The Magic Of Crows and Ravens

Although crows and ravens are part of the same family (Corvus), they’re not exactly the same bird. Typically, ravens are quite a bit bigger than crows, and they tend to be a bit shaggier looking. The raven actually has more in common with hawks and other predatory birds than the standard, smaller-sized crow. In addition, although both birds have an impressive repertoire of calls and noises they make, the raven’s call is usually a bit deeper and more guttural sounding than that of the crow.
 
Both crows and ravens have appeared in a number of different mythologies throughout the ages. In some cases these black-feathered birds are considered an omen of bad tidings, but in others they may represent a message from the Divine. Here is some fascinating crow and raven folklore to ponder:
 
In Celtic mythology, the warrior goddess known as the Morrighan often appears in the form of a crow or raven, or is seen accompanied by a group of them. Typically, these birds appear in groups of three, and they are seen as a sign that the Morrighan is watching – or possibly getting ready to pay someone a visit.
 
In some tales of the Welsh myth cycle, the Mabinogion, the raven is a harbinger of death. Witches and sorcerers were believed to have the ability to transform themselves into ravens and fly away, thus enabling them to evade capture.
 
Crows sometimes appear as a method of divination. For the ancient Greeks, the crow was a symbol of Apollo in his role as god of prophecy. Augury – divination using birds – was popular among both the Greeks and the Romans, and augurs interpreted messages based on not only the color of a bird, but the direction from which it flew. A crow flying in from the east or south was considered favorable.
 
The Native Americans often saw the raven as a trickster, much like Coyote. There are a number of tales regarding the mischief of Raven, who is sometimes seen as a symbol of transformation. In the legends of various tribes, Raven is typically associated with everything from the creation of the world to the gift of sunlight to mankind. Some tribes knew the raven as a stealer of souls.
 
For those who follow the Norse pantheon, Odin is often represented by the raven – usually a pair of them. Early artwork depicts him as being accompanied by two black birds, who are described in the Eddas as Huginn and Muinnin. Their names translate to “thought” and “memory”, and their job is to serve as Odin’s spies, bringing him news each night from the land of men.
 
In parts of the Appalachian mountains, a low-flying group of crows means that illness is coming – but if a crow flies over a house and calls three times, that means an impending death in the family. If the crows call in the morning before the other birds get a chance to sing, it’s going to rain. Despite their role as messengers of doom and gloom, it’s bad luck to kill a crow. If you accidentally do so, you’re supposed to bury it – and be sure to wear black when you do!
 
Even within the Christian religion, ravens hold a special significance. While they are referred to as “unclean” within the Bible, Genesis tells us that after the flood waters receded, the raven was the first bird Noah sent out from the ark to find land. Also, in the Hebrew Talmud, ravens are credited with teaching mankind how to deal with death; when Cain slew Abel, a raven showed Adam and Eve how to bury the body, because they had never done so before.

via about.com

Horse Magic, Folklore and Legends

The Magic of the Horse:

Over the course of time, many animals have developed a great deal of magical symbolism. The horse in particular has been found in folklore and legend in a variety of cultures – from the horse gods of the Celtic lands to the pale horse found in Biblical prophecy, the horse features prominently in many myths and legends. How can you capture the magical energy of horses, and incorporate it into your magical workings?

A Celtic Goddess:

Epona was a goddess of horses honored by the Celtic tribe known as the Gauls. Interestingly, she was one of the few Celtic deities who were celebrated by the Romans, and they celebrate her in an annual festival every December 18. The Festival of Epona was a time when worshipers paid tribute to horses, erecting shrines and altars in their stables, and sacrificing animals in Epona’s name. Scholars say that the reason Epona was adopted by Romans was because of their military’s love of the horse. Roman cavalry members honored her with temples of her own.

Legend holds that Epona was born to a white mare who was impregnated by a man who didn’t much like women. According to Plutach, Fulvius Stella “loathed the company of women”, and so decided to focus his desire on the mare instead. Although this story of Epona’s birth is the popular one, it is a very unusual beginning for a Celtic deity.

In many sculptures, Epona is represented by symbols of fertility and abundance, such as cornucopias, along with young foals. She is typically portrayed either riding, usually side-saddle, or taming a wild horse. Many households, particularly those who kept horses or donkeys, had statues of Epona on their household shrines. Epona is venerated in other areas; the Welsh Rhiannon is an adaptation of Epona’s role as goddess of the horse.

The Magical Horse of Odin:

In Norse mythology, Odin, the father of all gods, rides on an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir. This powerful and magical creature appears in both the Poetic and Prose Eddas. Images of Sleipnir have been found on stone carvings dating back as far as the eighth century. Many scholars believe that Sleipnir, with his eight legs instead of the usual four, is representative of the shamanic journey, which implies that this horse’s origins may go far back into Proto-Indo-European religion.

