The Shapeshifters are Watching You

Then of course, when these gods fight each other, they also had the ability to shapeshift their rival or opponent. For example, the goddess Athena turned Arachne into a spider for challenging the goddess to a weaving contest. In addition, the goddess Artemis changed Actaeon into a stag for watching her bathe. Circe changed the men in Odysseus’ crew into swine. 

 Even the Bible has an account of a shapeshifting incident, where a certain king, swollen with pride, defied the Creator God and challenged Him. The result? This arrogant king was transformed for a time into a bull or ox-like creature, walking about on all fours, grazing like a farm animal. In the Biblical account, the king was transformed back into his human self again after a certain time of penance. It was meant to teach him a lesson concerning his arrogance. There are even animals who shapeshift at will. In many of these accounts, the transformations are only temporary.

Casteneda’s Shape-Shifting Adventures

The most controversial modern episodes of real-life shapeshifting can be found in the Don Juan chronicles of 20^th century mystic Carlos Casteneda. Casteneda went through a series of spiritual awakenings during the 1960s, discovering many fascinating aspects of the supernatural world. His journey is recorded in his books on the subject. In his Don Juan work, Casteneda finds a spiritual mentor as well as personal friend in an old Indian man named Don Juan while journeying through Mexico. What follows in this actual real-life account is an amazing series of incidents of that old Native American mystic transforming himself into various animals during certain specific intervals. In one instance, he transforms himself into a crow. At one point, Casteneda encounters his mentor while in this shapeshifted form, but does not recognize him as his human teacher, yet senses something unusual about the bird. According to the account, Casteneda came close to throwing a rock or injuring the bird, not realizing it is the shapeshifted form of his Native American teacher. Later, Casteneda mentions the incident to his teacher who strongly chides him, telling him he should never injure or strike out at such a creature. A primary reason for not injuring the bird is that Casteneda can never be sure if the animal is just a bird or if it is really a magician who has shapeshifted his or her form for some sort of magickal  purpose. And if he injures or kills the shapeshifted creature, then there just might be hell to pay, in more ways than one.

Be Respectful to Ravens, Crows, and Blackbirds

The penchant for human shapeshifters to transform themselves into birds as a favorite form for their shapeshifting is a well-known phenomenon among occultists. The most favored birds magicians love to shapeshift into are the raven, the crow, and other types of blackbirds. It is interesting to note that all these birds are classically known for their omens and portents. 

Whatever one thinks about the shapeshifting phenomenon, one thing is certain, if you see a bird or other animal with an unusual presence, one that seems to be watching you, take care, you never know when you are entertaining a shapeshifter who very well might be waiting for you, to convey some kind of spiritual lesson. You never know when they will be watching you.