This morning Nicola and I ventured out onto the moors to spend a little time talking through our plans for the coming months and enjoyed being surrounded by pairs of crows. We’re not quite sure what the animal spirit message of two crows is, maybe it’s similar to 2 magpies, ‘one for sorrow, two for joy…’. That certainly seems fitting as we are finding this spring to be quite a joyful time for many reasons.

The occasional raven regaled us with a flyby too, an auspicious moment up in our parts! Ravens are quite uncommon on the Anglezarke Moorlands although sightings have begun to increase over the past few years. A trend we’d like to see continue.

As we work with nature in the old ancestral way each of these animal visitations held meaning for us and informed our decision making as we slowly made our way across the frozen landscape.

Descending from the tops, we noticed a flock of crows dancing a few hundred yards ahead of us, feeding and calling in the rough grasses whilst keeping a keen eye on our approach. Used to being hunted as pests as plunderers of pheasant chicks they don’t miss a trick and rise into the sky at the slightest hint of danger.

The Magical White Crow.

This particular flock had a seagull in it’s midst. Or so we thought. As the snow white bird spread its pinions we soon realised that it was that rarest of rare sights – a pure white crow. Amazed, we watched as it soared skywards with it’s brethren, standing out like a jewel against the sultry February sky. Pure white! What are the chances of that!

Occasionally crows can have a few white feathers, a difference which marks them out from their clan and can lead to a solitary life of isolation and exclusion. But a pure white crow is something else. In my life of nature study I’ve only ever seen one before, a loner who lived his days out on a motorway roundabout, scavenging for scraps and keeping away from others of his species.

The message of white crow is not unlike white buffalo. It can be seen as a portent of great change if only we are brave enough to grasp the opportunities afforded to us. White crow energy speaks of the greatest healing and transformation and is the most magical of birds. We did indeed feel blessed to witness this aberration of nature and took great comfort in the words it spoke to us.

However there was an underlying message, one full of truth but not so bright. A message that brought the underside of deep work very much into sight. This beautiful crow was constantly attacked by it’s clan of black. Every time it rose into the air it was struck with claws and screamed at.

Whenever it alighted in a treetop a group of crows landed nearby and taunted it incessantly. Eventually the white crow headed off into the far distance, a motley crew of tormentors never far from its snowy tail feathers. Eventually it may come to terms with it’s destiny and realise that it will never be welcome amongst it’s own kind, would never find a mate to be with for life and will only find solace in its own company.

I love crows, and always will. It would be easy to humanise their actions, labelling them as intolerant bullies or worse. Watching the torment was difficult and there was most definitely lessons in the experience even though it took a while and a certain amount of detachment to find them.

Standing out from the Crowd.

The white crow is a real gift of magical beauty. Spotting a white crow will brighten anyone’s day I’m sure. The glow of light through white wings was breathtaking. Letting go of the play of events, our morning was transformed by the meeting and perhaps there is our message.

Standing out from the crowd brings along a catalog of challenges. If we don’t tow the party line we risk being ostracised, talked about and undermined by those whose buttons we push. Like the white crow, letting our light of authenticity shine can be seen as a threat to our old acquaintances. Suddenly we can feel alone, vulnerable and without a friend in the world.

Like the white crow we may not have a choice in the matter. The desire to stand in our growing truth may burn so hot that we absolutely must follow our intuition and carve our own path through life, not realising that our resolution and individuality help others find their own way too. Like the white crow we must find a way to shrug off the onslaught of criticism, to stand firm in our knowings and be unswayed by the nay-sayers who would at one time have had us burned for our differences!

But we will Not be alone!

Unlike the white crow we will not be alone though. Like-minded souls are not such a rare thing these days. As we reach out and embrace our truth, spreading our white feathers for all to see, we’ll notice other white feathered folk begin to emerge from the masses. Before long we will have a tribe, a clan of white feathered friends, a circle of folk whose very existence gives permission for yet others to question their own way and to find out what they are for.