This is the first of my blogs into my guides and my animal forms whilst doing a shamanistic style of journeying.
I have several guides and animal forms I adopt in my journeys and I shall start with the main one and one of the aspects of my spiritual form.
‘A raven is one of several larger-bodied species of the genus Corvus. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus.
There is no consistent distinction between “crows” and “ravens”, and these appellations have been assigned to different species chiefly on the basis of their size, crows generally being smaller than ravens.
The largest raven species are the common raven and the thick-billed raven.’
wikipedia.com
‘Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt and flutter,
In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of yore.
Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped or stayed he,But, with mien of Lord or Lady, perched above my chamber door —
Perched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamber door –
Perched, and sat, and nothing more.
The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe.
Though I shall mention that the passive aggressive version goes; ‘Quoth the Raven, “Nevermind.”’
The Raven has many different mythology links all across the world, from the native Americans, the Norse & Germanic tribes, Celtic, Greek, Judaism and the Abrahamic faiths and also is seen in Hinduism.
For the native American tribes, the Raven is seen in most as either a creator god or a trickster god, sometimes both. In one of the myths Raven was responsible in giving light to the world.
In Norse and Germanic mythology Odin had two Ravens, Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory), and they served Odin as his eyes and ears.
In the Celtic traditions the Raven is associated with Badb and Morrighan. There is also Bran the Blessed, whose name means Raven.
The Greek myths they were associated with Apollo, the God of prophesy. They were messengers in the mortal world.
Noah sent a Raven as the first bird when searching for land and in the book of Leviticus they are a banned food.
The raven therefore has sometimes had a bad press and is associated with bad luck and as they are regarded as psychopomps (guides of souls to the spirit world) this also feeds that particular superstition.
For me, when I journey, I mostly fly as a Raven and as such is also my spiritual form I take on when I need to distance work. It is a great bird to have when communicating with the spirit world as its comfortable travelling between this world and the next.
It was the first animal form I took when I started my journeying. And the most comfortable. Its great feeling the air under the wings and also when perched on high trees etc… you get to see a lot. As a guide I feel it lends itself to finding clarity especially when contacting the ancestors.
The next guide blogs will be focusing on my elemental guides…..
BB
Ian
Ian Vernon 