Of Ravens and Rice Balls

My journey began with a trip to the No Kawa Park. I wanted to walk among the trees, touch, smell, experience...to commune with the life around me. I do not have much druidic or pagan study under my belt at this time, but I trust that the universe, the gods, the akashic field, or what ever label you want to put on it, is capable of teaching me and guiding me. I just knew I had to get out there and listen and watch...and learn in an experiential way.

As I began walking through the park, I greeted the trees that I passed. I touched them. I told them how beautiful they are. I remember picking up some soil and smelling it. A deep full breath...letting the aroma fill my nostrils...that earthy smell. It was beautiful!

I saw how the wind moved along the tops of the trees. I noticed that some trees move differently in the wind than others.

At one point in my walk in the park I was on an elevated walkway of wood. This frustrated me as I wanted to feel the earth under my feet. There was a roped walkway, but I wanted to stray off the path and get lost in the trees. I ached to wander free as I did in my own wood in my hometown on the border of Illinois and Wisconsin.

Soon, I came to a place where I could be on the ground. It was refreshing. The earth feels so much better than pavement. I felt more connected than when I was suspended above on the walkway...being suspended on the walkway was like talking to a love via telephone when all you want to do is hold the object of your affection in your own arms.

I finally found a spot where I could sit with one of the trees. I politely asked the tree for permission  and then sat down with my back against a tree. I took a drink of barley tea. I noticed that there were two ravens there with me. One about 25 feet away in a tree above my left shoulder and another much closer in a tree above and to my right.

I took out a rice ball that I had brought with me and started to eat. I knew that the raven is a totem animal, but I wasn't sure exactly of their meaning. I was also aware that there is no such thing as coincidences. The universe moves with volition.

With this in mind, I threw a piece of my rice ball on the ground about 10 feet away from myself in the direction of the raven to my right. It jumped down from the tree and ate the rice. It stayed on the ground and watched me. The other raven came to the right of me and was watching intently. I threw it my last piece of rice ball to the raven on the ground and thanked both of them for coming to be with me.

They then flew low through the trees and left.

After I got home I looked up ravens on the OBOD website and found this quote: "The raven is seen as a messenger between the two worlds – this and the next – and for this reason we find ravens buried at the bottom of ancient ritual pits, such as at Danebury in Hampshire. These pits or shafts symbolised the connection between this world and the Otherworld, and the raven was seen as a messenger between the two."


I also saw references to Huginn and Munin, Odin's ravens. This is a quote from Wiki: "Scholars have linked Odin's relation to Huginn and Muninn to shamanic practice. John Lindow relates Odin's ability to send his "thought" (Huginn) and "mind" (Muninn) to the trance-state journey of shamans." 


I take this as conformation that I have chosen the right path for me.