The beautiful Raven guides my writing. It has become my totem, a symbol to express who I am and how I want to live. I like to believe that like the Raven I am a guide, a messenger, who leads others to find their unique voice.
I believe that the Raven carries the messages of my heart out into cyber space. Her blackness represents the notion of beginning, just as the symbols of the maternal night and primeval darkness represent beginning. For me the Raven represents creative power and spiritual strength.
When I sat by my husbands bedside at the Epworth hospital here in Melbourne, after he had been operated on for bowel cancer, I noted the black crow that came to sit on the spire outside our window. She bought with her the collective energy of my patrons, people from all around the world who had stopped to think of us and pray for our well-being.
A solitary figure, the crow reminded me to look for strength from within, that out of darkness comes light and fresh beginning. Her iridescence spoke of magic and awakening.
Today I give thanks to that Raven and formally acknowledge her as my guideRookery at Soul Food
The Raven is the spirit bird of Heather Blakey and the Soul Food Cafe. Adventurers, who who have found their way in to the centre of this quirky cafe, invariably come to understand the influence of this bird who carries their messages through cyber space.Soul Food has had a long history of encouraging artists and writers to share their work and help build the site. The Patrons Page and the Artist's Loft are just two old directories that provide links to the work of those who have walked the corridors of Soul Food. The Pizza Banquet is another place to meet some of the people who have partaken of Soul Food's very special food for the soul.
Many long standing members of Soul Food, members who have travelled within Lemuria and actively participated on Soul Food blogs, become Ravens, flock together and live in the The Rookery This lens celebrates these individuals who have made Soul Food and the Rookery, home.
To be accepted at Soul Food all you need is an authentic voice and the courage to use it.
Australian Raven
Australian Raven Image from: John Gould (1804-81) The birds of Australia 1840-48. 7 vols. 600 plates Artists: J. Gould and E. Gould; Lithographer: E. Gould.There are six members of this family found in Australia, five native breeding species and one infrequent self-introduction. Three are called crows and three ravens, although there is really little difference. Most Australian species are similar in size and colouration, and can be difficult to tell apart. In some cases, identification is aided by the separate ranges of different species, but differences in plumage, habits and calls offer good clues for distinguishing them. The bases of the feathers of the crows are white, while those of the ravens are grey, although this characteristic is perhaps only of benefit if birds are held in the hand or if discarded feathers are found.
If Raven Flies In To Your Life
Raven brings to the people the gift of mystery. All of Creation is truly a great mystery (hence this term as one of the ways of referring to the Creator), and no animal reflects this better than the Raven. They have an intimate association with the mystery of death. Because Ravens would feed on the corpses of the dead hanging on the gallows, early European settlers hated and feared tis bird and considered it to be an ill omen. They are black, a color associated with the night, the dark, and the fears that reside there.There are many stories in Native cultures about the mystery and magic of this elusive black bird. Shamans know the power of an unexpected piercing sound in altering consciousness. Ravens exercise this power, emitting as they do, a variety of sounds, some quite piercing and startling. Ravens are associated with psychic abilities, and their featheers are sometimes used to aid clairvoyance. If Raven has flown into your life, you can be sure that something unusual will be happening, something out of the Void, from the Great Mystery. While you can't fully prepare for the mysterious, it is good to meet Raven not with fear, but rather with an appreciation for its magic.
Raven Woman
Learning about Ravens
- All About Ravens
- The largest member of the Crow Family, ravens average 24 inches tall, with a wingspan of 46-56 inches. Their coloration is all-black with a metallic shine of purple or violet that is noticeable in certain lighting conditions. The bill is large and stout. In flight, the tail appears wedge-shaped, which distinguishes it from crows.
- Bird Brain Power
- Generally, birds don't get credit for being smart animals. Just think of the way the expression "bird-brained" is used. But corvids, which include magpies, crows, and ravens in particular, flutter in the face of this negative stereotype. Their behavior is often so clever, cunning, fun-loving, smart, and witty that it has motivated researchers to try to explain why. In fact, some scientists consider these black-feathered scavengers' position on the intelligence spectrum to be on par with canids such as wolves, coyotes, and dogs, and have conducted experiments to try to quantify the raven's brainpower.
- Crows and Ravens
- There are six members of this family found in Australia, five native breeding species and one infrequent self-introduction. Three are called crows and three ravens, although there is really little difference. Most Australian species are similar in size and colouration, and can be difficult to tell apart. In some cases, identification is aided by the separate ranges of different species, but differences in plumage, habits and calls offer good clues for distinguishing them. The bases of the feathers of the crows are white, while those of the ravens are grey, although this characteristic is perhaps only of benefit if birds are held in the hand or if discarded feathers are found.
- Observing Ravens
- If you are fascinated with ravens, read incessantly about them, observe them in nature, can recognize their unique voice, collect their feathers, collect raven art and artifacts, and know their literature and folklore from around the world, you are probably an amateur CORVIDOLOGIST, which is the branch of Ornithology specializing in RAVENS and their family. And magically speaking, Raven is your totem.
Do The Raven Stomp
Raven Symbolism
Raven is a contrary spirit. On the negative side, Raven represents the profane, the devil, evil spirits, the trickster and thief, war and destruction, death and doom, the void.Yet in many cultures Raven also represents deep magic, the mystery of the unknown, death and transformation, creation, healing, wisdom, protection, and prophecy.
Raven is both the symbol of the sun, and the symbol of a moonless night. She is the birth giving light in the center of our galaxy, and the black hole in the center of the universe, to which we are all traveling to our eventual extinction.
Raven is the fatal touch of the Calleach in winter, the wisdom of Odin, the vessel of prophecy given to a seer, the mighty protector of the Western Isles, and the healing message of an Indian shaman.
Raven is a complex bird, both in nature and in mythology.
On My Shelves
Ravensong: A Natural And Fabulous History Of Ravens And Crows
Amazon Price: $12.44 (as of 07/14/2009) 
Bird Brains: The Intelligence of Crows, Ravens, Magpies, and Jays
Amazon Price: $16.46 (as of 07/14/2009)
Stories and Poems of Edgar Allen Poe (Classic Retelling)
Amazon Price: (as of 07/14/2009)
Complete Poems
Amazon Price: $22.76 (as of 07/14/2009)
The Crow (Miramax/Dimension Collector's Series)
Amazon Price: $13.99 (as of 07/14/2009)
Raven Characteristics
* Rebirth without fear
* Ability to tear down what needs to be rebuilt
* Renewal
* Ability to find light in darkness
* Courage of self-reflection
* Introspection
* Comfort with self
* Honoring ancestors
* Connection to the Crone
* Divination
* Change in consciousness
* New occurrences
* Eloquence
Share Experiences With Raven
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