messengers

well i am a firm believer that you get nudges from all kinds of things..
today i think i may have gotten a couple...

as i was collecting seeds in one of the flower patches something jumped in the leaves..
i thought it was a grasshopper but it jumped again and was too big..
so i put down my container and started to move greenery to see what it was..
it was a frog...wow..we are no where near water at that point so i was quite surprized
of course i tried to catch him but he was way to fast and hid in some rocks
i looked it up and found it is a wood frog..Lithobates sylvaticus
i didn't know there was such a frog..neat

i figured i would look up the meaning later in my medicine cards book

then as we were eating dinner later what flies into the house
(yes the door was open) at 6 in the evening
was a double winged dragon fly..really...
there is a creek ..but not that close

i thought wow what is going on
must be a pret-tee important message

so look it up i did and hummmmmm
i've been thinking along these lines and here is my answer
to follow thu

frog is 'cleansing"
to know when it is time to refresh, purify and refill the coffers of the soul
to rid yourself of distractions and replace the mud with clear energy

the dragonfly is "illusion"
dragonfly medicine is of the dreamtime and the illusionary fascade we accept as physical reality.
dragonfly is the essence of the winds of change, the messages of wisdom and enlightment.

*meanings are from the medicne card book by Jamie Sams & David Carson

so off i go to do some thinking about this..
i don't recall getting two taps on the shoulder within hours ever before
and i am sharing to tell you to pay attention
who is tapping you on the shoulder with info and such...

what a marvelous day...

sky otter I loved your story ....thanks for sharing!

Me too! I listen and watch the animals near me everyday. They are full of messaages for us. Last summer I had ravens that would circle over me when I sat out on the patio, this was very strange because they never strayed far from their rock cliff home behind me. I'd watch them in the distance but for them to circle about 10 or 15 feet above me and chatter the whole time was strange. There were no dead animals around so I knew from their patterns that they had a message for me. Crows too would land on my balcony and just look through the patio doors at me. I love watching the birds and I have many different species to entertain me when I go outside and just meditate in the sunshine.

ah day..you are very welcome

Lighting.. i was typing you what raven meant from the book i have and it just disappeared..hummmmmmmmmm
i don't have a lot of time right now..but i will be back and if you want i will type it for you

while you can accept or reject these written meanings..i enjoy them and use them as sometime that i should look at.

later

please please please, give us the raven info
when you have time, otter - they talk to me
here in the desert all the time!
***
i await your post...

Sky,

Please post when you get a chance, don't you get frustrated when that happens? I lose posts all the time. I haven't seen the ravens for awhile, but just about 2 hours ago I had one visit me. They must have heard me talking about them...

I've read that one of their meanings is that they are the keepers of the secrets which I find interesting. As with almost any messenger their sightings can be good or ominous.

Me 3, raven info please.

If I'm writing a long post just before I hit the send button I highlight the text and right click to copy so if it does disappear I just paste it back in :)

I'll start it off until sky comes back with her information.

RAVEN

Ravens are the largest songbird in North America. Raven are often referred to by some indigenous tribes as the 'secret keepers' and are the subject of many stories. Their ebony black color is sometimes associated with darkness. Ravens are very intelligent and are able mimic the sounds other birds and can squawk out some human words. Ravens are found in many different regions and climates.

RAVEN MEDICINE

The raven spirit guide is not chosen by those who seek its wisdom. The raven only comes to those to whom it may speak in private and share its secrets with the knowledge its mysteries will be well guarded by one who already possesses wisdom.

http://www.manataka.org/page236.html#RAVEN

i will try and grab the camera when the ravens speak from
the tall poles and trees around this place...
btw, can someone more knowledgeable tell me the difference between
the crow and the raven? they seem similar.....
thanks in advance

and how about hummingbirds? there are no feeders or flowers
around me here, yet they whizzzzzz right by by head and perch
close by to talk......

remember the gulls who visited me in the camping spot at lake mead?

ever since then, i have become convinced that the winged creatures
offer me signposts and encouragement...

sis, on the other hand, feels an affinity with coyote, the trickster, and
has several shots of them coming to speak to her...

what a lovely story

Here in oz I hear the laughing kookaburra's from my backyard, they use their call/laugh as advertisment for their territory.

"According to an Aboriginal legend, the kookaburra's famous chorus of laughter every morning is a signal for the sky people to light the great fire that illuminates and warms the earth by day.

He who laughs last, laughs longest and in the case of the Kookaburra it's true. For indeed he laughs the last, laughs the longest, and also laughs the loudest.

