Crows and Ravens: Mystery, Myth, and Magic of Sacred Corvids

by Rick de Yampert

Exploring history, folklore, mythology, and science, this book gives you a unique look at two of the most popular magical creatures of all time. The crow and his cousin, the raven, are featured players in many cultures throughout the world, including Norse, Celtic, Jewish, and Indigenous traditions. This guide teaches you how to welcome these highly intelligent birds into your own spiritual practice, whether you follow Wicca, Heathenry, Druidry, or any other path. Crows & Ravens presents rituals, meditations, and exercises that help you discover the magic and mystery of corvids. Learn about crow and raven divination, create your own crow-raven talisman, uncover the shadowy side of corvids, and more. Found in nearly all urban and wild environments, these birds present you with magical opportunities and life lessons wherever you go.

Genres: Nonfiction, Witchcraft, Occult, Audiobook

288 pages, Paperback

Published March 8, 2024

Reviews

[Krystal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrated by Matt Weisgerber

This was a bit of a weird mix, to be honest.

I definitely tuned out more than once because it was a lot of information, but the myths and legends were still quite interesting. I was also fascinated by the concept of 'crow magic' as practiced by the author, but I don't think I'll be shapeshifting into a crow any time soon.

The author is clearly a crow/corvid NUT, and constantly refers to his crow friends that live in the trees around his house. His enthusiasm for the birds salted his words for me a bit - I found myself approaching all of his conclusions much more sceptically because he seemed to draw them based on his own predilections.

I think there was also a massive disadvantage to listening as opposed to reading, because all of the bird sounds were ridiculous and there also seemed to be a lot of parentheses used which really confused the narrative at times. Added to that, each chapter is concluded with a 'grimoire' - some aspect of 'crow magic' you can try for yourself. Having those parts read to me was a bit weird, though the background info was always interesting.

The myths and legends involved were fascinating, but I was often lost because of the sheer volume of information - sometimes just in the imparting of a particular figure's multiple names. Don't even get me started on the Irish ones - though I think I'm glad those were read out to me because I doubt I could have pronounced any of them.

It's a bit of a weird blend, having the folklore justify real world application of 'crow magic'. I keep using inverted commas for the term because it doesn't sit right with me. I'm a massive hippy and open to a lot of spiritual, magical ideas, but crow magic as described in this book is not one of them, I'm afraid. Interesting, but not something I'm sold on quite yet.

All the same, I did find listening to this audio gave me the tendency to look around outside more, and keep an eye out for corvids. It gave me a greater appreciation for the natural world, and inspired me to get more in touch with Mother Nature. So I don't think that's a bad thing.

It's certainly not a book I'd recommend to everyone - I think you have to be extremely open-minded and already inclined towards believing in real world magic. The narrator does well with the material he's given, but it's dense and hard to swallow at times.

That said, I think there will be some who take a lot from this. It hopefully will inspire the reader to look outside every now and then, and have a little more awareness in the world beyond all of our screens. And that's not such a bad thing at all.

With thanks to Netgalley for an audio ARC

[Clover · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Repetitive but has interesting lore. He clearly loves crows but it wasn't resonating with me. He repeats himself a lot, entire phrases like "crows are on every continent except for Antarctica". Another is his advice to give crackers and bread to them, there's truly better things to offer birds and we really don't need to offer them terrible food.

I liked that he included a lore section and a grimoire section so it's easy to skip over. He uses sources throughout the book, but it's not overwhelming. It's mainly just to prove his points and personal experiences with crows. He shares Norse, shamanic, and Indigenous references to corvids but it would be much better to learn these from closer sources as he only (maybe?) practices some form of Norse paganism.

This book sounded really interesting and the author is clearly passionate, but it fell flat for me unfortunately. I'm glad I found this at the library.

[Asha Blackwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Crows and Ravens by Rick De Yampert discusses the various folklore surrounding these mythical birds while also detailing his work with crows/ravens from the perspective of a magical practitioner and devotee of Gaia.

The book explores crow and raven mythology from diverse sources including the Romans, Norse, Irish, Indigenous Americans, the Bible, and a cave painting from prehistory.

Along with historical sources, the author shares his own experiences befriending crows/ravens and ways he has worked with these birds as a magical practitioner and pagan while outlining ideas for the reader to do the same.

