What do you think of when you see a crow?
I used to be terrified of them! It all stems from an incident -nothing tragic – but still an event that left an indelible impression on my psyche. At the center of the event is Lala, my most treasured doll when I was a toddler. One day, as she hung out to dry on the clothes line, I watched in horror while crow after crow landed in the yard and on the line. As the horde of black birds squawked away, I was convinced they would fly off with her. Terrified, I stood at the sliding glass door, tearfully begging to save her tiny little life. Thankfully, the crows did not snatch her away, and later that day, Lala was back in my arms. But the fear and distaste for crows stayed with me…that is until recently.
A dear friend, talented artist, published author, and beautiful sage, Constance, agreed to an art swap – she would make me one of her intricately hand-torn and cut paper collages of a robin if I would make her a necklace with a crow illustration from my water-damaged 1953 Webster’s Elementary Dictionary that I found at an estate sale. A crow…really? Don’t they dig through garbage bins? Aren’t they mean buggers?
Hah…on the contrary! She regaled me with delightful stories of the crow family that lives in her backyard. The nest the family built, their conversations, their antics. Giselle, the mother, graceful as a ballet dancer, tending to her young son, and the rugged and stocky father stumbling around looking for peanuts that Constance throws into the yard each morning. Now, when I look out in my backyard and see crows digging in grass looking for earthworms and insects, I see different birds…not the mean birds that “tried to steal” Lala…birds with a personality and purpose.
I dug around the internet looking for information about crows and landed on Shamanism: Working with Animal Spirits, where I found a thoughtful explanation of crow wisdom and traits. According to the website, these include:
- Guardian of the place before existence
- Ability to move in space and time
- Honoring ancestors
- Carrier of souls from darkness into light
- Working without fear in darkness
- Guidance while working in shadow
- Moves freely in the void
- Understands all things related to ethics
- Shapeshifter
Constance…now I understand. Thank you.
I sadly admit that I missed all of Season One of Downton Abbey. A shameless act on my part. Tragedy. And even though I did not understand what was going on when I boarded the “Crawley” train this season, I’m hooked. The costumes…the jewelry…the scenery…and the costumes (did I say that already?).
