Signs and Omens are a tricky subject. Everyone has a different take on what a sign or omen is, how to determine if it’s real, what it means, where they come from, or why it appeared. My understanding of signs and omens is, of course, heavily influenced by my personal beliefs and I would encourage anyone with whom my ideas do not resonate to disregard them.

There are a lot of opinions floating around on the subject of signs and omens and just as many people asking questions about what this symbol means or if that coincidence is really a sign. Unfortunately, nobody can definitively answer those questions for you. That sort of knowledge comes through carefully uncovering and learning to hear your true beliefs and ideas about such matters.

Often I see responses to these inquiries touting that signs and omens are incredibly rare and the average “sign” is just the product of imagination and circumstance. While I am always a fan of healthy skepticism I would suggest that this idea sprouted from a definition of these phenomena that is too narrow.

What Exactly Is A Sign Or An Omen?

The most common perception of signs that I have noticed is one in which these occurrences are caused by some external force for the purpose of communicating with us. Essentially some god or spirit dropping symbols down in front of our faces as a way of getting our attention. While I’m sure these kinds of occurrences do exist I would guess that they are probably in the minority. By this definition the skeptics are absolutely right, precious few signs and omens are the real deal.

This definition is lacking though. It’s too small and it negates the vastness of the possibilities of what signs and omens could really be. If this is the case and our signs are not caused by external forces then how do we explain them?

To answer that we will need to shift our perspective from that of the average human, passive and at the whim of the universe, to the perspective of the human spirit, eternal and innately knowing all things. When we do this we get a different picture. 

If the human spirit, i.e. you, knows everything because it is divine, completely connected with every ounce of the universe and all spiritual energy, then everything that your conscious mind notices and thinks can be guided by that higher self. 

Say you notice an owl and it strikes you as a sign. By this new reasoning it is! Not because some external force sent it to you but because your higher self directed your attention to that owl in order to communicate with your conscious self. It is a sign because it means something to YOU.

Signs can be seen as a sort of inner dialogue, you are telling yourself through symbolism what you need to know or pursue in order to heal, learn or grow toward your full potential. Or, in the case of omens, it is often what you need to avoid or beware of in order to remain safely on your path!

Considering this alternative view of where a sign or omen comes from, interpreting them becomes much simpler. It boils down to only one criteria.

What Meaning Does This Particular Symbol Hold For You?

This allows your ever busy and logical mind to take a backseat for a moment and it allows you to really hear the sign. Your intuition is given the space it needs to speak to you, loud and clear. Instead of over intellectualizing a sign, researching potential meanings and symbolism you need only to find a bit of stillness and allow the associations that you already have with the symbol to float to the surface of your thoughts. You might be surprised by how in depth your interpretation of a symbol might get just by letting it come to you of its own accord.

Hopefully I’ve given a few of you something to consider. As always, I claim no absolute authority on the matter, this is simply my perspective on the subject. I would love the opportunity to hear alternative views or discuss the topic further in the comments below!

New to witchcraft?

Sign up for my FREE Witchcraft class!