
It was a glorious day for an autumnal walk. Bright sun shone on gold and russet leaves, as we drove through country lanes towards the mountains. The intense blue of the sky above the bracken coloured hills was medicine for the senses.
Two ravens, Odin’s birds named Thought and Memory, greeted our arrival at Vagar Common, swooping low over the car and following us as we set out on the trackway that runs parallel to Cefn Hill and Hay Bluff. The bright sun shone on their iridescent feathers as they tumbled through the sky, surfing the strong wind as they joyfully rode towards the Bluff and back again, their croaking calls sounding like two pieces of wood being struck together.
After we’d had our fill of the bracing wind and mountain vistas, we returned to the car. As we drove away, six ravens landed in the field next to us – a magnificent sight with their glossy feathers shining, they bookended our wild experience.
Full to the brim with wild mountain energy, we drove to Hay for coffee and an ice cream in our favourite Shepherd’s Ice Cream Parlour. It was a delightful contrast to be back in civilisation amongst people and out of the strong wind. I am filled with gratitude and feel so blessed to live somewhere that I can enjoy such beauty near my home.
The meaning of Raven as Power Animal: Magic, Shapeshifting, Creation. It is a bird of birth and of death, of mysticism and magic. A Messenger from the Spiritual Realms, a bringer of omens. With their range of vocalisations, they teach us to understand the language of animals. They teach us about fearless playfulness with their tumbling aerial antics and they teach us to shine with iridescent beauty and all the colours of the rainbow.