OccultForum.org

Original post: wings

I find them to be rather interesting, but hard to make note of. How can you tell, when what you see is really an omen? Or is it just one of those things that you will know when you see it, and you'll understand it without a second thought? Also would other things tie into it? as in place, weather and so on, would that have an..affect on the meaning of the omen? What about having two at the same time, could they possibly be put together to tell you something?

Normally I'm not the type of person whom pays attention so much to those sort of things that involve nature. I've been more inclined into reading into people themselves and trying to see what someone else normally cant, and just recently did I decide to pay more attention to a dream.

Anyway, I donâ??t have to good of an understanding of omens, signs and what not. I find it difficult to really see what it is. But I happened to take notice of something, now I dont know if it means anything or nothing at all.

I was up in Washington, My mom and I decided to go to one of the national parks on a sudden whim. It wasnâ??t in the plan to stop there but she decided too, and on the way in one of the last things sort of toward the back was the abstained flow, we stopped to see it, but being in the health my mom is she couldnâ??t hick up to it, well up the stairs and then up the trail through it I guess. So I ended up going by myself, now once your up on it all you have is rocks and glass, besides the scenery of the mountains and what not in the distance. But for the most part its just the rocks. Now walking around I came across small flowers, which I didnâ??t think it was to weird but.. they where the only ones growing that I saw. So what right?

Well I went all the way to where the trail would end, being I was in flip-flops and wouldnâ??t dare explore further haha. Yeah, not all that smart. But as I was on my way down I had a butterfly fly up in my face, of course instinctively I just ignored it, but it was like it wouldnâ??t leave me alone because it fly around me, in front of me and then to my side. Then as I rounded a corner of rocks it was gone.

Now I can put something together between the two to give it some meaning, but I'm not sure if it would be a false meaning, how can you tell?

Original post: Naomi Chan

It is all the same...everything around you speaks to you...constantly....there is no part of the universe that is not perfectly ordered even in its infinite complexity. That you notice it is a wonder at all.

You're probably not normal. Isn't that nice?


Start looking for them, instead of just waiting for them. Read the signs. That's witchcraft.

Original post: wings

I understand that its constantly speaking, but I also know the majority of the world has lost touch with that ability to understand, or even just listen to whats being said. I know at some point in my life when I lost touch with myself, I lost that as well. But coming to that realization has reopened those doors once again, but stepping past them is the task.

Though, to find something that has been lost, you have to see that its gone in order to find it.

As for being normal..
Theres really no fun in that.

Original post: Ninety-Three

93

Omens are, in my opinion, the most unreliable, yet at the same time, the most profound methods of divination. I find that they are some of the most difficult things to notice and to read, but those who are skilled in finding them may very well have boundless divining ability.

I have heard of only one person who was skilled in reading omens, and he used to live in my area (which is obviously why I have heard of him). He was an old cajun man who was simply called a "treator" (pronounced almost like treater, but with strong emphasis on the "tor" part). My great-aunt knew him and I can hardly believe the tales she tells about his ability to heal and "read nature" for signs. I think his techniques were mildly inspired by Voodoo practices in this region.

That's my 2 cents on omens.

93 93/93

Original post: Dracophoenix

I am the opposite I actually find omens, portents, signs etc rather reliable in both divination and understanding the world around me. They are best written down sometimes then later interpretted. But they should always be looked through intuition rather than logical and rational thought. As for what is considered an omen or portent it really depends on your personal and cultural beliefs. For example in Japanese beliefs seeing bamboo blooming is considered an ill omen bringing tragic events and misfortune. However seeing a bird fly into your home in some beliefs is a sign of death to somebody in the household.

Original post: ajuvedi

Hi, does anyone here know what 3 single feathers means. I encounterd this today when i was out walking. They did not come togehter, but as singles on a path to my home. Looked like raven/crow feathers. Usually omens are pretty strong in my life.
I hope i posted it in the right place.

Apreciate any help

Original post: Dracophoenix

If it's Crow, crow can represent Sacred Law. Being three meaning The Law in three fold or The Law affecting three different people.

If it's Raven I would think that Majik would be what it represents.

Original post: NachtSorcier

They say that twice is a coincidence, three is a sign. Well, I think I may have just received my third sign. It is a bit of a stretch, because these signs have one thing in common: Flying animals.

