Bird Magic aka Ornithomancy
Bird Magic aka Ornithomancy
Have you ever felt like the presence of a bird held something meaningful?
Has a Cardinal ever appeared during a moment of grief and made you feel like the spirit of a loved one was stopping by to say henlo? Maybe a Bluebird appeared on a gloomy day and brought you a spark of happiness?
It's an ancient means of divination most notably used in ancient Greece and Rome where augurs observed birds in their search for guidance. Druids got in on the action too!
Fun fact: the word “inauguration” stems from the Latin “augur”.
You don't need to practice witchcraft to pull inspiration from birds. You can start with something as simple as sitting outside, watching the birds around you, and ponder on what their presence or behavior brings to mind.
More ancient bird-based divination:
🐓Alectryomancy - the diviner observed a white rooster pecking at grain associated with the letters of the alphabet.
🥚Oomancy/ovomancy - the diviner aims to tell the future by interpreting the shapes formed when the separated whites from an egg was dropped into hot water. The reader examines the forms from multiple angles. It's similar to reading tea leaves (tasseomancy) or clouds, finding symbolic meaning.
❌ Haruspicy - (I don't like this one at all. It unfortunately still exists and I 100% denounce it) sacrificing a bird and reading meanings in its organs, feathers, and bones... :(
(Reading naturally molted feathers seems ok tho).
(Reading naturally molted feathers seems ok tho).
I think it would be fun to take bits of this practice to deepening our appreciation for birds and nature.
