Omens are messages from the divine. Many think of omens as being messages that foretell of impending doom. But, omens are simply messages from the universe and they can be anything from positive to negative, to comforting, and guiding.
Omens are deeply personal and are connected to your energy. This is why for one person a black butterfly may warn of death and for another it may indicate an approaching change. Both interpretations of the same symbol, the butterfly, have to do with change, but two different kinds of change. Depending on your philosophy and spiritual practice, death may not necessarily be a negative change, it may simply just be another process of our soul's perpetual transformation. This is to illustrate how one symbol and omen can have different meanings and messages for different individuals. The key is the interpretation of the message.
Interpreting the message. It is through the process of interpretation that many omens become lost and misunderstood by the receiver. The receiver of the message is you. You are the receiver of countless messages throughout your day, but if you do not interpret or misinterpret their meaning, then you are not receiving the message. For some, they have never experienced omens and the concept is strange. That's understandable as Western culture has long deviated from its connection to the ways of nature and cosmic awareness. Remember, omens are connected to your energy. If your energy is not open to receiving this kind of communication then you will not receive any omens.
To interpret an omen, it is important to understand that the human mind likes to attach meaning the everything. For some, this is what discredits this type of divination. The problem is not "attaching meaning to things," rather it is having a clouded mind that is unable to sort through the meanings and disregard projected or false meanings. The first step to accurately interpreting omens is to have an open and receptive mind. Basically, you are receiving messages/meaning, not giving or applying messages/meaning. This means that you are not projecting your wishes or wants to what you are seeing, you are not attaching meaning to things, rather you are being given a message/meaning. Once you understand the difference between applying or attaching meaning versus receiving meaning, you must then be open to receiving messages. After you have opened yourself to receive messages, then you must ask to receive messages. But you must ask that the message be clear and easy for you to understand. You must also clarify what your question is. What is it that you are trying to understand? Don't simply say, "give me a sign" because the silent response you don't hear and see is, "Of what? Give you a sign of what?" So, be clear in your question. See, this is a conversation between you and the universe, you and your divine energies, your Gods, your guides, whomever, whatever it is you believe in.
Remember that when asking things of the universal energies, it is incredibly important to be clear with your requests and your intentions. If there are any discrepancies in either your request or intention, then you will either receive no messages, you will be unable to understand the message (become frustrated and then no longer receive any messages), or you will not receive any messages.
An example on video. Below, I am going to share a video with you of an omen I received while working at my desk by my window. I did not capture the whole message, but as you'll see, it was nothing outstanding or supernatural. Before I started recording, I heard a ruckus coming from a bunch of birds and so I watched them. There were about five birds and they flew from the right side of the yard to the left, and settled on the white fence. However, one of the birds hit the fence with a loud thud. This little bird slid down the fence and landed on my rue (the big bushy plant, a "witch's" herb). The other four birds looked down as the small bird fell, and one of the birds went down to help. This is when I started recording.
Watch the video and let me know what your interpretation of it is in the comments below.
My interpretation. In that moment, I was struggling with deep frustration. I was trying to help my family as they struggled with difficult times. I was especially trying to help one family member lift themselves up from their current situation. Anything I did or suggested was not accepted. In fact, they actively rejected my help. So I felt powerless, hurt, ignored, and of course, frustrated. I only recognized this moment as a moment of divine communication when the bird struggled to lift the little bird up. I felt the struggle the bird was going through. I felt like it was a representation of what I was going through, and funnily enough, I thought I heard the frustration in the bird's squawks. But when that little bird managed to lift itself up and fly into the mulberry tree, I realized everything would be alright. My family would be able to lift themselves up, without my help. Regardless of how right I thought my advice was, they are going to find their own way. And regardless of how hard it is to watch them struggle, there is nothing I can do but meet them on the other side. This gave me calm and peace. It also made me realize I was approaching the situation the wrong way; I was being too imposing.
So, omens can foretell the future, but they can also make you reach deeper awareness of a situation. Omens can guide you, comfort you, and warn you, it simply depends on your readiness to receive them.
Namaste.