Meet CROW - one of the animal totems of the Black Phase...
When an animal totem wants to communicate to you, you start to notice them everywhere. Related things come at you. It could be because you then start looking for them – either way the result is the same. This could be called co-incidence, or incidence of everyday magic.
It started with my being given a Crow feather. Then another. Then other things happened. Ridiculous things involving electronic gadgetry and overlapped synchronicities. All Crow related.
When I started to read about Crow medicine (Native American terminology for when the spirit of an animal is called, or calls to you, for aid and repair, for teaching – though the idea of spirit animals is in other traditions too), it catalogued the themes of this project, and I understood why Crow wanted to take part.
So we stole some images of Crow from the Internet so we could build our own electronic one. Crows are known as tricksters and thieves of shiny things, so I think they would like this – even if the rights holders don’t. They had stamped their name on Crow’s wings. We cleaned it off. Who holds rights to Crow? No one, that’s who. Only Crow.
I’ve also borrowed lots of this wisdom about Crow from various websites – but these are linked below, so it’s not stealing - just identifying what is of value to you and using it well, which is one of Crow’s attributes – totemically speaking.
The Crow as a spirit animal is associated like all black creatures, with alchemy. Crow’s colour is symbolic of the onset of creation, of the void – with the pure potential of that which has not yet taken form. They represent utilising sense beyond that of the day lit rational, a commitment to higher knowing (symbolic flight) and an understanding of the realms beyond the ordinary appearance of things. They signal a commitment to magic, to your own transition into something shinier.
Crows are one of the most intelligent animals on the planet. But this on a chart created by humans, who have put themselves at the top. I think Crow would find that very funny.
Crows hang in gangs and operate as a unit, go on missions together. They are pretty daring. Mischievous. Crows are known to build their nests in very tall trees - so they can get a better perspective on things. Crow is also watchful of intruders and predators. They signal to their clan very loudly if they sense danger. They protect each other and anyone they like. They also mate for life, and remain partnered unless they are unable to be fertile together. In which case they are thought to bird divorce.
They are also associated, as a black carrion bird, with a knowledge of death - from a folk tradition that sees them eating raw meat at roadsides - and as harbingers of disaster for hanging around waiting for the next batch. But that's just Crow having lunch. Nothing personal.
If Crow chose you as your power animal, you are encouraged to develop your personal will power and voice. To speak your truth more loudly, to caw - regardless of any adversity you may face. So maybe I am mad to write about Crows on a website that seems to be about fashion somehow, but kind of isn’t. But maybe I am just receiving, very gratefully, Crow medicine.
(By the way, I tried to find a Crow Preservation Society to donate to – by way of thanks for borrowing Crow’s image and energy. There isn't one, except for the human Crow clan who also celebrate their feathered brethren. I loathe when companies borrow animal logos and use cute animations to illustrate and sell their USP when likely their corporate practices are eating up the world, destroying habitats and engendering the genecide of species. I fear we will all end up living like Philip K Dick predicted in Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep? with only genetically reverse-engineered bio copies of extinct creatures as pets, and cute cartoon logos for company. Let’s prevent that happening. Let our electronic Crow serve as notice.)
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