Healing Drum Retreat

One of the drawbacks of our industrial growth and high-tech living is our disconnection with nature.  In days gone by there were those who read the signs presented by nature.  This practice is known as divination, and while some may think of divination as superstition there is logic to reading “the signs”.  We read the sky to predict tomorrow’s weather, and we watch the behavior of animals to predict upcoming disasters.

No sound practice goes unused, and today there are animals used to sniff out cancer or other illnesses, warn of impending seizures, and more.  Prior to events like earthquakes and tsunami’s it is common to see unusual behavior in animals: they go into hiding, become agitated, or run away.

Is it then unreasonable to question the unusual appearance of an animal in your life?  As a spiritual counselor I have witnessed birds appearing during intuitive reading and healing sessions, acting as if they were a part of the process.  Many have reported finding a feather in a closed vehicle, or outside their door.  In fact I had such a situation one day while on a camping trip.  I had asked the crows for a sign, and later when I left my RV there was a large crow feather in my pathway.

Crows are amazing creatures.  They are determined, and clever.  I laugh and call them the cat of the fowl world, because of their curiosity and attraction to shiny things.  Crows have been appearing in my world in large groups lately, with 20 or so drifting across my property in search of food, dancing across the power lines and hopping along the street.  While returning from a dog walk I noticed a group of crows flying overhead, going east, and counting as quickly as I could I noted 30 crows in total.

I see crows as a messenger of ingenuity – to look at new ways to accomplish goals or solve problems.   I relate this perception to the fear that some have of the appearance of crows.   Crows have been seen as a sign of death or ominous events, but I translate those perceptions as our fear of the unknown and unseen.  If our solution is found in a place we have yet to explore, someplace hidden, and we do not explore that part of ourselves, then we do experience a loss – the loss of our own capabilities.

The next time crows appear in your horizon you can ask yourself, “What does this mean?  Is this a mesage from nature?” Better yet, ask:  “How can I use this as an opportunity to know myself a little better?”  Totem animals carry to us traits and behaviors we mirror within ourselves.

Estee Taschereau is co-organizer of the Healing Drum Retreat.  Estee’s newest book, “Being Here Now” is available in paperback and ebook formats.