Crow Divination

[WynnJera]

Crow Divination

Copyright © by William L Cassidy.

It is possible to foretell coming events through careful attention to the cries and behavior of crows. As we may see, the practice of divining from bird calls, properly called auspicy in the English language, appears to originate in China. Yet, as narrowly concerned with crows, it would seem the practice is an Indo-Tibetan invention with symbiotic relationship to Chinese methods.
The first written record of which I am aware is found in the middle sixth century, in the Brihat Samhita by Varahamihira. In the early ninth century we find a Sanskrit text entitled Kakajarita translated by the pandit Danacila into the Tibetan language as Bya-rog-gi skad brtag-par bya-ba, or "Investigating the Cries of Crows." Through incorporation of this translation into the Tibetan Tanjur, or Buddhist canon, crow auspicy became an established means of divination in Tibet.
1. Crows are of varying distinction and intelligence, therefore notice must be taken of the varying classes of crows.
2. Crows respond to events with characteristic behavioral patterns, therefore by noting the character of the response one may learn the character of the event.
3. Crow behavior and response differs according to time of day.
4. The angle of direction between the observer and the crow has significance.
The general predictions governing crow calls are given as follows, categorized by the time of day and the direction in which the call is observed.

First Watch
6:00 am - 9:00 am
East: Wishes will be fulfilled
Southeast: An enemy will approach
South: A friend will visit
Southwest: Unexpected profit will accrue
West: Great wind will rise
Northwest: A stranger will appear
North: Scattered property will be found
Northeast: A woman will come
Zenith: A demon will appear

Second Watch
9:00 am - 12:00 pm
East Near relatives will come
South Flowers and areca-nuts obtained
Southwest Numerous offspring
West You will set out on a distant journey
Northwest One king replaced by another
North Good news will be received
Northeast Disorder breaks out
Zenith Fulfillment of your wishes

Third Watch
12:00 pm - 3:00 pm
East: You will obtain property
Southeast: A battle will arise
South: A storm will come
Southwest: An enemy will come
West: A woman will come
Northwest: A relative will come
North: A good friend will come
Northeast: A conflagration breaks out
Zenith: You will gain profit by being taken care of by the king

Fourth Watch
3:00 pm - 6:00 pm
East: Great fear predicted
Southeast: Great gain coming
South: A stranger will come
Southwest: A storm will rise in seven days
West: Rain and wind will come
Northwest: Scattered property found
North: A king will appear
Northeast: You will obtain rank
Zenith: Hunger predicted

Sunset
East An enemy appears on the road
Southeast A treasure will come to you
South You will die of disease
Southwest The wishes of one's heart fulfilled
West Relatives will come
Northwest Obtaining property predicted
North Homage will be done to the king
Zenith You will obtain advantage you hoped for

General Observations
Crow on right: good journey
Crow behind: you obtain siddhi
A crow flapping his wings, calls: great accident
Crow pulls human hair: death
Crow eats dirty food: food and drink about to come
Crow on thornbush: enemy
Crow on milksap tree: milkrice to you
Crow on withered tree: no food and drink
Crow on palace: excellent halting place
Crow on divan: enemy will come
Crow facing door: peril at frontier
Crow pulling dress: dress to you
Crow on skull: death
Crow with red thread on house: fire

*marked for edit by copyrightpolice, February 26*

[Silver Venus]

Ive always been curious as to why crows do what they do :) When I drive out to the moors here you see loads, either side of the car on the road, flying flapping, calling its incredible! They are very mysterious creatures I think :)
Thanks for sharing all this Wynn :)

[Hope]

Thanks for sharing this, my aunt had something similar and I haven't seen it for a long time.

love
hope

[Mnemosyne]

Thanks for teaching me something new, WynnJera. I always wanted to know something about crow divination, particulary after studying Roman history. I remember that the Roman augurs would use crow divination to help the the government make important decisions.

[Mnemosyne]

Does anyone know anything more about crow divination? I am just wondering, since crow divination has been on my mind lately. For example, is there a significance to the number of crows that you see. Yesterday, I was at a very spirtual setting. At this place, I saw three crows on the rocks. These crows really drew my attention. In order to leave this location, I had to walk a short distance. Right before I was about to leave, I saw three crows on a fence. These were a different set of crows. I just found all this interesting, since I normally see other types of birds, not crows. Also, I kept seeing the birds in groups of three.

