religious cultural question

[jonatron5]

Hello all. Glad to be here. Ive got a fairlt simple question but it requires some exposition so bare with me.

I was born and raised as a christian. When I was old enough to think for myself I became an agnostic/aethist. Much to my families chagrin. Well I still even with all my doubts would like to consider myself a Christian. I tried something crazy the other day a few months back. I tried contacting a spirit animal like the native americans in the show I was whatching. The weird thing is I almost feel like I got a response. So I've pretty much left that alone as a one time wierd coincidence. But recently im sorry to say my 94 year old grandmother is on her deathbed. Shes getting weaker and weaker ever day and it wont be long now. Its saddening becuase she's a good lady who littee ally on her deathbed struggiling to breathe and speak trys to make sure i eat something before I leave her house so there's no risk ill go hungry.

Anyway as I was driving up to her house I saw what I belive to be a hawk flying over the house and nest in a tree across the street. And on my way out that day I heard it screech. Today is the second day and the hawk is still there.

I was wondering what if any meaning the hawk carries in native american spiritualism?

I do apologise if this gets posted twice Im not sure if the first post submitted or not.

[wardancer]

Well , It's pretty much whatever you want to read into it.
Most , if not all , Native peoples believe in some sort of relationship with the animals.
To some they are helpers , some are messengers some have purposes we don't even understand.
It will vary by tribe , By society , by clan , by family and even by individual. It can also vary by circumstance.
And around here , it's November , they are generally everywhere you look from now 'till February !

[wanjica_the_one]

I like turtles.

[Maize-Grower]

I'm agnostic too, but I still smoke with my relatives. That feels pretty spiritual.

In my family (and I can only speak for my family on this), the tradition when you've killed an animal (except bears) is to put down a bit of tobacco so the animal won't curse you. Failing to do this with a deer is thought to cause the vengeance of a spirit called Usdi-Awi who causes arthritis. I don't think I believe it, but from the principle of reciprocity, it does seem courteous at the least. Also better to be safe than sorry. A good animal spirit might be the water spider that brought fire. So in my family's stories, there are both. As for birds, I have been told that bluejays like kids and will sing when the children are happy. I have heard that seeing a bird of prey is a good omen.* I saw a very large hawk at my uncle's house a few months before he died. If it's a coincidence or a sign, I can't say. If I have to believe in some religion, it would be based in the land, but I'm not religious and I have trouble believing in stuff that can't be measured or studied. I have stories to go back to if I ever figure the religion thing out...

If you're white, ancient Germanic peoples thought the appearance of ravens meant that you are going to the beerhalls of Odin/Wodan instead of to Hel's halls with the normal people that didn't live bravely... food for thought.

[DeafElderWoman]

I'm agnostic too, but I still smoke with my relatives. That feels pretty spiritual.

In my family (and I can only speak for my family on this), the tradition when you've killed an animal (except bears) is to put down a bit of tobacco so the animal won't curse you. Failing to do this with a deer is thought to cause the vengeance of a spirit called Usdi-Awi who causes arthritis. I don't think I believe it, but from the principle of reciprocity, it does seem courteous at the least. Also better to be safe than sorry. A good animal spirit might be the water spider that brought fire. So in my family's stories, there are both. As for birds, I have been told that bluejays like kids and will sing when the children are happy. I have heard that seeing a bird of prey is a good omen.* I saw a very large hawk at my uncle's house a few months before he died. If it's a coincidence or a sign, I can't say. If I have to believe in some religion, it would be based in the land, but I'm not religious and I have trouble believing in stuff that can't be measured or studied. I have stories to go back to if I ever figure the religion thing out...

If you're white, ancient Germanic peoples thought the appearance of ravens meant that you are going to the beerhalls of Odin/Wodan instead of to Hel's halls with the normal people that didn't live bravely... food for thought.

Bold statement.

If I try to remember to bring the water bottle with me if I go hunting for food, usually my husband had hunted deer. If he killed the deer, then we pour the water over the deer's mouth hoping that the deer will bring many more deer. This was our respect to our animals when we want to hunt for food.

[jonatron5]

Thanks for the info. I am white myself and liked the part about the germanic beerhalls of Odin. Im sir I have some in me but my family has always claimed celtic ancestry. Any knowledge of what they believed?

I know where getring off topic here.
so I've decided I think a hawk or a bird of prey is both a symbol of observance and whatching from a distance. At the same time its a hunter and a solitary animal ready to take life. So It might symbolise how close she is to dying. But then again it might just be a bird that migrated south for the winter

[milehighsalute]

any luck trying to contact your spirit animal jonatron5?

my spirit animal is a honey badger

[Spiritflight]

Germanic beer halls? Makes me come to the conclusion I am slavic and not of germanic origin even though some germanic ancestors may have liked beer halls, they must have adopted that to not look strange in the eyes of germans, but I don't know, but what I know is, I once lived in a 12 floor high building which had several of those connected and I had two parakeets of which one once lived outside, I told the story here a couple of times already but always good for entertainment, as the other parakeet came from breeders and I noticed the one who lived free, wanted his mate to get the feel of freedome and so one day I let him fly and over the balcony he was gone. Somewhere down in green patch was a raven. Now my daughter and me went outside and looked for the raven who was behaving rather unusual, he walked the pavement straight ahead and looked there as if he was pointing out something, well I said, our parakeet is on the other side of the buildings and we crossed a road and a parking lot on the other side and there were railway tracks and lots of trees and bushes and we called the parakeets name and all of a sudden we heard him chirping... then I said to my daughter he must be in these bushes and she was small enough to go in there and then she said, I can see him, I said, try to grab him and she managed to get him back, but it was not easy she said.