, & they are excellent tool users.They will use sstones & anything else that is available to help them crack nuts & such. They are birds not intimidated by others, & they are very fast & wary. Because of this, they are not easy prey for other animals or birds. This implies the ability to teach you how to stir the magick of life without fear. They are also known for the amorous behaviour, reflecting the strong creative force to which they have access.
This creative life force can be used to work magick of spiritual laws upon the physical plane. It can be used to go into the void & stir the energies to manifest that which you most need. All this & more is what raven teaches.If raven has come into your life, expect magick. Somewhere in your life magick is at play.Raven activates the energy of magick, linking it with your will & intention.
Raven speaks of the opportunity to become the magician &/or enchantress of your life. Each of us has a magician within, & it is the Raven which can show us how to bring that part of us out of the dark into the light. Raven speaks of messages from the spirit realm that can shapeshift your life dramatically. Raven teaches how to take that which is uniformed & give it the form you desire.
The Winter Solstice & winter season is the time of greatest power for those with the raven as a totem. The solstice is the shortest day of the year. The Sun shines the least on this day, thus it is the darkest. From that day forth, the light shines a little more each day. This is symbolic of the influence of raven. It teaches how to go into the dark & bring forth the light. With each trip in, we develope the ability to bring more light out. This is creation.
This was derived from "Animal Speak" by Ted Andrews