The sound of the kookaburra is synonymous with Australia and it's been suggested that our style of speech, even our alleged 'accent', is influenced by being exposed to this boisterous bird since birth. Be that as it may, but without the kookaburra our days would surely be tinged with drabness and how would we know that the morning had broken?"

amazing story and video thanks reunite!! imagine hearing that sound ...well for us it would be lovely! a great wakerupper...no need for the morning java

looking forwarding to hearing more sky otter!

I love all animals but have a special appreciation for birds. Here is an amusing video of a Raven having fun:

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/ravens/video-playing-in-the-snow/1552/

ok.. i gathered up some links on the raven..and will type out the medicine card page in a minute

Reunite..you are just too darn smart..thanks for the tip..now all i have to do is remember..lol
and oh do i like your bird...
we have a woodpecker here called the flicker and his call was used in the tarzan movies...
you can just image us kids playing in the woods and hearing it and wondering what jungle animal was there..LOL
i'll try and find a vid for ya..

Hippie..the Raven is supposed to be bigger than a crow from what i have read...we have tons of crows here but
i have never actaually seen a raven so that's something i have read

here are some Raven links and Lighting..i just noticed your from the void.. holy molley to that and what this stuff says
you must have heard the crows for sure

......

The Raven

Ravens have a long history of myth and lore associated with them. In some native tribes they are known as the "keeper of secrets." They hold the teachings of mysticism and magic. Ravens are linked to the void, where universal secrets are stored. Their inky black color is the color associated with darkness. The darkness is a place where unconscious fears live. Raven, a master magician, embodies the energy of transformation and shows us how to eliminate our inner demons.

Ravens are the largest songbirds in North America. They are extremely intelligent and are clever mimics. They incorporate and mimic calls of other species and can teach us how to understand the language of animals. They have also been known to learn some human words.

The raven knows the mystery of life. They have an intimate association with death and rebirth. Because raven would feed on the corpses of the dead hanging on the gallons, early European settlers feared this bird and considered it to be an ill omen. In truth, however, raven should be respected not feared.

There are many stories in native cultures about this illusive black bird. Shamans know the power of an unexpected piercing sound in altering consciousness. Ravens exercise this power, emitting a variety of sounds and can aid us in shifting our consciousness into various dimensional realms. This is one reason why the raven is known as a shape shifter with magical powers. Anyone with raven as a totem can expect continual changes and spiritual awakenings throughout their life.

Raven picks its students according to their accumulated wisdom. It flies into a persons life carrying the energy of magic and healing. If it decides to settle in and take up residence, it will stay as long as necessary to aid you in transmuting your karma then return you to the light. It will push, prod, and lead you into the discovery of your multidimensional self and reunite you with the secrets of the multidimensional universe. Those with this totem should remember to meet raven, not with fear, but rather with an appreciation for the teachings that it holds.

http://www.sayahda.com/cyc4.html



RAVEN



Magic, Healing, Creation
If a raven totem has come into our life,
magic is at play.
Raven activates the energy of magic
and links it to our will and intention.

With this totem, we can make great changes
in our life;
the ability to take the unformed thought
and make it reality.


The raven shows us how to go into the dark
of our inner self and bring out the light of our true self;
resolving inner conflicts which have long been buried.
This is the deepest power of healing we can possess.



http://www.linsdomain.com/totems/pages/raven.htm





Raven Totems
Ravens are the largest songbirds in North America. Their bodies are covered in rich black plumage, which shines with an iridescent bluish color. Though often mistaken with crows, ravens are much larger and their croak is more raucous. Ravens are intelligent masters of mimicking the calls of other animals and have also been known to mimic some human words. They are good at finding food and communicating with other ravens where food is located.

It is their natural talent of recycling, which has gained these birds a bad rap. They do a good job cleaning up nature by eating dead animals. Ravens further recycle by using the same nests year after year, and bringing in new materials for repairs if necessary. These birds build their nest in large trees or the sides of cliffs where they usually lay 4-5 eggs. They don't wander far from where they were raised and will only get a new mate if one of the pair dies.

Ravens are known as the "keeper of secrets" in several native tribes, and are the teachers of mysticism. They have been wrapped in a wealth of myth and lore throughout many cultures and ages. Their black color and diet of dead animals associates them with the vast void of darkness, which is representative of the unconscious.

Raven flies to us with heightened awareness and greater understanding of our consciousness. It is with this new perception that we begin seeing into the hearts of others and experience their feelings. Raven asks us to experience the transformation it brings within our multidimensional self, and be reunited with the mysteries of the universe so we can expel our inner demons.

http://www.animaltotem.com/store.html?wc=73



some fun

http://www.animalspirits.com/



can't copy

http://www.starstuffs.com/animal_totems/dictionary_of_birds.htm

Reunite wrote:

Here in oz I hear the laughing kookaburra's from my backyard, they use their call/laugh as advertisment for their territory.