[Mithrea]

I've been wondering about this myself. The other day, my Mom was telling me that she saw three crows in tree in her front yard (which is really unusual). What was stranger was that she described them as being almost two feet tall which I have seen around here but up at my house in the woods not down in the city.

Reading this thread I was realizing that I don't know that I've ever not seen crows in groups of threes. So I looked into and found this website:

http://www.threes.com/nature_book.html

This is what it says: "Crows often mate in threes, a breeding pair and a "helper" third. The "helper" third can be male or female but is typically female"

Then this site was just plain helpful: http://www.crows.net/index.html

Then this looks possibly promising but I can't download to this computer: www.ou.edu/class/behavior/2001_MidTerm_3.doc The bit on google says something about a nonreproductive third that provides "alloparental care."

[Flar's Freyja]

:wave: There you are, Wynn Jera! I was wondering if you were still with us, good to see you.....

Thanks so much for posting this. I had a pretty profound experience with the crows last year but didn't have all of this info. I got my information from a Native American spiritualist friiend who helped me figure it out. Briefly, crows were appearing and cawing at me at work and in work-related places, and never outside of those settings. I was struggling with career issues at the time. The last one I saw and the last cawing I heard was in the parking lot of the building when I was loading up my car with the rest of my belongings on the day that I resigned.

I think that Rick has an interesting story to share also......

[Rick]

Hehehe... what makes you say that? :rolleyes:

A week or so ago, I saw some crows on the peak of a roof... one of them was literally pushing some of the others off one end, 'til there were two left, the 'pushy' one, & one on the other end of the roof, nearest me... the pushy one flew away, & the one near me began to preen... it stopped, looked directly at me, then plucked out a feather & made a motion as if throwing it at me... needless to say, I have the feather... :D

Don't know what it meant, but it was really cool... :cool:

[Flar's Freyja]

Originally posted by Rick
Hehehe... what makes you say that? :rolleyes:


A lil birdie told me, of course ;)

[burn_my_lovely]

This seems more like someone watching crows for a VERY long time and just studied their behavior. Still, very interesting. I think I'll do a little more research myself.. ya never know.

[Mnemosyne]

Aggh, crows are still on my mind. I was just reading posts about the Morrigan, the crow goddess. Also, the other day, I looked out my window and thought that I saw a crow sitting on the ground in my background. When I went outside a few seconds later, there was no crow in sight. That incident led me to thinking about crow augury and what does it mean when crows are seen in numbers of one, two, three, four, five....etc. I still have not found anything. :( Nevertheless, I did come across this interesting site. On the site, it has the information that Wynn Jera gave us at the top of the thread. Also, it has some interesting information on the color of birds' feathers. I'll have to look out for feathers now, but I see them so seldom

http://www.jaguarmoon.org/public/Correspond/Feather.html

[Silver Venus]

Heres an interesting page about the symnbolism of the crow in all traditions and religions
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/3030/crow2.html

[kcrys]

greetings everyone :) ...first post to this particular board...

I just wanted to mention that I have always had a fasination with crows for as long as I can remember. In the past several years I have had one, sometimes a few different ones, follow me where ever I go. There was a time when I was going to classes where one would perch on a tree by the bus stop where I had to catch the bus, then it would follow the bus as it did it's route...perching on a tree nearby when the bus stopped. When I got to my destination, the crow would sit on top of the largest building across the street from the place I was going to and would terrorize the pigeons if there were any there.

Now everywhere I go there is always one around. Sometimes they see me and fly away, or they just look at me and start cawing, and sometimes they would even follow me down the street flying and perching on a couple buildings ahead of me until I got inline with them and then would go to the next set of buildings.

writing the above I just got a memory of another time where I was walking to school (private college) and I would have two of them taking turns diving at me, coming within a foot of my head. This went on for a few blocks and then they would fly back to where they started diving at me. This went on for a few weeks. That was the only time I have had that happen.


just thought I would share that with you all... and see if you have any ideas to add to my own thoughts...

Layde Kcrys

[Silver Venus]

Merry Meet Kcrys :wave:
Wow all those crows around you must be pretty important. Do you feel that the Crow may be your spirit guide animal? and may be wanting to teach you somthing?