Horses in Divination:

In Old Norse Religion in Long-Term Perspectives, authors Anders Andrén, Kristina Jennbert, and Catharina Raudvere tell of the use of the horse as a divinatory tool by early Western Slavic tribes. This method, called hippomancy, involved the breeding of sacred horses to be used as oracles. Divination was performed when a horse walked over two spears placed in the ground in front of a temple. The pattern in which the horse stepped over the spears – including whether or not a hoof touched the spears – all helped the shamans determine the outcome of the matter at hand.

Sometimes, a horse is representative of doom and despair. Death is one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and each of the four rides a different colored horse. In the Book of Revelations, Death arrives on a pale horse: “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given to them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

Interestingly, this Death image is repeated in the Tarot, as the Death card is typically portrayed as arriving on the back of a pale horse. However, it’s important to remember that this card doesn’t actually mean physical death – instead, it’s symbolic of transformation and rebirth. In that context, one might almost look at the horse as a guide on the journey to a new beginning. If horses are magical, and can walk or fly between the worlds, perhaps the horse’s presence indicates a recognition that this change is not just material or physical, but that it goes all the way into our soul.

Horses and Fertility Magic:

During the Beltane season, there are Hobby Horse celebrations in many parts of the United Kingdom and Europe. Beltane is a time of lust and sex and fertility, and few symbols are as representative of this as the hobby horse. In England, the hobby horse tradition goes back to the island’s early Pagan roots, as the hobby horse welcomes in the fertility season. These festivals are tied to early pre-Christian fertility rituals, as the horse symbolizes the masculine energy of the season.

Horses and Protection Magic

Hang an iron horseshoe, open end facing down, to keep evil spirits out of your home. A horseshoe found along the side of a road was particularly powerful, and was known to provide protection against disease.
In addition to the horse’s shoe, the skull of a horse is often found in folk magic. In some countries, it is believed that the horse is able to detect malevolent spirits, so keeping a skull around once your horse has died makes sense. Horse skulls have been found under hearthstones and doorways in several locations in England and Wales. In fact, in Elsdon, Rothbury, an interesting discovery was made in 1877 during the renovation of the town church. According to the town’s official website, “When the church was being repaired in 1877 three horses’ skulls were discovered in a small cavity just above the bells. Possibly placed there as a pagan protection against lightning or to improve the acoustics or even as an act of sanctification they are now in a case in the church.”
In his work Teutonic Mythology, Jacob Grimm explains some of the magic behind the head of a horse. He relays the tale of a Scandinavian bard who was banished from the kingdom by King Eirek and Queen Gunhilda. As revenge, he created what was called a nithing-post, designed to put a curse upon an enemy. He placed a stake in the ground, stuck a horse’s head on it, and turned it to face into the kingdom, sending a hex to Eirek and Gunhilda. This apparently wasn’t a new idea, even at that time. According to folklorist Robert Means Lawrence, in his work The Magic of the Horse Shoe, the “Roman general Caecina Severus reached the scene of Varus's defeat by the German tribes under their chieftain Arminius, in the year 9 A.D., near the river Weser, he saw numbers of horses' heads fastened to the trunks of trees. These were the heads of Roman horses which the Germans had sacrificed to their gods.”


-The Crafty Witch

Merry Christmas / The Legend of Frau Holle

In some Scandinavian traditions, Frau Holle is known as the feminine spirit of the woods and plants, and was honored as the sacred embodiment of the earth and land itself. She is associated with many of the evergreen plants that appear during the Yule season, especially mistletoe and holly, and is sometimes seen as an aspect of Frigga, wife of Odin. In this theme, she is associated with fertility and rebirth. Typically, she is seen as a goddess of hearth and home, although in different areas she has clearly different purposes.

Interestingly, Frau Holle is mentioned in the story of Goldmary and Pitchmary, as compiled by the Grimm brothers. In this context -- that of a Germanic Cinderella-type tale -- she appears as an old woman who rewards an industrious girl with gold, and offers the girl's lazy sister an equally appropriate compensation. Legends in some parts of Germany portray her as a toothless hag who appears in the winter, much like the Cailleach of Scotland.

In the Norse Eddas, she is described as Hlodyn, and she gives gifts to women at the time of the Winter Solstice, or Jul. She is sometimes associated with winter snowfall as well -- it is said that when Frau Holle shakes out her mattresses, white feathers fall to the earth. A feast is held in her honor each winter by many people in the Germanic countries.

From my family to yours, Merry Christmas everyone!

-The Crafty Witch