Raven/Crow Medicine

Thank you for joining with us here today as we speak a but about Raven/Crow Medicine which is a very sacred and powerful medicine among the wisdom teachings of our tribal elders, and we feel it would be a good time to share with you a bit about it.

So the first thing we feel you should know is that There are several species of crow. Raven is one of these and magpies are another.

You can see the difference between the two here, as the Crow/Raven is solid black whereas the Magpie/Raven is black and white - today we focus on the solid black Crow/Raven as far as this article is concerned.

In some tribes, the crow is conflated with the raven, a larger cousin of the crow that shares many of the same characteristics. In other tribes, Crow and Raven are distinct mythological characters.

Crows and Ravens carry very similar medicine. What applies to Crow applies to Raven as well. Ravens must be understood more at an intuitive level however for they are the gatekeepers to the void of Spirit where there is no form or structure, but fluidity and constant change. Many southwestern tribes such as the Hopi, Navajo, Zuni felt the raven was flew out from the dark womb of the cosmos, and with it brought the light of the sun (dawning of understanding). Consequently, the raven is considered a venerated bird of creation, for without the raven, humans would forever live in darkness. He is a very sacred animal to our tribal brothers and sisters because Crow knows the unknowable mysteries of creation and is the keeper of all sacred law.

Crow medicine signifies a firsthand knowledge of a higher order of right and wrong than that indicated by the laws created in human culture. With Crow medicine, you speak in a powerful voice when addressing issues that for you seem out of harmony, out of balance, out of whack, or unjust. They are believed to dwell in both the physical and the spiritual world simultaneously.

Above all else, raven's intelligence is possibly its most winning feature of his character. Because Raven/Crow is the left-handed guardian its business is in both keeping and communicating deep mysteries. Do not to be fearful of Raven, rather give thanks for the teachings he brings. If raven has flown into your life, then magic and healing abound. Raven awakens the energy of magic, linking it to our will and intention.

They usually stay as long as needed to help transmute karma, returning you to the light, and will lead you into the discovery of your multidimensional self and reunite you with the secrets of the multidimensional universe.

Ravens are clairvoyant, they carry messages from Spirit to those who are willing to hear and follow through on what they are shown. at any moment Spirit may call upon them to leave everything behind in order to work for the good of the whole. Those who carry Raven medicine often have powerful, life altering visions at key points in their lives.

He is also the guardian of ceremonial magic and healing. In any healing circle, Crow is present. Crow guides the magic of healing and the change in consciousness that will bring about a new reality and dispel "dis-ease" or illness.

raven is a bird who can foretell the future, and reveal omens and signs. rest assure when ever crows are around, magic is near by and you are about to experience a change in consciousness. When someone speaks of Raven medicine, it is more easily understood through the intuitive senses and emotions. People who carry Raven medicine also carry a heavy responsibility to Spirit. If Raven wings his way into your awareness you are about to get a lesson in using time wisely. You need to be in the right space at the right moment, and Raven encourages that change in movement in your life.

Ravens wisdom includes introspection, courage, self-knowledge, magic, healing, creation, rebirth, keeper of secrets, master magician, shape shifter, mysticism. When facing a new path it is often wise to call upon Raven medicine to show you if that is the true and correct path for you or not. If you look into the eye of a Raven it is the gateway between this world and the next, the place where all of our hopes and dreams live.

Raven people have a duty to confront their own monsters and demons in order to bring greater light into themselves. Once they are well on that path, they find themselves being asked to turn time and again to those who are in need of their assistance and have in fact at some level called out to Raven for support and protection. Raven medicine can also teach us, like Crow, how to defend and protect that which we value and cherish.

Raven consumes the remains of other creatures, giving this bird the additional symbolic value of cleansing. Raven will show you how to go within in yourself, into the dark areas and then illuminate them, making you ‘sparkle’ and bringing out your true self. Raven people are powerful navigators of the darkness, for their intuitive sense is so strong that they learn to rely on it rather than what is just before their physical eyes.

The Inuit for example believed the raven tricked a giant sea monster into submission, and to this day its body serves as the Alaskan mainland.

Raven is the culture hero of Tlingit legends as they believe It was Raven who stole the sun from a monster who wanted to keep the world in darkness, as seen in this art photo here. In fact, many Tlingit stories about Raven have to do with his frivolous or poorly thought out behavior getting him into trouble.

Ravens are highly intelligent and clever mimics whom are renoun for being the biggest songbirds in North America.use the calls of other species in their own ’vocabulary’ and can show us how to understand ‘animal language." Ravens have a very distinctive voice and a vast vocabulary. They are among the smartest birds in nature

The raven is referred to as a shape shifter with magical powers and some native tribes refer to them as the ‘keeper of secrets’ as they are linked to the void, where universal secrets are kept.

Raven knows the mystery of life, they are strongly linked with death and rebirth. Raven knows how to carry us there and shows us the proper path to return so that we may manifest that which we have found in the void. Moving into the void and returning to one's reality also brings more awareness of how to deal with the shadows in one's and others lives. Raven is thought to provide long-distance healing.

Native holy men understood that what the physical eye sees, is not necessarily the truth, and he would call upon them for clarity of mind and perception. Ravens are Heyokas, meaning tricksters. In Native American mythology they taught the people both the right way to live through example of what not to do as well as bringing many blessings. he Raven for clarity in these matters. Crow/Raven are in short, the equivalent of the better known Coyote of the Southwest tribes because he is trickster.

If you have a crow as a totem, you need to be willing to walk your talk and speak your truth. You must put aside your fear of being a voice in the wilderness and "caw" the shots as you see them.

Many who carry Raven medicine often appear younger than their years, another ability of shapeshifting. Raven medicine is both very Neptunian in that it feels very intensely what others are truly thinking and feeling, and Plutonian as it sees that which most would prefer to ignore. Both are crucial for learning how to shapeshift either the self or reality, for shapeshifting is the awareness of other levels of reality besides this one. Raven teaches us how to look at what we are experiencing in a whole new way and thus adapt to what is while working towards a more positive future.

Tribes with Crow Clans include the Chippewa (whose Crow Clan and its totem are called Aandeg), the Hopi (whose Crow Clan is called Angwusngyam or Ungwish-wungwa), the Menominee, the Caddo, the Tlingit, and the Pueblo tribes of New Mexico.

As always, we Thank you ever so kindly for your continued interest, contributions and your support, blessings to us all, go in good medicine way!