[kcrys]

Thanxs Silver Venus and ditto right back at ya :)

Yea I figured that the crow is my animal spirit/totem, don't know what else they could be! *laugh*


Layde Kcrys

[Mnemosyne]

You have so many interesting crow stories, Kcrys. When I was reading your stories about crows, I got this Snow White impression of you; you know how Snow White always had the animals follow here? :) I agree with Silver Venus that the crow must be your spirit animal. In my opinion, the crow is a protecting animal. Do you know that there are goddesses associated with the crow? Perhaps you have a crow goddess such as the Morrigan watching over you.

Thanks for the above link, Silver Venus. The site discussed the crow's symbolism in various cultures. I particularly liked that it gave the negative as well as the positive thoughts associated with the crow. After reading the positive stories, I don't think of the animal as such a dark animal.

[Flar's Freyja]

Thanks from me too......someone gifted me with crow feathers this weekend........

[Mnemosyne]

Neat Freyja, I have never thought about the importance of feathers until I found some feather symbolism site last week. Actually, I always found peacock feathers to be quite pretty. Hey Freyja, I just found this site. It discusses the luck associated with crow feathers. Are you going on a trip soon? The site says that crow feathers are good luck in travelling.

http://members.aol.com/ivycleartoes/birds.html

[kcrys]

A friend gave me some crow feathers she found in her yard one day during the past spring season. Both myself and another gal of a group were with here in my town divided them up between us. We both have a facination of crows.

Hmm.. you know I never thought about that. About the crow representing on of the crow goddesses. Interesting, am going to have to give some thought on that. Thanxs for the suggestion!

Layde Kcrys

[Silver Venus]

Mnemosyne, that is so interesting about the Crow goddess Morrigan ~ she has always represented a mother goddess to me, a protector.

Thanks for the link too :)
I can remember my grandma always saying that birds where her guides and never understood what she meant until I developed my spirituality some years later (she went into spirit when I was 10).. she used to speak of Cranes just before her death, and from that link you have just brought back lots of lovely memories of her. Thank you.

[Silver Venus]

I also just though of another thread we have here discussing power/spirit/guide/totem animals ~ please visit it if you havent already :)
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?threadid=13509&perpage=15&pagenumber=1

and a link I posted http://www.rainbowcrystal.com/power/powerdef.html
which says this about the Crow ~

Crow - Sacred Law Crow teaches us to know ourselves beyond the limitations of one-dimensional thinking and laws. This animal teaches to appreciate the many dimensions both of reality and ourselves, and to learn to trust our intuition and personal integrity.

& for more on the crow on this site
http://www.rainbowcrystal.com/power/poweranimals/crow.html

[kcrys]

Thanxs for the links Silver Venus.. you know that decription really described me and what was going on in my life when the crows first started coming around... interesting...

[Silver Venus]

:) so maybe they are a constant reminder of your spiritual self

[Mnemosyne]

I love animals. I never gave much thought to why certain animals come into our lives during specific periods of time though. From your last post, kcrys, it sounds like crows came into your life at a special time. Hey, kcrys, here are some other links going on about crows.

If you check out this link, it discusses crow goddesses, particuarly the Morrigan.
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18312

Also, this thread. This thread is mainly about ravens; however, crows are being discussed here also.

http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18517

So interesting, that so many members are drawn to crows (and ravens) at this moment.

[kcrys]

Thanxs for those links...very interesting...

And yes they did come in at a special time in my life. I was questioning everything that was going on in my life, and I guess someone was listening and was looking out for me. And still is...

Layde Kcrys

[Silver Venus]

Thanks for the links too :) Im hopping over there now to learn more

[Flar's Freyja]

Very interesting experience last night. I came out of a grocery store and heard a VERY loud cawing. I looked up and saw a large crow sitting on top of a light pole. I said "What's Up?" :T and the crow began cawing in a very soft way that I've never noticed them to do before. It was almost like a barking. It continued to do this until I left the parking lot.

The only other experience that I have had with this totem was job-related, and I am struggling with job issues now. I asked a friend about this and he also believes that it is related, but I have no idea what it might mean. Anyone have any ideas?

[Flar's Freyja]

:wave: Anybody?