Several months ago, I walked onto my back porch to find a bird that had, I assume, accidentally hanged itself on some fishing line that was on the awning for some reason. The bird was oddly positioned; you'd think it would have looked like it had struggled, but it was frozen in a perching position. It did look very eerie, as if someone had purposely done it as a warning.

Last month, I was standing on that same porch watching the sun rise. I saw what I thought was a bat, but it turned out to be a bird. It was soaring over a tree about 20 yards (read: 60 feet) away from my house. That same bird circled around and headed east; I looked and there was a second bird, flying right at me. It emitted a screech, dove toward me, then went on its way.

Then, last night, I was sitting in my living room on the couch, when I saw something out of the corner of my eye: A bat. It was about five inches across and black. I couldn't say what kind it was, because it was flying in clockwise circles really fast...plus, I ran really fast; I'm not afraid of bats, but it was instinct. My home is my comfort zone after all, and I do not expect to see a bat there. I jumped up and it flew right at me for a second. What it did after that I did not see, but when I woke my partner, it had gone. Supposedly, a bat flying into the house is a sign of bad luck, that ghosts are about, that someone is about to betray you or that someone is trying to curse you.

This looks very much like a pattern to me, although it could of course only be a coincidence. Does anybody have any ideas on what this all could mean? I'm very curious and if it could be a sign of bad things to come I'd like to be able to avoid it if I can.

Thanks much.

PS., if this belongs in another section, I'm sorry, I thought it fit best here, but I apologize if I was wrong.

Original post: Anathema_Oracle

In ancient times, aside from examining animal's entrails, the other major form of divination was through watching birds, known as auguries or auspices, omens are linked to this.

It's in the right section for that fact. You might want to research the topic of an augury and see if any descriptions match what you've seen and interpret them as such.

Good Luck.

Original post: doh

I don't think bats are a bad omen. Every aspect of everything pretty much has some negative connotation to it.

Honestly, I wouldn't necessarily see this as a sign so much as the bats have found happy hunting grounds with an outbreak of mosquitos.

If you feel it is a bad omen, it would be along the lines of what you mention. Cleansing your home, putting up protections and some scrying (or whatever your preferrable method of divination) to see if there is the possibility of betrayal would probably be the first steps.

Original post: Dracophoenix

I've never really had any bad omens from birds. However that's simply been my experience with seeing them appear around.

As for bats being bad luck it really depends on your personal beliefs and your cultural backgroud. I've never had ill luck with bats appearing in a place I've lived. I've lived in a few places with bats in them. They were pretty lucky for me and made me feel protected and safe.

Original post: NachtSorcier

Thanks for the replies and I apologize for missing the already-existing thread.

I did find an interesting looking page on augury on Sacred Texts.com, so I'll definitely be reading that.

Unfortunately, I don't know very much about my cultural background; my family never set much stock by that, feeling that being American was good enough. I've been told that I have blood in German, Irish, Scottish, Jewish, English and Cherokee, but it's a coin toss as to whether any of these claims are accurate. My last name is Fish, which is said to be German, but that is my grandfather's name and I am not related to him by blood (my mother was adopted). My grandmother's maiden name was Joseph, which I am told could either be Jewish or Scottish, and my grandmother told me that her mother's maiden name was Collins, which she says was either English or French. My father's side of the family I know absolutely nothing about, as I barely knew my father and his family. A lot of people tell me I look Native American, so I think looking up Cherokee superstitions about birds and bats would be a good place to start.

I only thought that bats might be a negative omen because of the (very limited) sources I did find which said so. Naturally, I do not feel that bats by their very nature are negative omens; I'm rather fond of them, actually. The only reason I feel that this whole thing is a negative sign is because each omen I saw gave me a negative feeling, namely fear and shock.

It's easy to see how a bird that has been hanged could be interpreted as a negative omen; I genuinely felt from seeing that that someone was working against me. The bird that swooped down at me was probably being territorial; perhaps someone fears me? And as for the bat, the way it was circling around the room and then dove at me felt like a warning; not necessarily the bat trying to hurt me, but trying to warn me.

I will most certainly be putting up some protectons and doing a Tarot reading on the matter, just in case. Thank you all for the suggestions.

