The corvids are considered the most organized and evolved of the birds: Ravens, Crows, Magpies, Jays - of which the Stellar Jay is my favorite. I trained, at length, many pigeons, in college as part of my psychology curriculum. Corvids, however, repeatedly outperform even the highly intelligent Pigeon. Corvids are naturally astute, curious, keen observers, often mischievous, associated with the underworld, and were historically revered as messengers from the Divine in Greek mythology. I always think of Rodin and Le Penseur (The Thinker) sculpture - the Raven is that, but in a tree….and her caw always gets our attention.

These beautiful perching birds teach us much about the perch, or the poise just before the movement. They teach us how to observe first, to listen, to ponder, to consider, and then act swiftly to obtain the sparkly treasures waiting for us in life. They have also long been associated with witches. The word witch, whose root is “wit”, simply means wisdom - the kind of deep inner knowing from profound listening and connection to nature and all her teachings. The transformative energy of Ravens heralds back to the cycle of life, death, life. Here in New Mexico and native “curandera” culture, we call the cycle Albedo, Rubedo, Negrado (or White, Red, and Black). The “negrado” is the raven. The transmutable energy that comes from the picking clean of the bones. The often illuminating but rapacious process of decomposition in life can remind us that in death, is the compost or fodder for new life, for the transformation. Teachings of the Remnants -for Spring naturally follows the darkest of Winters.

Ravensara, and Ravintsara, are wonderful oils to explore when we have a desire to pick through the rubble of life and find the gems. They both are hugely anti-viral, analgesic, good for all cycles of a woman and gestation, birth, and nursing, terrific immune boosters, and used extensively for clearing the sinuses and respiratory issues. Sometimes, mother raven knows it is time to kick us out of the nest, and we have the tools to fly on our own, with the help of these spiritual cleansers.