"According to an Aboriginal legend, the kookaburra's famous chorus of laughter every morning is a signal for the sky people to light the great fire that illuminates and warms the earth by day.

He who laughs last, laughs longest and in the case of the Kookaburra it's true. For indeed he laughs the last, laughs the longest, and also laughs the loudest.

The sound of the kookaburra is synonymous with Australia and it's been suggested that our style of speech, even our alleged 'accent', is influenced by being exposed to this boisterous bird since birth. Be that as it may, but without the kookaburra our days would surely be tinged with drabness and how would we know that the morning had broken?"

I take no one sleeps in, down in Oz!!!!!

sky otter wrote:

There are many stories in native cultures about this illusive black bird. Shamans know the power of an unexpected piercing sound in altering consciousness. Ravens exercise this power, emitting a variety of sounds and can aid us in shifting our consciousness into various dimensional realms. This is one reason why the raven is known as a shape shifter with magical powers. Anyone with raven as a totem can expect continual changes and spiritual awakenings throughout their life.

I hope they don't shape shift into reptiles

micjer wrote:

Reunite wrote:

Here in oz I hear the laughing kookaburra's from my backyard, they use their call/laugh as advertisment for their territory.

"According to an Aboriginal legend, the kookaburra's famous chorus of laughter every morning is a signal for the sky people to light the great fire that illuminates and warms the earth by day.

He who laughs last, laughs longest and in the case of the Kookaburra it's true. For indeed he laughs the last, laughs the longest, and also laughs the loudest.

The sound of the kookaburra is synonymous with Australia and it's been suggested that our style of speech, even our alleged 'accent', is influenced by being exposed to this boisterous bird since birth. Be that as it may, but without the kookaburra our days would surely be tinged with drabness and how would we know that the morning had broken?"

I take no one sleeps in, down in Oz!!!!!

micjer I'm up early every morning so they can 'laugh out loud' or better put to their hearts content

from Medicine Cards book by Jamie Sams and David Carson
interestingly..they have Raven and Crow

Ravin...Magic
Throughtout time, Raven has carried the medicin of magic. This has been true in many cultures across the planet.
It is sacred, in the medicine ways to honor Raven as the bringing of magic. If the magic is bad medicine, the carrier may be honored out of fear rather than out of respect. Those who fear Raven may do so because they have been dabbling in areas in which they had no knowledge, and a spell may have backfired on them.
Rather than analyzing the dark side of sorcery, realize that you will fear Raven only if you need to learn about your inner fears or self-created demons.

Raven magic is powerful medicine that can give you the courage to enter the darkness of the void, which is the home of all that is not yet in form. The void is called the Great Mystery. Great Mystery existed before all other things came into being. Great Spirit lives inside the void and emerged from the Great Mystery. Raven is the messenger of the void.

If Raven appears in your spread, you are about to experience a change in consciousness. This may involve walking inside the Great Mystery on another path at the edge of time. It would portend a signal brought by the Raven that says: "You have earned the right to see and experience a little more of life's magic. Raven's color is the color of the void - the black hole in space that holds all the energy of the creative source.

In Native teachings the color black means many things, but it does not mean evil. Black can mean the seeking of answers, the void, or the road of the spiritual or nonphysical. The blackness of Raven contains an iridescence that speaks of the magic of darkness and a changeability of form and shape that brings an awakening in the process.

Raven is the guardian of ceremonial magic and in absentia healing. in any healing circle, Raven is present. Raven guides the magic of healing and the change in consciousness that will bring about a new reality and dispel "dis-ease" or illness. Raven brings in the new state of wellness from the Void of the Great Mystery and the field of plenty.

If you have chosen Raven, magic is in the air. Do not try to figure it out: you cannot. It is the power of the unknown at work, and something special is about to happen. the deeper mystery, however, is how you will respond to the sparkling synchronicity of this alchemical moment. Will you recognize it and use it as a gift from the Great Spirit? Or will you limit the ppower of the Great Mystery by explaining it away?

Remember, this magic moment came from the void of darkness. and the challenge is to bring it to light. In doing so you will have honored the magician within.

*came back to edit the construction..originally typed in notepad and didn't copy to here well.. i keep getting interrupted..

Thank you sky! Everything you posted makes so much sense to me. It's almost impossible to tell the difference between a large black crow and a raven too. The only way I can distinquish them is when they're flying, the wing span is different.