User:Battlecrow

Influences
During my life a favorite reminder of the call to battle in life has been..."The Morrigan is a goddess of battle, strife, and sovereignty. She sometimes appears in the form of a crow, flying above the warriors, and in the Ulster cycle she also takes the forms of an eel, a wolf and a cow. She is generally considered a war deity comparable with the Germanic Valkyries" Her connection with both the Norse and Celtic mythologies have always drawn me toward them ..."Most often she did this by appearing as a crow flying overhead and would either inspire fear or courage in the hearts of the warriors. There are also a few rare accounts where she would join in the battle itself as a warrior and show her favoritism in a more direct manner." The symbolism of the Raven and the Wolf, two strong animal animals associated with the Morrigan and one of her aspects Badb, have also been guiding presences in my life.

Animal Spirits
The Raven in Native American mythology as well as Celtic has always been a symbol for a messenger. In Greece the Raven was a symbol of prophesy being connected with the Greek God Apollo and also served as a messenger, specifically the Gods messenger to the mortal world. The wolf has also been a favorite of mine. The Wolf, was throught to be a great spiritual teacher for the Native Americans. "When not threatened and when treated with respect, a wolf will allow others to get close to her and to her pack.  But when approached with deceit, or hidden agendas, she will often pick up on that scent and be wary of the contact.  Often this "feeling" will appear much earlier than others.  She has good ears for listening to the most intricate details, up close and far off.  So that early warning system kicks in, even when the energy is at a far distance and has not yet arrived.  So when you cross the path of a wolf, they often know you've been coming for a while."

Quotes
Ever Vigilant...
 * "In pace, ut sapiens, aptarit idonea bello" - Unknown (In peace, like a wise man, he appropriately prepares for war)
 * "Culpam poena premit comes" - Horace (Punishment presses hard onto the heels of crime)