Birds

[dr_tectonic]

One the way home from Jeff's Star Wars game tonight, I slowed down because I saw something moving by the side of the road, and then an enormous owl went skimming across the road, about six inches up, before it turned and flew up to the top of a lamppost.

There's also a crow's nest above the loading dock next to the rear door of my office building, and I'm pretty sure that the noises I heard the other day mean that it's filled with baby crows.

I would love to know how to do augury -- fortune-telling based on the birds you see flying by -- because these random encounters always seem so pregnant with meaning. I might have to make up my own system one of these days if I can't find out how the Romans used to do it.

Comments

[dpolicar]

Well, the owl is Athena's symbol, so clearly what that means is you are going to almost be responsible for crashing MIT's network.

[kung-fu-monkey.livejournal.com]

It means that owls are stalking you and the baby crows plan to eat everyone in the building.

[tdjohnsn.livejournal.com]

That would certainly be my reading as well...

[dcseain.livejournal.com]

In most Native American mythos, Crow is the foolish creator/destroyer. Crow represents new beginnings/change, destruction for the sake of beginning anew. Crow is as also a trickster and something of an idiot savant. Owls are all about wisdom and knowledge; at times wisdom as foreshadowing tool.

So from this POV, i'd say wisdom/knowledge gained/exercised, leading to possibly chaotic change; most likely in the form of a new nof some stripe, taking the young'ns into account.

[detailbear.livejournal.com]

Auspicy: http://www.mv.com/ipusers/jcrow/crolang.html
Roman Augury: http://www.religioromana.net/augury.htm

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

Nifty! Thanks, db!

Written on an evening in Assisi

[ng-nighthawk.livejournal.com]

As Above, So Below

The finches of Assisi
Create the piazzas
And the streets
With long curves.

Their evening spirals
Define Walls
Basilicas
Topography
Children Playing.

A slingshot
Could lay siege.

Re: Written on an evening in Assisi

[dr-tectonic.livejournal.com]

That's a really cool poem! Thanks, Neal!

[thedragonweaver.livejournal.com]

The Romans mostly used geese, IIRC.

We've got lotsa birds around here. The other day I was working on the finish of a couple of mini tables outside my parents' house and looked up to see a couple of red-tailed hawks being chased around by mockingbirds. And there's finches and doves and blue jays and magpies— the birds are going crazy over here, lemme tell ya.

[saintpookie.livejournal.com]

Hmm....I always thought you were supposed to use the entrails of the birds for augury.......

[kung-fu-monkey.livejournal.com]

Oh, please. Like the evil mastermind is going to get his hands dirty. I bet he'll try to make you do it.

[saintpookie.livejournal.com]

Hrmm....only if they're the birds that chirp outside the window at way too early in the morning and make me grumpy. Those I'll gut...gladly. :)

[detailbear.livejournal.com]

Popular blurring of terminology. Haruspicy is divination from entrails. Augury from bird appearance and movement. Auspicy from bird calls.

[saintpookie.livejournal.com]

Ah...see, ya learn something new every day.