Shamanism and Your Shadow by Granddaughter Crow

Author:Granddaughter Crow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: shadow work;shadow self;trauma;healing your shadow;animal guides;spirit guides;shamanistic practices;personal healing;healing trauma;healing personal trauma;animal totem;animal symbols;CVR05202024
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2024-12-18T16:18:30+00:00

Raven Animal Totem

There are many myths, legends, and lore about the spirit of the raven. In this section, we will cover a variety of attributes of ravens in order to connect to their energy. The first way to do this is to recognize basic attributes based on the raven’s characteristics and how it moves in the world. Feel free to add any personal or experienced insights that you have to this description.

First, the raven is a bird that takes flight and has the ability to see the world from a bird’s-eye view; hence, it sees the bigger picture. As the raven takes flight with the element of air, it aligns with the mental realm. Ravens are known to be highly intelligent: they have the ability to put puzzles together and to work with tools. Crows and ravens, which come from the corvid family as well as rooks, magpies, jays, and other powerful birds, are highly intelligent. Corvids have self-awareness. This was discovered when scientists gave these birds a mirror test.14 Corvids have the ability to understand when they are looking at their own reflection versus another bird. Most animals are not able to distinguish their own reflection; they believe they are looking at another animal. This awareness is very important when it comes to locating and recognizing the shadow.

The raven is the largest of the corvid family, which provides it with great presence and strength. Looking at the jet black yet iridescent color of the raven’s feathers, one can infer that this bird is not afraid to go into the darkness or the unknown. As ravens are the color of darkness, they can navigate the darkness of the void, or the unknown/unseen aspects of self. Their flight takes us outside of our current mental state and allows us to experience other aspects of our consciousness that are not always recognized. It is the raven’s keen insight that helps us take the first step toward recognizing the shadow.

Ravens are known to be taboo within many cultures, just as it is with the shadow. This is not only because of the bird’s coloring, but because they are carrion birds, which are birds that are known for their ability to consume decaying flesh. As strange as this may sound, in short, they love to recycle and consume what other animals will not touch. This is one of their attributes: the ability to transport the deceased or the fallen heroes to the next realm through death. This includes the death or passing of an old understanding of self in order to move to the next realm within the spiritual journey: the realm of wholeness. The ravens are perched on the pyre to assist in this transformation.

Keeping in mind that the spirit of the raven is taboo to many traditional Navajo people, I will share a story from outside of the Navajo Way out of respect for my tribal elders. Within the Norse lore, there are two main ravens: Hugin and Munin. These two ravens sit on the shoulders of Odin, the All-father.

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