The Secret Magic of Creation

 Get Crow!

Harry Potter once said, “I love magic.”   Amen, Harry, so do I. 

Webster defines magic as: “as extraordinary power or influence seemingly from a supernatural force.”  This definition makes one think  magic is something mysterious, spooky, and unnatural.  Quite the contrary.  Magic is the most natural element in the universe.  More importantly, it doesn’t take a magician, wizard, or sorceress to conjure up the power.  If one is aware, observant, and open, magic comes in many, many ways.

 This morning, magic came to me in the form of a crow feather.

I love crows.  These black-winged, loud-mouthed, characters are intriguing, smart, and beautiful. Crow feathers are black as sin, often with hints of deep blue and purple.  Black is the color of night—and of creation. The black night gives birth to the new day.  I’m a writer, a creator of stories.  Is it any wonder why I have a kinship with the crow?

Crows share their family tree with the raven.  Ravens have great mysticism and mythology about them.  Hmm . . .  interesting.  Is it any wonder I wrote The Rook and The Raven?  (http://www.tinyurl.com/CSS92ud)

I’m fortunate to live in a country setting where crows are thick.  Every morning they greet me with their “caw-caw” hello.  They are saying, “pay attention.”  They cry out to watch for the magic of the day.  

I have one crow that is larger than the rest.  I named him Ichabod.  Ichabod flys to my porch rail, hops to the floor, and eats the cat food I leave out for the stray cat.  (which explains why he’s fatter than all the other crows) I never tire of watching him.  I love that he picked my porch to land on.  It gives me a contented, happy feeling. I’d leave cat food out even if there were no strays just so I could see Ichabod in the mornings.

I have a birdbath bowl on the ground in my backyard.  I always make sure to keep it filled because many animals, not only birds, seek the relief of water. This kind act didn’t go unnoticed to Ichabod.  This morning when I went to fill the birdbath, I noticed something black as coal on the ground—a crow feather.  A gift of gratitude for the water, the food, and my love for nature.   

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A gift of magic.

Animal-Speak by Ted Andrews says this about the crow: “Wherever crows are there is magic. They are symbols of creation and spiritual strength. They are messengers calling to us about the creation and magic that is alive within our world everyday and available to us.”

  Got crow?