The practice of Augury has been around for centuries. Both India and Tibet have a system of crow augury. It is about predicting the future by counting the number of crows, the direction of their flight, the time of day at which they are seen, their cawing, etc.
Crow augury may have started off as Magpie augury. The oldest rhymes, including at least one dating to the 1600's, deal with counting magpies rather than crows. The magpie rhyme seems to have been left on European shores, though. In North America, most people who know the rhyme use it in reference to crows.
The basic rhyme, which goes something like "One for Sorrow, Two for Joy..." has been a popular children's chant through the years.
Various versions of the rhyme exist, but the basics are as follows:
One: Sorrow. An unhappy event. A change for the worse. Maybe loss or a death.
Two: Joy. A surprise. A change for the better. Sometimes the finding of something.
Three: Marriage. A celebration. Sometimes the birth of a female child. Othertimes some significant event around a daughter.
Four: Birth. Usually the birth of a male child. Sometimes a significant event surrounding a son.
Five: Silver. Sometimes costly. Usually a positive transaction.
Six: Gold. Wealth. Sometimes money. Maybe greed. Occasionally a negative transaction.
Seven: Something of spiritual significance. Often a secret. In some cases witchcraft, or the performing of sacred rites.
Eight: Something profound. Death, dying, or a glimpse of Heaven. A life-altering journey or experience.
Nine: Something sensual. Passion, or forbidden delight. In some versions this is corruption, in others it is closer to temptation.
Ten: Something extreme. An overwhelming sensation. Something paid in full.
Eleven: Uncertainty. Waiting. Wanting. May be in relation to a spiritual matter.
Twelve: Fulfillment. Riches (though not always of a material sort). A fruitful labor. Something completed. An end to a problem, or the answer to a question.
In the photography accompanying SUNSET, there are three silhouetted crows/ravens... a 'marriage'?
In the art Design for PIANISSIMO, there are four silhouetted crows/ravens... a boy?
So when you look through the CD Booklet, you will see seven silhouetted crows/ravens... sacred rites? witchcraft? a secret never to be told?
Here are two versions of Counting Crows ...
1
One for sorrow, two for mirth,
Three for a wedding, four for a birth,
Five for silver, six for gold,
Seven for a secret not to be told.
Eight for heaven, nine for hell,
And ten for the devil's own sel'.
2
One for sorrow, two for joy,
three for a girl, four for a boy,
five for silver, six for gold,
seven for a secret, never to be told,
eight for a wish, nine for a kiss,
ten for a time of joyous bliss.
Incidentally, in the art Design for PIANISSIMO, there are seven silhouetted blackbirds... The Secret Seven...
COUNTING CROWS
The practice of Augury has been around for centuries. Both India and Tibet have a system of crow augury. It is about predicting the future by counting the number of crows, the direction of their flight, the time of day at which they are seen, their cawing, etc.
Crow augury may have started off as Magpie augury. The oldest rhymes, including at least one dating to the 1600's, deal with counting magpies rather than crows. The magpie rhyme seems to have been left on European shores, though. In North America, most people who know the rhyme use it in reference to crows.
The basic rhyme, which goes something like "One for Sorrow, Two for Joy..." has been a popular children's chant through the years.
Various versions of the rhyme exist, but the basics are as follows: One: Sorrow. An unhappy event. A change for the worse. Maybe loss or a death. Two: Joy. A surprise. A change for the better. Sometimes the finding of something. Three: Marriage. A celebration. Sometimes the birth of a female child. Othertimes some significant event around a daughter. Four: Birth. Usually the birth of a male child. Sometimes a significant event surrounding a son. Five: Silver. Sometimes costly. Usually a positive transaction. Six: Gold. Wealth. Sometimes money. Maybe greed. Occasionally a negative transaction. Seven: Something of spiritual significance. Often a secret. In some cases witchcraft, or the performing of sacred rites. Eight: Something profound. Death, dying, or a glimpse of Heaven. A life-altering journey or experience. Nine: Something sensual. Passion, or forbidden delight. In some versions this is corruption, in others it is closer to temptation. Ten: Something extreme. An overwhelming sensation. Something paid in full. Eleven: Uncertainty. Waiting. Wanting. May be in relation to a spiritual matter. Twelve: Fulfillment. Riches (though not always of a material sort). A fruitful labor. Something completed. An end to a problem, or the answer to a question.
In the photography accompanying SUNSET, there are three silhouetted crows/ravens... a 'marriage'?
In the art Design for PIANISSIMO, there are four silhouetted crows/ravens... a boy?
So when you look through the CD Booklet, you will see seven silhouetted crows/ravens... sacred rites? witchcraft? a secret never to be told?
Here are two versions of Counting Crows ...
1 One for sorrow, two for mirth, Three for a wedding, four for a birth, Five for silver, six for gold, Seven for a secret not to be told. Eight for heaven, nine for hell, And ten for the devil's own sel'.
2 One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret, never to be told, eight for a wish, nine for a kiss, ten for a time of joyous bliss.
Incidentally, in the art Design for PIANISSIMO, there are seven silhouetted blackbirds... The Secret Seven...