While there is a lot to learn from Crows and Ravens and the book will be an enjoyable read for many lovers of these feathered friends, for others readers, the shift from historical knowledge to personal magical practice will feel quite jarring. The book is part nonfiction and part witchcraft grimoire, with little integration between the two.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for providing an advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

[Elyse Welles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a true compendium of Crow and Raven Lore, paired with practical exercises and ways to connect with the crows in your life.

And if you’re somebody like me who wishes you had more crows in your life, this is the book to help you get there!

I really enjoyed Rick‘s conversational tone and fun approach to Magic. He is one of the great connectors to Spirit, in my opinion. He knows what he’s doing and he makes it all sound very simple and approachable, which I promise it is.

I’ve seen some reviews mention that there’s a lot of lore and information, and that that can be overwhelming. I think it’s all about what you want out of it. This book is only 240 pages and it packs in dozens of myths and explorations on historical texts, so these chapters are short and bite-size. I would recommend it as a daily or regular reading for shorter intervals because most chapters are only eight or nine pages and it’s very manageable to approach that way.

If you like comprehensive guides to subjects, books that will cross every T and dot every i, this is the style of book you would enjoy. I felt like all my Crow and Raven questions were answered and then some!

[Janalyn, the blind reviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you think you know enough about crows and ravens trust me when I say you know nothing. In the book crows and ravens bye Richter Yamper is a book full of how they communicate directions the socializing of these great mysterious creatures their folklore their history what other populations thought of these animals and so much more. When I first received this book I thought it would be a quick fun read about… Well crows and ravens but they had everything from what the Indians thought about these birds to the folklore and Fairytales written about them. They were told separately first crows and then ravens so it’s not like it is a collective conclusion each bird gets their due. From the beginning you know the love Mr. Yamper has for these creatures he even names in Greets the crows outside of his Florida home every day and they even recognize him and his love for these birds definitely come through in the narrative with great narration in the interesting subject matter and trust me it is way more interesting than you think you will definitely enjoy this book I certainly did. I want to thank Tantore Audio and Net Galley my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars – A Fascinating (If Sometimes Wandering) Dive into the World of Corvids

Crows and Ravens is a passionate, spiritual exploration of these mysterious, intelligent birds and their deep symbolism across cultures, myths, and magickal traditions. Rick De Yampert clearly loves his subject, and that affection shines through in his lyrical writing and wide-ranging references—from Norse mythology and Native American folklore to pop culture and personal anecdotes.

I really enjoyed reading this book and found it very interesting. The blend of historical lore and mystical reverence made it a unique and thought-provoking experience. It felt like a mix between a nature walk and a spiritual journey, which added to its charm.

That said, the structure was a bit all over the place. It occasionally leaned more toward personal musing than focused study, which made some chapters feel meandering or repetitive. If you’re looking for a scholarly or organized deep dive into corvid biology or folklore, this might not be quite what you're after.

But if you're in the mood for a reflective, magick-infused tribute to the feathered tricksters of the sky, this book has a lot to offer—especially for readers drawn to the mystical side of nature.

[Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF - borrowed it from the library to learn about folklore and mythology, but from the 20% I got through, this seems to focus on the writer’s own personal interpretation of what “speaks” to him.

Also: please do not feed saltines, bread, or corn/tortilla chips to any birds. 🤦🏼‍♀️ If you need to feed something premade that isn’t specifically bird food, dog kibble is much more nutritionally balanced (particularly regarding corvids). But fresh vegetables (peas and corn in particular) are excellent for a whole host of birds (corvids and waterfowl). Just because an animal WILL eat something doesn’t mean it won’t cause nutrient imbalances. And if you genuinely care about and respect an animal, you will want them to eat the best food possible.

[justthebooksMarianKreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Netgalley for this audiobook.
I am grateful and appreciate the Christian and spiritual book that this is! The narrator did good 😊 👏

Read or listen to this book if you are into spiritual and Christian books too.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very interesting and insightful. Whilst I won't be putting any of the rituals into practice, it was nice to read another practitioners experiences with these beautiful birds, and to read the collected lore.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book very insightful and it gave me some things to think about. A nice little nudge along my spiritual path.