Featured Animal: Raven
By Padhopper
3
If you have spent any time at all with a Pagan, you have no doubt heard the term “Totem Animal.” It is quite common for those walking a Pagan path to connect with the energy of an animal that will protect them from danger or guide them on their daily walk through life. For the history behind Totem or Power Animals, we need to give thanks to our First Nations friends. Animal Gods have always been very prevalent in First Nations traditions, with some bands taking their names from the animal with which they feel most connected. If you were to attend a Pow-Wow, you would see marvelous animal-filled Totem Poles, and you would certainly hear tales of mythological animal Gods. The most common stories of the First Nations folklore are those of Trickster, Creation Stories and Pairs and Opposites. It’s from these folklore stories that our Totem Animals spring. In this issue we are looking at the Raven.
In folklore, the Raven was the greedy trickster who was often impatient and gluttonous. He was a master of bending and folding time and space so that he could be in exactly the right place at exactly the right moment. The Raven loved the night and took pity on men as they could not see at night with the excellence he could. In one First Nations legend, the Raven tried to convince the Eagle to share the moon with the walking man. The Eagle, however, would not share, so the Raven stole the moon and the stars and fixed them in the sky so man could see at night, keep time and no longer be lost.
If the Raven is your Totem Animal, you are very playful and creative. You have no fear of the dark or the underworld and understand that there is a divine balance between the light and the dark. You find comfort in solitude and enjoy your own company. The Raven seeks stillness and quiet and prefer it to the constant onslaught of chatter and noise in our daily lives. You are wise and often are used as a messenger for others. The spirit world uses you as a bridge to the physical world to bring forth its messages.
When the Raven comes flying into your dreams, he is letting you know that a change of consciousness is imminent. This omen signals you to watch for the clues and that new heights are possible. When the Raven is still and silent while looking at you, he is invoking magic. The Raven’s loud, raucous calling at you means he is insisting that you take heed – you are missing something important or have forgotten a lesson learned. A Raven flying loops and upside down playfully is telling you to fasten your seatbelt because everything has gone into hyper drive. Absolute magic is afoot.
Correspondences for the Raven
Color- Black, Purple
Stone- Black tourmaline, Moonstone, Amethyst
Plant/Herb- Cherry, Elder, Laurel, Ivy, Juniper
Day- Monday
Direction- East
Element- Air
Ritual Intent- Magic, Shape-shifting, Creation, Birth, Death, Understanding