Animal omens

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: One of the artistic or metaphysical skills acquired is the ability to interpret movements of nature and what they mean. Now some are superstitious whilst others aren't, at least in my opinion. Insects, in particular have meaning. This is not unique to Hinduism, as the North American indigenous peoples' also used such signs.

Does anyone have an omen story to tell. Here is a collection related to animals.

http://2011astrology.com/auspicious-...ous-signs.html

Aum Namasivaya

[NayaSurya]

I'll take the bite, so to speak...er type.

I once told you about my butterflies. But, recently I had a hawk incident.

We have beautiful hawks here that glide upon the windy currents of our hill and into the valley of the lake. They hardly flap a wing while they search for the scores of wild turkey in our lil nature reserve.

I take a leaf each day and set it upon our stone wall and then I take ten colored pebbles and do japa. I have my rudraksha, but I usually don't bring it out there in the elements.

Anyway, I had spent most of the day in prayer, from sunrise. But, this day was so dark and cloudy. I began japa and got lost in the mantra moving the pebbles over without even opening my eyes.

Suddenly I felt so warm and I opened my eyes to find one of the hawks from the valley circling very very low over my head and then the beautiful sun came out between the cloud and ripped across the sky right down upon me. I cried such happy tears to see this friend come to see me. I bowed to Beloved Surya who came to warm me and to let me know to look up.

I am just a fool, but I feel nature must be preferred by Beloved and the Devas to send us the subtle messages...and sometimes not so subtle.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam: I saw a pair of raven today. Quite unusual for these parts. They venture around occasionally. And the large woodpecker still works away at the temple site. I often wonder which bugs he's actually getting rid of. Perhaps he helped me with the wasps. Then again maybe its the WASPS. Who knows? But I do have my guesses.

Aum Namasivaya

[Maya3]

My husband and I stayed at a forest retreat by a lake (not a spiritual retreat, but gorgeous). I meditated alone on the floor in our rather large cottage, suddenly I feel a paw on my leg.

This is the time when I should open my eyes and lovingly look down at the being at my feet...right?


Hrmn I'm afraid I screamed. I was so startled and then I heard the patter patter of feet on the wood floor, when it ran from my scream. I have no idea what animal this was, I didn't have time to see it before it hid or got out. It was not a rat, I could hear that from the patter patter sound, sounded much larger, rat feet have quieter feet too, not a cat they have quieter paws. It sounded big clawed and fourlegged, but the paw on my leg didn't feel too big.

The retreat owner said that raccoons sometimes get into the houses there.
Can you imagine if it really was a raccoon or something like that, it actually put a paw on me when I meditated and then I scream!!!??
I feel SO bad about this, feels like a ruined an incredible moment that I would never ever forget.
I must have really scared the poor fellow.

Maya

[NayaSurya]

Yikes!

omgosh! You just reminded me of one time when I was about 13.

We were too poor to have a campfire so my sister took logs from our neighbors wood pile and we stuck them in an old ceramic sink. We took spots on picnic benches (too poor for a tent too) and laid down on them in the back yard. Our friend took a spot on the ground but I warned her it might not be a good idea...but she wasn't concerned.

So we all passed around a bag of Ruffles potato chips until it was so late and our eyes were tired and the fire split the sink in half and put the fire out. Suddenly we hear..."CRUNCH CRUNCH CRUNCH!"

And we called to our friend, GOSH you still eating chips, GROSS! Well she kept swearing it wasn't her...and so I took the flashlight and shined it down on her and there ALL over the ground were these HUGE beatles eating the chips which had fallen out of the bag with huge pinchers. They were everywhere! YIKES!

You've never seen three girls run so fast!

[Maya3]

Naya,

Oh man!

I can picture you three running!

Maya

[NayaSurya]

You must be such a calm soul to not jump up and run yourself. Bugs are one thing but a possum or raccoon would totally freak me out. What did your husband say?

[Maya3]

I wish I was calm, I am in a way, but I also get angry and frustrated easily.
But thanks for saying that, I have never considered that I could have run, I felt bad enough for screaming.

Thank God there were no other humans there. Imagine if this had happened at the Ashram during a meditation!!!?

My husband thought it was very auspicious, but he laughed then went and asked the retreat guy what kind of creature he thought it might be.

Maya

[Arjuni]

To the idea of omens, messages, etc. I try not to think of events as such unless they are quite unusual - NayaSurya, your story was a lovely example - because when I was younger and practicing Wicca, I fell into the egotistical trap of thinking of even the tiniest events as signs. (It's one thing to humbly see messages from the Devas and thank them, but quite another to realise that you're treating the universe as if it arranges itself to tell you things.)

EasternMind, the link you posted was interesting. Item #21 under "Other Omens" made me laugh because we just finished performing a play at the end of November. Before one show, I was reciting my lines softly to myself as a warm-up, and a fellow performer/friend started saying random numbers under his breath just to trip me up. We shared a laugh - and wouldn't you know it, that particular performance was the worst of the four. Several people dropped or missed lines, and things went wrong that never had before.

Hmmm...I saw a crow start crowing facing the south-west direction yesterday, so it would be interesting if that particular 'omen' came true...

Most of my animal/other omen experiences involve owls and rainbows, though I had one that involved neither, on a Saturday morning a few months ago. I've started taking Bharatnatyam classes at a school that's across the street from a little park overlooking the river. Before each lesson, weather allowing, I walk through that park and pray - dedicating my efforts, asking for blessings and to possibly suck a little less at dancing than I currently do, etc. One morning I was feeling very weary and sick, so my prayer was heartfelt, but tired and discouraged. I opened my eyes to see two black-capped chickadees fly in front of me, very close.

I've found several different interpretations of what chickadees signify, but for me it was the sweetest reassurance: chickadees are my favourite little birds, and the sight cheered me tremendously.

Indraneela
===
"I wait the power of one like thee, O Indra, gifts of a Helper such as thou art, Hero.
Strong, Mighty God, dwell with me now and ever."
Om Indrāya Namaḥ.
Om Namaḥ Śivāya.

[Eastern Mind]

Vannakkam Indraneela:

We now have a an open chickadee feeder in our backyard. Just got it there about a week a go, due to the fact we used to have cats. They seem to be really enjoying it. They used to feed on my father's cattle grain troughs, and over several days, I got one to land on my outstretched winter farmer mitts to take a few oats. That was really wonderful. About 45 years ago, I suppose.

Our larger woodpeckers at the temple are just amazing. I think they are a guard/barrier to some unwanted astral forces, but maybe I'm just imagining.

I only think of birds as signs when they come really close, too.

The stuff on that attached list was mostly for fun, but I do find it all interesting.

Aum Namasivaya