for Enlarged Photo of Medallion
The Trickster, wise in oracles and omens, messanger and watcher for the gods.
Countless cultures point to the raven as both keeping and communicating deep mysteries.
The raven is symbolic of mind, thought and wisdom according to Norse legend, as their god Odin was accompanied by two ravens: Hugin who represented the power of thought and active search for information. The other raven, Mugin represented the mind, and its ability to intuit meaning rather than hunting for it. Odin would send these two ravens out each day to soar across the lands. At day's end, they would return to Odin and speak to him of all they had spied upon and learned on their journeys.
To the Greeks and Romans the Raven was associated with both Athena and Apollo, both deities closely affiliated with the sun and the light of wisdom.
Southwestern tribes (Hopi, Navajo, Zuni) felt the raven was flew out from the dark womb of the cosmos, and with it brought the light of the sun (dawning of understanding). Consequently, the raven is considered a venerated bird of creation, for without the raven, humans would forever live in darkness.
Dr. Carl Jung found raven symbolism to represent the shadow self, or the dark side of the psyche.
Reference: What's Your Sign
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