A friend of mine encountered an incredibly large mass of crows she had never seen before appearing in her yard a couple of days ago, and they have routinely continued to appear and disappear since then. I decided to collect a bunch of information about crows in witchcraft on her behalf, because what she described seemed significant. I figured it would be a good idea to share my collective findings!
Crows are a very common sign found in witchcraft situations. Counting them to determine the form of the omen is a common practice, and many deities are associated with these birds. Crows, or corvids, are generally associated with magic and witches, transformation, power, intelligence, and mystery.
There are different meanings depending on the number of crows you find. (It should be noted that only the uncommon presence of corvids should be taken as signs: if you always see the same group of crows, it’s probably a mundane explanation). Here’s some thoughts on what different numbers of crows might mean:
One Crow — Bad luck, death (a lone corvid is unusual, as they are a social species)
Two Crows — Good luck, joy
Three Crows — Wedding, female birth
Four Crows — An event, male birth
Five Crows — Money, positive business
Six Crows — Wealth change, loss/gain
Seven Crows — Secret, curse
Eight Crows — Life-altering experience
Nine Crows — Love, something sensual
Ten Crows — Turnaround in luck, overwhelming
Eleven Crows — Surprise, secrets (hidden/revealed)
Twelve Crows — Good luck, fulfillment
Thirteen Crows — Completion, the End
If you’re encountering more crows than this, the sign might be more general, or just that someone/something is trying to get your attention. In any situation with omens, spirits, or witchcraft in general, it’s worthwhile to make sure you and your house are warded and protected, especially if you plan on interacting with it in any way.
Who is trying to get my attention?
It can’t really be known for sure unless you reach out to figure it out. However, some options include Apollo, The Morrigan, Odin (specifically with two crows), or some spirit or animal guide.
Apollo has the crow as one of his significant animals, and being a god of prophecy their nature as omens makes them a common tool for him.
Odin was accompanied by two crows/ravens in mythology named Huginn and Muninn, which are Old Norse for thought and memory, respectively. They fly all over the world (Midgard) and bring information to Odin. These are ravens, more commonly, but are stated as crows in some places.
The Morrigan often appears as a crow (or three) when foretelling doom during war or other difficult times. A crow is called a badb in Celtic tradition. She’s also just the goddess of crows in general.
As for spirit or animal guides, these can technically be any sort of animals. However, crows are a common animal guide for witches, and their position as bringers of omens make them good tools for spirit guides to get your attention.
Okay, so what do I do about it?
Now that we’ve discussed the presence of corvids overall, it’s important to consider what we should do about them after that. There are a couple different things that are useful to do.
Protect yourself / your house. This is always good to do in any witchy situation, but specifically since you don’t know the connotations of these crows or who or what may have sent them, it’s important to make sure you’re safe first and foremost. Salt on windowsills and in doorways is always a good choice, but remember not to use salt outdoors!
Greet the corvids. This is especially important if you count an unlucky number of them, as this can help to dispel any… less than lovely effects they may be giving you a warning of. A good phrase to use is “Greetings, Mr. Crow, I salute you,” as well as providing them with a treat.
Treat the corvids. There are many good snacks that can be left out in an attempt to befriend or appease corvids. Peanuts are always a good choice, but fruit, nuts, hard-boiled eggs, whole-grain bread, pasta, popcorn, or wild grains are always a good snack choice. Do not give them chocolate, apple seeds, avocado, alcohol, mushrooms, tomato leaves, salt, caffeine, or dried beans. All of those can be either harmful or deadly to you would-be crow friends.
I hope this was helpful! Crows are an important part of nature and can be a really fun component of your craft. Most important reminders: stay protected and be respectful.
