Raven; Bringer of Light & Truth

In magical circles a 'Spirit' Raven has been seen perched on my left shoulder. Raven is therefore my own animal totem. A totem animal chooses you; you do not choose it.

The Raven, with its glistening purple-black plumage, large size and apparent intelligence has inspired man from ancient times. He is regarded as an omen of both good fortune and bad, carrying the medicine of magic. Europeans often associated the Raven with war, death and departed spirits.

But the Raven has not always been associated with death, spirits and darkness. Quite the contrary, the Raven was believed by some to be the bringer of light, truth and goodness. It is the brighter side of the Raven, this intelligence and ingenuity, an ability to use cunning – this association with light, illumination, truth and goodness, that we bring forth here.

The ancient Greeks included a Raven in their mythology. They used the terms for “crow” and “raven” interchangeably and in their stories, Corvus, the Crow, is allied with Apollo. It is Apollo whose chariot provides daily passage across the sky for the sun and it is under Apollo’s influence that life was illuminated by truth and excellence. Perhaps it is this association with illumination that made prophecy one of Apollo’s most important attributes.

Corvus was a servant to, and messenger for, Apollo. It was through the Raven that Apollo made known his prophecies. The Raven was Apollo’s “talisman.” Perhaps some part of the “mystery” surrounding the Raven may be associated with the enigmatic prophecies of the oracle at Delphi. Poe may be referencing this “enigmatic” association when he perches his raven upon the bust of Pallas (Athena). Whatever the case, it was through Apollo, accompanied by Corvus, that the will of Zeus was revealed to the believers of that time. Apollo made use of Corvus in averting evil as well. In one tale, Apollo takes the form of a Raven “to battle the Titans when the Olympian gods are contending for jurisdiction over the world.”1

Apollo does not provide the raven’s only association with light. Native Americans of the Northwest Among his many feats, he stole the moon and sun from the Sky Chief and put them in the sky for the benefit of mankind, brought humans the first berries and salmon, and (according to several traditions) called the first humans up from the earth, or discovered the first human babies within a clamshell. Raven was perpetually hounded by the trickster-god, Coyote. Raven is known by many names, including He'mask.as (Bella Bella tradition), Txamsem or We-gyet (Tsimshian), Nankil'slas (Haida), Yehl (Tlingit), and Kwekwaxa'we (Kwakiutl). This heroic view of the Raven crosses the Bering Strait into Asia as well.

The raven has a close affinity with the supernatural world and to the Celtic goddesses. The Badb, Nemain (sometimes Macha) and the Morrígan both possess the ability to appear as one of three entities and shave-shift into ravens.

Ravens are birds of omen, in Druid augury, who predict the future by studying the flight of the birds. The raven is also believed to be an oracular bird, and a bearer of messages from the Otherworld.

In magical circles a 'Spirit' Raven has been seen perched on my left shoulder. Raven is therefore my own animal totem. A totem animal chooses you; you do not choose it. Raven is the magic of ceremonial magic and absent healing. Raven guides the magic of healing and the change in consciousness which will bring about a new reality & dispel illness.