10 Grackle Symbolism Facts & Meaning: A Totem, Spirit & Power Animal

If you think that all black birds are symbols of gloom and doom, along comes the Grackle to prove you wrong. While not as famous as other black birds such as the crow and raven, nor as well-known as its family members (the lark and oriole), the Grackle nevertheless hops in to help bring us joy. Bright and cheerful — a complete opposite to its color — the Grackle is happy to share its happiness to other people.

Grackle Symbolism Facts & Meaning: A Totem, Spirit & Power Animal

In fact, one of the greatest lessons it imparts is the ability to cheer other people, sometimes even though it may hurt us.

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Grackle Symbolism & Meaning

The common Grackle is visually distinguished from other black birds by the variations of its colors. While some Grackles have black colorations from head to tail, most of them have heads bathed in shades varying from bluish to bronze. This in itself is a statement from the Grackle, and one we can adopt — just because one looks like something, does not necessarily mean that it is.

Our current society is adept at making judgments. In fact, we have so refined and codified the way we make judgments that the activity pervades our personal and professional lives deeply. But while it is necessary, we must remember not to be so engrossed in our judgments that we refuse to give the other person or party a chance to prove themselves different. Judgments are only good for making initial estimates — over time, we tend to see what the other person really is, and this can be drastically different from the traits we initially thought we recognized.

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Grackle Spirit Animal

Because of its color, the Grackle can be easily judged, but it doesn’t care. In fact, it just continues to spread its goodwill to the world around it. This is the same message it gives us as a spirit animal. When the Grackle comes to your life, it is time to stop thinking too much about how others perceive you. Instead, you should focus a bit closer on how you present yourself to others. If one stands by idly and just lets the judgment flow in, then man’s propensity to paint others with whatever comes to mind will take precedence. Remember, black is the color of nothingness, and this makes you even more vulnerable to be splashed with the colors of society’s choosing. But if you let yourself be heard, just as the Grackle’s song, then others will see you for what you truly are.

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Grackle Power Animal

If you need the power to look past all criticisms and judgments to let true self shine, then call on the power of the common Grackle. We all encounter that moment in our lives when our thoughts and actions run (at least superficially) against the grain of the social norm. When we need to be understood and heard for our message, the Grackle’s song comes to help.

This is also true the other way around. We often encounter individuals who are shunned (frequently behind their backs) by a society that looks down on things it refuses to understand. The Grackle helps us to reach out to these people, to spread the cheer to them and to bring them into the fold. Once we know how to understand the Grackle, we also know how to understand others despite their apparent differences.

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Grackle Totem Animal

A person with the Grackle totem can, especially in their school years when cliques reign supreme, turn into a social outcast. This is an extreme example (in fact many Grackle people make it through school without being this) but curiously the Grackle doesn’t seem to be bothered by it. Others may see this as just another part of their weirdness, but the truth is that such nonchalant behavior comes from a deep self-understanding. Grackle people are very intuitive about themselves, knowing by instinct how they present themselves and how others are viewing them. They don’t bother to change the way they are, though, because they know such efforts are futile. Deep down, they know they hold a special message — and as soon as people hear that message, they will realize how much it makes sense and how that makes the Grackle just as much like them as any.

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Grackle Native American Symbolism

Despite being a native of the New World, Grackles do not occupy a significant segment of Native American symbolism. The few mentions of the Grackle make it out to be an aid against “emotional congestion” — that time when your emotions run so high that they make a tangled yarn of themselves. It is often during this time that paralysis sets in. We start making emotional mistakes that translate to anything from missed opportunities to broken relationships. The Grackle helps create a healthier emotional state, keeping you focused on what really matters in yourself.

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Grackle Celtic Symbolism

The Grackle has also not been accorded any special meaning by the ancient Celts, though Celtic jewelry has included birds that are part of the Grackle’s family.

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Grackle Far Eastern Symbolism

In the Far East, the Grackle has likewise not attracted any symbolisms attached to it.

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Grackle in Dreams

When the Grackle comes to your dreams, it is important to check whether the opinions of others and the pressure society exerts upon you is taking an emotional toll. Maybe it is time to distance yourself from these and focus on yourself instead.

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Grackle Encounters / Grackle Omens

When Grackles come to you, you need to look at the way you communicate with others. Are you really getting your message across as loud and clear as the Grackle’s melody? Or are you letting others’ opinions influence the way you speak?

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Grackle Mythology and Folklore

There are no myths on record that involve Grackles, save those that have been created in recent years by people fascinated by these songbirds. Given what we know about the Grackle, though, it is highly likely that won’t bother them —  they will just keep carrying on with their song and their cheer! Here is to hoping that the stories they eventually have will be one of happiness and clarity that they impart to your daily life.