Curious Facts
A lot of us for sure get confused on whether or not we identified a crow or raven, which makes sense because they are apart of the same family, Corvus. Ravens are pretty big compared to Crows. The Crow is closer in size to a pigeon. You'll find that the Crow has a straight beak while the Ravens beak is thicker and curves under more noticeably. The Raven sounds raspy and has long shaggy neck feathers. The Crow has makes a "caw" sound and the Raven sounds makes a "croak" sound. An easier way to identify them while they are flying is the shape of their tail. A Crows tail is similar to the shape of a rectangle or square (called a fan shape) while the Ravens is similar to a triangle because of its point (called a wedge shape). Also while the Crow flies it constantly flaps its wings instead of soaring like the Raven.
There are around 40 different species of crows. You will find that they live in many different countries, as well as many different habitats. They have been found to weigh anywhere between 12 to 57 ounces.
Something very fascinating and interesting about Crows is their intelligence. Oddly enough they have an unusually large brain considering their body to brain ratio. They can identify human faces and even share with other Crows what the human looks like. If a person is mean to a Crow, the Crow doesn't forget that humans face and will let his family and friends know their features as well. This is quite intimidating for bullies I'm sure.
When a Crow is found dead by other crows, they gather around in a group, called a murder, to identify if the crow was murdered.
Not all Crows migrate. Many of them stay close to where they were born similar to the Cardinal. However when needed, they will travel to a warmer area as close to their territory as possible. Crows could be considered family friendly due to the fact that they help raise the young of their families. They even contribute care to the Crow young in the area that they claim territory of.
Spiritual Meaning Of Crows
Transformation and Transition
When a crow is found dead, other crows gather around him or her to have what appears to be a funeral. This warms my heart knowing that crows can gather together to mourn or even give awareness to a loss.
The way the other crows gather around the transitioned (dead) crow, remind me of how our guides help us through our transitional periods in life.
We all go through these points in time where we put death to some of our prominent yet toxic traits. As we do the shadow work on ourselves we find that we are no longer interested in certain behaviors and actions. We put death to those actions and behaviors within us. And maybe beforehand those actions appeared to protect us. Maybe we felt good after indulging in that addiction. Choosing to put it to rest is a huge step. A step that our guides want to be there for.
As we continously grow in life, we lay to rest many things that we considered parts of us. Our guides are there for every single one of those moments. They are who help us identify what is no longer healthy for our lifestyle.
Knowing that you know have the full support of your guides to do what's best for you, what major step are you deciding to take after seeing the Crow?
Self Identification & Authenticity
The Crow has a many stereotypes working against its favor. If you even think about the name people us to identify a group of crows, murder, it is a huge stigma associated with them.
It seems stereotypes aren't only about humans designed by humans but we even create stereotypes about animals, to include the Crow. It's quite unfair considering due to the stereotypes, crows get a bad reputation and experience injustice and abuse.
A lot of us who see Crows may associate them with fear, leading people to lose interest in identifying their spiritual symbolism. But when you a Crow it identifies with your current circumstance. Maybe you're a minority experiencing injustice, maybe someone tried to ruin your reputation, maybe you made a mistake that'd you'd never do again. Either way you are trying to get around and over a certain belief attached to you. Or even what you may have attached to yourself. ( You get to choose who you are each and every day, you are not limited to who you were yesterday. )
The truth is, people will always have an idea of you and very rarely does it actually describe or represent you. All you can do is build yourself to be the best person that you can be. Persevere, despite people's limiting beliefs about you.
Many people believe that crows are aggressive and evil but that doesn't mean that is who they are. In 2015 a little girl in Seattle, 8 years old, started feeding crows in her neighborhood. Out of what seemed to be gratitude, they gifted her dozens of items. They gifted her tokens, buttons, and even pieces of colored glass. The little girl said that her favorite gift from the crows was a tiny heart charm. She said " It's showing me how much they love me." This completely goes against what many people believe about the crows. This switches the narrative. The crazy part is she actually built a relationship with the Crow and this is her story despite stereotypes pushed down generations about the Crow.
Keep pushing on knowing that you are not limited to be who they believe you are.
The Crow decides who he or she will be. Not the rumors, stereotypes of stories that people share with others.
Confidence
We are all familiar with the voice of the Crow, Caw. Caw. Have you ever just stopped to listen? Have you ever just stopped to look at it as it spoke? It radiates confidence. It walks bold, speaks with clarity and seems to know exactly what it wants.
When you see a Crow, it is asking you to radiate confidence. It's asking you to identify what you want and to be confident in asking for it, going for it and manifesting it. If you aren't exactly sure what you desire in life, it is time to identify those particular things. Be sure to write down goals and deadlines and figure out how you'd like to reach them.
Begin a vision board. Envision yourself accomplishing each and every single one of those goals and tasks. Practice this every and even multiple times a day, you will start to see it become your reality. You will radiate confidence with each and every one of those goals being reached.
Walk in confidence knowing that your dream life, is your reality.
Crow Mythology & History
Irish Culture :
In Irish Mythology, the crow is seen as a manifestation of The Great Queen / Morrigan a.k.a Badbh, Macha, and Nemain. This was a diety that signified sovereignty and battle. It was believed that with her cry, she would fly above battles bringing courage and encouragement to those fighting. On the other side it would bring fear to the enemy.
Japanese Culture :
The crow is a representation for rebirth and rejuvenation in Japanese history/mythology. They believe that are also symbols of guidance, sent from heaven.
Native American Culture :
Native Americans identified crows as very intelligent. They believe that crows are good luck and are cleansers of land and mind. In their folklore, they portrayed the crows intelligence as it's main feature. Unlike many other cultures, Native Americans see crows as a sign of good fortune. Native Americans have many different Crow tribes.
Vietnamese Culture :
During the 19th Century, The Vietnamese had semi domesticated crows. They would keep them because they found their intelligence and unique ability to communicate intriguing. It was believed that crows could guard their masters home if the master was absent.
In 1881, Landes data supported that crows are capable of recognizing individual faces. He kept notes that stated "A story has been told of one of these birds that revealed a wife’s infidelities to her husband, as he came back from a journey, whereupon the husband killed her."
The Vietnamese were aware of the crow's ability to identify individual faces.
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Written : 9 Dec 2020 Lina Mystic