OMENS

By contributor Pat O’Connell

Portents. Signs. Omens. Prophecy. Premonition. Warning.

        Every culture in the world—past and present—has had its augur, shaman, witch doctor, medium, sage, oracle, etc. to read the signs in nature and foretell the future, predict the weather, or select the best times to plant or harvest., or even go to war. One example is Noah looking to the sky after the Flood and interpreting the rainbow as God’s promise never to flood the world again. King David defeated the Philistines when God gave him the signal to attack by making a noise in a mulberry tree. I did a little research on signs given through (or by) animals and plants and found the following.

        Incas divined answers to questions by using dung pellets from llamas.

        Ancient Chinese thought of the wind as the “breath of the universe”, and by studying the wind—which way it blew, its intensity, etc.—they could foretell famine or plenty. Perhaps that’s where we got the idea of “seeing which way the wind blows.”

        Roman generals took chickens on their warships. Before a battle, the chickens were offered food. If they ate, it was a good sign. If they refused to eat, it was a bad sign, and it was best to avoid a battle and fight another day.

        In Borneo, people listened to birds to determine the best time to plant and harvest.

        According to different traditions, a black cat crossing your path from left to right brings bad luck; others think it brings bad luck no matter which way it crosses. On the contrary, a white cat portends very good fortune.

        Babylonians sacrificed sheep and then studied the liver for signs, taking great care to study the color, any blemishes, etc.

        Many farmers believe that swallows nesting in a barn will keep the structure safe from lightning strikes. Barn swallows are considered especially lucky, but it is bad luck to count the number in a flock.

        Spiders and their webs have a long history as prophetic devices. One of the most famous comes from Scotland. Robert the Bruce (a contemporary of William Wallace of Braveheart fame) was fighting the English in the early 1300s. Captured at one point, he was sent to prison, where he watched a spider trying to spin a web. Six times it tried, and six times it failed. On the seventh try, it succeeded in completing its web. Robert the Bruce took this as a sign that, if he persevered, he would eventually succeed in beating the English.

        You are particularly blessed if you see your initials in a spider’s web.

        Animals and plants were also used to predict weather.

        If ducks build their nests very close to the water’s edge, there will be a dry summer. Drought is also predicted if the ash tree buds earlier than the oak. If the oak buds first, summer will be wet.