[Arzhela]

I've got something that might help you, Freyja. In the Sibley Guide to Birds I found that there are three main types of (adult) crow calls: the harsh cawing (the kind that calls them to drive away an owl from the nesting areas and wakes us all up at 3AM) and a "tatatato" ("a rapid, hollow rattle") and then lastly a "soft call 'prrrk'"

Then, http://www.ctaudubon.org/Nature/crow.htm says that the rattling notes that sound somewhat like a woodpecker pecking (I assume this is Sibley's "tatatato," and I think it might be your barking, too) have been suggested to be "self-assertive call[s] made by birds near their mate or roost."
Apply that to the issues at hand as you will. You'd probably be the best one to interpret that.

Also, http://www.crows.net/index.html seems to have a ton of info on crow language, though it seems to be mostly pictures of crow call sound waves...
Does that clear things up at all? :D

[Mnemosyne]

Thanks for the info, Arzhela. Crows still to be a mystery to me, but each little bit of info helps me understand them a tad more. :)

I don't know about your crow story, Freyja. I believe that we can generalize the animals' power and how they affect our lives. However, do you possibly think that the animal affects each of us in a different way. For example, some of us have positive experiences with crows, particularly if they are a part of divine symbolism. For me though, the crow seems to prophesize bad omens. Every time that I see one, something confusing happens in my life. Fortunately, I seldom see them.

[Arzhela]

Crows tend to come to me before bad things, too. Nothing really horrible, just sort of "fuel up your inner resources, because you're going to need them within the next couple of days." Actually, you probably have the better word: "confusing." Before something confusing havppens. Don't know why that's so, but it seems to be true for me. I had crows there literally whenever I turned around for a whole weekend and it was definitely a confusing weekend. I wonder if crows have some connection with confusion, chaos, and/or inner growth/strength...

[Flar's Freyja]

Thanks to both of you, and I found this awesome site!

http://www.urday.com/birds.htm

Check it out, it even has info on the meaning of crow encounters during the different moon cycles and even from which direction.

There's too much in there to copy here! This is helpful, though ~ I believe that the tone I heard was the Koi-Koi:

Omens

Cawing in "Kekan- kekan" tone, the crow informs about the arrival of some clear om.
Calling in "Koi-koi" tone, the crow hints at some benefit.
If a crow calls in "Kren-kren", the listener will meet a beautiful woman.
"Kun-kun" tone shows special benefit, while long drawn call indicates death.
"Kolo-kolo" call indicates a fall in the price of cereals.
"Kah-kah" call shows help from the ruler.
With "Kan-Kan" call crow indicates beneficial coincidence.
If a crow calls in "Koin-Koin" tone it hints at he death of the ruler.
If the crow calls in "Kron-Kron" tone, the listener gets the blessing of decreased omens in his dreams.
"Kekan Kekan" calls of a crow causes panic in the city.
If "Kul-Kul" or "Kuloo-Kuloo" or "Kul-Kuloo" call is heard then the listener0 gets new clothes.
"Krunnt-Krunnt" calls of the crow indicate a promotion.

Thus different types of tones can be heard in the call of the crow the result of these calls are also different. That the crow is indeed a reliable forecaster. Thus the fact can not be doubted.

[morgainne]

I have an interesting crow story,

When my aunt died several years ago,she was only 38,(way too young to leave this world) the whole family gathered at her house and we noticed a crow perched on the peak of the roof above the front door the night that she died. The crow stayed around untill the day after her funeral, and actually interacted with us. It landed on shoulders, walked around her garden with us....WALKED not flew, tried to take a drink from a glass someone was holding, flew at her ex husbands head....we all thought that quite funny....and generally made it's presence known to us. The general concensus in the family was that it was Suzies spirit gone into the crow and she was telling us that she was ok on the other side(which I found quite enlightened for a mostly christian family). I don't know the true reason for this appearance but I can say I found it quite comforting.
What do you all think?

[Flar's Freyja]

I would have to agree with your perception of the incident. My mother loved cardinals, and one seems to visit me every time I need support or encouragement. I'm convinced that she sends them to tell me that she's still with me :)

[Mnemosyne]

Oh those are nice stories, Freyja and Morgainne. I also believe that birds can be seen as messengers and have connections to spirits.

I found this interesting site about the symbolism of birds.
http://www.mystical-www.co.uk/birds.htm

I have looked on the web; there really isn't much on ornithomancy. :(