I just got back from a jog around the neighborhood. I ran out to College Ave. and just after I'd turned around and was heading home a crow flew in front of me, cawing lustily, and up onto the telephone wires. I kept running, and after I'd gone just a few steps, the crow flew down from its perch, still cawing, to a tree branch ahead of me. We leapfrogged like this for a block. I turned a corner into a pedestrian walkway between blocks, and stopped when the crow followed me, still cawing down at me from a pine tree.
I looked up at the crow, trying to understand what was going on in its head, but it just kept cawing, glancing down at me occasionally, and flying from branch to branch every so often. Another crow flew up, silent as the first was loud, and took in the scene. When that one flew off after a minute, I decided to keep running.
The first crow followed me through the walkway, across and down the street, and around the corner, still cawing. When I got to the Highway 24 overpass, the crow stopped atop a lightpole, silent for the first time in ten minutes. I kept running, thinking of the old superstition that ill-intentioned spirits would be unable to follow over running water. I don't know what the crow's intentions were, but it sure did raise the hairs on the back of my neck.
I looked up at the crow, trying to understand what was going on in its head, but it just kept cawing, glancing down at me occasionally, and flying from branch to branch every so often. Another crow flew up, silent as the first was loud, and took in the scene. When that one flew off after a minute, I decided to keep running.
The first crow followed me through the walkway, across and down the street, and around the corner, still cawing. When I got to the Highway 24 overpass, the crow stopped atop a lightpole, silent for the first time in ten minutes. I kept running, thinking of the old superstition that ill-intentioned spirits would be unable to follow over running water. I don't know what the crow's intentions were, but it sure did raise the hairs on the back of my neck.
Comments
Leon has a book, Animal Spirits, or something like that, which you might want to look at. It lists all kinds of animals and meanings behind their visits. I don't know the specific Native American tradition the book comes from, unfortunately. But it might be helpful in interpreting what this crow (or raven?) might've been trying to tell you.