As a girl, I used to sit in my yard. Sad and alone, I begged the heavens for a sleep over with my cousin. I waited. Then, I asked heaven to give me a sign that my request was in effect, preparing the events leading up to actually having my cousin walk across the street from her house to join me at mine for a slumber party. It was during those times and many others, that a raven would fly overhead and instead of the caw that it usually used in its communication, it said my name. “Al-lee, Al-lee”… I knew that to be the sign and moments later, my cousin came back pack and all from across the street for a night’s stay. Of course, I didn’t hear my name on the the days that the answer had been no.

Ravens have a dark profile as a result of mainstream media painting the raven as a menacing dark messenger associated with vampires, witches and death. Even Edgar Allen Poe had written a dark piece centered on this creature.

“The Game of Thrones” who also featured the three eyed raven, in raven symbolism. What did the three eyed raven mean? One who sees this reality with the physical eyes but beyond the reality with their third eye. Someone who sees only visions predicting darker events in time and the events that led up to them. A true oracle sees not only the event, but past, present and future pieces surrounding it, and while using their psychic eye. Not only tarot cards.

In the darker depictions of this animal, is the raven as dark as it seems? No. The raven is a messenger and for people who have this totem animal, it’s never permanently. They gain its presence during chapters of their life that contain the most trials. The raven isn’t usually a real totem since no one carries the true characteristics of this mysterious bird except an Oracle who will have a few specific animals to accompany the bird. Instead, for the ones in need of a mystical hint… the raven is an animal who appears during times of needed insight. What does this messenger say though?

The raven speaks of:

1. Hidden truth

2. Mysterious events

3. Severe storms

4. Unseen forces

5. Unexpected change

6. Confrontations of fears

7. Dark family secrets

8. Generational spirits and mysteries

9. Isolation and segregation

10. Seeing the truth but only the negative truths

11. Premonition of dreams of dark times

12. Interfamilial relationships

13. Murder or unexpected death

14. Insight beyond most

15. Messages from the supernatural or shadow self.

16. Personality attracted to darker things

The raven has a great deal of mystery associated with it which is why I love this animal spirit. If you see a raven, ask the spiritual world what among those meanings, it’s trying to say.