Original post: NachtSorcier

I did a reading while asking the question "Is someone working against me?" and I drew these cards:

Queen of Cups

Ace of Pentacles Reversed

Six of Cups Reversed

Three of Wands Reversed

Five of Swords

Ace of Swords Reversed

Justice

Eight of Swords Reversed

The Fool

Four of Wands Reversed

After examing my own feelings regarding these cards and looking up other possible meanings, I've determined that the most likely answer is myself; I am working against myself with my own insecurites and fear. The Five of Swords denotes dishonor and being a sore winner, and next to the Six of Cups it represents a need to let disappointments from the past go.

The Fool in the ninth position of the Celtic Cross spread represents my own fears of failure due to thoughtlessness; the Ace of Pentacles denotes using one's inner strengths to accomplish one's goals; the Ace of Swords in the sixth position represents a future of self-destruction due to a violent temper (I do have a bit of a short fuse); the Eight of Swords encourages the querent to break free from his shackles; and Justice is a reminder that whether I put up the needed effort or not, I will get my just reward or punishment; Karma, in other words.

The Queen of Cups tells me that I have the ability to foresee all of this before I fail. My life right now is focused on employment and education, as I have been unemployed for over a year (though not due to a lack of trying!) and I recently obtained my GED, but I do have a fear of strangers, so actually applying for jobs, although I can do it, is a bit daunting to me, as is the idea of enrolling in school.

Where does the bat come into play here? Well, the bat's surprising visit caused me to rush toward the bedroom to wake my partner; I have trouble sleeping much of the time and that has caused me to miss out on some opportunities to apply for several jobs this week. I think what that bat was trying to tell me is that I needed to try harder to settle into a more efficient sleep cycle so that I can grab these opportunities while they're here. Also, Native American shamans say that seeing the Bat Spirit in a vision quest represents a rebirth; a letting go of past hurts and becoming a better person because of it, perhaps?

The one problem here is that the eighth position represents the influences of those around me; the Eight of Swords was the eighth card drawn and it can represent treachery or an accident. This makes me wonder if there is someone who wants to see me fail.

Original post: featheren

I have had a few dreams involving the crow. In one, I am a middle aged man and leave my family to use a key, given to me by a rat, to the grove of crows. I knew this was my last goodbye (this dream was over 5 years ago).

2 weeks ago, I fulfilled a family dream to go back to the homeland (Ireland). While I was there, I explored many places. Crows were everywhere and watchful, it seemed.

We found crow feathers (not seeming too unsual as the amount of crows were very appearant...but the placing was interesting) placed in unsual locations. One of them was on a tomb that had a key engraved on top!!

Also, of note, the crows were chattering quite busily while we were walking through the kings resting places, on The Hill of tara, but when I saw the key and walked toward this particular tomb, the chattering became barely audible...decreased tenfold. The feathers were on the key handle, one gray and one black.

It would seem this was an omen. I searched all around the tomb and took numerous pictures, but could not figure out what to do next. So, I am left with researching the meaning of this...

My other thought is that the feathers were used in some sort of ritual...I am but a child in my knowledge, but find everything intriguing.

Does anyone have a suggestion where I might best further my knowledge? Thank-you for your time !

Original post: featheren

After adding my prior post, the following evening I had a dream which I think gave me meaning to my search. I dreamt of a bird in this life and a bird in the spirit world. They were one and the same, but the bird in this life could not come to the spirit world and the bird in the spirit world could not transcend into this life. However, the bird in this life watched me as I was hanging out with the spirit bird. The spirit bird left and I started to follow. That was when the bird from this life told me to look behind me; the bird had left something for me. I turned and saw nine feathers (they weren't normal looking feathers, but feathers none-the-less). I put them in a paper bag and showed one other person.

When I awoke, I realized this was clarification on my finding the feathers from the prior post. They were a gift. I think I should have taken them (in real life), but at the time I was too afraid to disturb them. But, I think the intended purpose was just to let me know the spirits are there for me and if I need them I just need to call.

I am greatful for my dreams and the clarification they sometimes bring!

hi, im new here.
anyways. i had a fly, one of thoes horse or those house flys follow me around when i was at work. for the entire day at work. followed me inside and outside. it wasnt hovering over me it was just flying in my vicinity. but it was following me every where. is that an omen?