Spiritual Forum

Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.

Since the beginning of history, people in every culture were ‘reading’ signs and omens to predict the future. When a sign or omen appeared it always indicated that change will take place and the diviners or ‘sign readers’ could interpret it and tell what kind of changes will occur in the near future, good or bad.

There are many different types of signs and omens; for example, interpreting natural phenomena solar eclipses, the flight of birds, or predictions based on dream interpretation, just to mention a few. In every culture we can find written examples, but also a much richer oral tradition of the meanings of sings and omens, its practices and also its abuse. When someone arranges their daily life around signs or omens, then the phenomenon loses its intended meaning and becomes nothing more than superstition.

When we are in a dilemma, we can ask the universe for a sign, and it can help us to decide what to do. Start off somewhere simple, ask God to give you eyes to see and ears to hear. In other words, be open to messages from nature and ask for divine help when interpreting them. Signs and portents can be very simple and everyday in the way they express themselves to us. The falling of leaves and the flocking of birds or livestock are natural occurrences, but patterns can be read in them by the skilled diviner. Once the practitioner has perfected the art of reaching into that sacred and quiet space inside, through either ritual or meditation, and has learned to become aware of these communications through time and space, they must also learn to interpret what they see. Signs may mean different things to different people, depending their life circumstances and the way they understand the messages being sent to them. Whenever interpreting a sign, you must ask yourself what it means to you first , and take that interpretation into consideration before arriving at a conclusion. In the meantime here are some universal symbols that show themselves in dreams and other types of divination that may help you to get started.

Often in reading signs you will notice certain symbols that seem to stand out to you or get stuck within your head. When this happens, whether it makes sense to you or not, this is likely to be the most meaningful part of the sign. Animals are common bringers of omens, but there are no hard and fast rules regarding the interpretation of the appearance and behaviors of animals in divining the future. While old adages can come in handy in weather divining, when other omens are read regarding animals, you must consider what exactly the sign might mean to you. For instance, the appearance of snakes in dreams and visions has often been associated with mysteries, magic and inner desires~ but for a person who fears snakes, or even one who has a great affection for snakes~ this symbology could have drastically different associations. Always bear in mind that your own feelings about what you are seeing should be more persuasive to you than any rule that can be applied to interpreting symbols, and above all learn to listen to your own inner voice.

On land or at sea, all activities of people have always been affected by nature. On land, people sought signs to find the best time to raise the seasonal crops. At sea, they sought the signs that could take them home to firm land. Red sky at night, sailor’s delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning. Now a children’s chant, this was once part of a sailor’s oral guide to the sea. The sea is awesome. To be surrounded by, and suspended upon, water is one of the most humbling experiences known to man. Yet people have gone down to the sea in ships for as long as there is memory. The search for signs in nature is universal.

The Papago Indians of the American Southwest feel deeply connected to the sea. They believe that the sea holds gifts that come from beyond. The Papagos feel that any object a man sees in the sea is a gift that has bearing on his life, whether it be a strand of seaweed, a shell, or a pebble. And when a Papago man runs along the sea or through the woods, anything that comes to him is a sign for his run through life—his career. Any living creature—animal, bird, insect, or fish—that crosses his path is subject to interpretation. These signs do not have fixed meanings but are interpreted by the man as he will. Our ancestors connected with the rhythms of their time. They were also able to interpret the signs of the times. We, too, can connect with our world. And, as we open ourselves to recognize the signs around us in the cycle of the seasons, so we begin reclaiming our ability to see the omens, the signs, of our times.

The clouds are a constant mystery. At one moment in time the sky is blue and endless. Minutes later there is nothing but a gray shroud overhead. There are cloud puffs and fog clouds, long rain clouds shaped like fish, and wisps of gray. Clouds have always been excellent signs of the condition of nature. For a long time people have been seeing themselves in the clouds. The clouds are a kind of mirror in which we can see ourselves and our thoughts.

The variety of omens is infinite. Some are manipulated by the seer. Others are presented by nature. Often people have seen signs in nature as reflections of human life. For example, although the people of the Tanala tribe of Madagascar generally do not use omens, if one comes across an antsangoa, an insect that looks like a walking stick, it is seen as a sign of death in the family. This is because the legs of the insect stretch out in front and behind like the poles of a funeral bier.30 And while this has become rigid over time as a superstition, it is still a reflection of nature.

“At that moment”—once again that phrase is the key to the difference between an omen and a superstition. An omen—a sign—is something that is read in the moment, is spontaneous and transitory. A superstition is something that is rooted in the past, either the distant past of cultural tradition or the personal past of our own creation.

The Celts have long utilized spontaneous signs. For example, there is the practice of deuchainn, or first sight. In this, a person with a question goes up a hill too steep for an animal. On the way down, the first creature he meets indicates the answer to the question. If someone wanted to know what kind of a year it would be, he would walk outside with eyes closed, go to the end of the house, and then open his eyes. The first thing he saw would be his sign.

In the western Highlands of Scotland those people with sight were called frithirs. The frithir would fast on the first Monday of every quarter and stand on her doorstep just before sunrise, barefoot, bareheaded, and blindfolded. She would then hold onto the doorpost and remove the blindfold. She would take the first thing that she saw upon removing the blindfold as the sign and would interpret it.

The Omen Body

Our bodies are rich sources of omens. Since the beginning of time people have looked to the body for signs. In the mountains of Colombia, diviners or shamans look to their bodies to provide them with information about their patients. For example, the rise of unusual sensations on the outer side of the shaman’s right foot that proceeds to the ankle is an indication that the medication prescribed is having a beneficial effect. A sign from the right hip to the foot indicates that a woman patient will menstruate. While these body signs have become ritualized, there is no doubt that they are rooted in practical observation over time.35

The Mescaleros and other Apache groups are more fluid in their interpretations of body signs. The Apaches feel that involuntary muscular tremors are warning signals of good or evil events to come. For example, the Apaches see a muscular tremor under the eye as symbolizing misfortune and tears. Various other tremors are open to individual interpretation. When a person notices a muscular tremor in some part of his body, he makes up his mind about what kind of a sign it is. Some Apaches consider such signs to be a message from their guardian spirit or a source of supernatural help.

For the Navajos, twitching of the skin, snapping of the nose, and tracheal rumblings are omens. There is no set way of interpreting these signs. Rather, the afflicted person discusses the possible interpretation with family members. If this doesn’t lead to a satisfactory result, various methods of divination are employed. In any event, the meanings of the body signs are fresh and changing.

It was a poetic metaphor for the African Americans of the Georgia coast in the 1930s to see an itching left palm as a sign of incoming money or an itching right palm as a sign of a forthcoming handshake with a stranger.

Sign interpretation is one of the difficult types of divination -technically- and perhaps the most rewarding spiritually. It is a very intimate communication between man and the universe where no ‘tools’ or intermediaries are needed. It is an excellent exercise to tune into our right brain, which is responsible for our holistic ability and for refining our intuitive capacity.

Source:

Sarvananda Bluestone, Ph.D. (How to read signs and omens) http://www.scribd.com/doc/87314968/How-to-Read-Signs-and-Omens-in-Everyday-Life ; V.Sanders