I started feeding the crows on Saturdays, several years ago, to “strengthen” Saturn’s function in my life. I’ve done other kinds of Saturn remedies too, but feeding the crows is my favorite Saturn (and Rahu) remedy.
Saturn’s function in our lives is to help us to develop long-term stability and focus, to persevere in the face of delays and obstacles, and to endure the kind of pain that is beyond our ability to control.
When Saturn is strong, we can work for long periods in isolation to complete something of long-term value, and we’re willing to do all the annoying, tedious stuff involved in any successful project.
When first Vedic astrologer I ever went to recommended that I feed the crows to help Saturn take care of Saturn’s significations in my life, I thought he was kidding.
Saturn rules Saturday
But no, he said feeding birds, different foods on different days of the week, support the planets. Each day of the week corresponds to one of the traditional seven planets, and as you’ve figured out, Saturn rules Saturday. I was intrigued by this unusual idea, so I started to feed the crows on Saturdays.
The concept is that when the crows seem to trust you (they’re too smart to trust humans easily), then you’ll know you’ve gained the favor of Saturn. Feeding the crows is also a way of developing a relationship with Saturn and what Saturn represents. Feeding the crows strengthens the Saturn function within your psyche.
Being someone who starts (too many) projects with enthusiasm, but often doesn’t finish them, this seemed like a fun way to develop more discipline and focus. If it’s fun, I’m interested 🙂
For a couple of years, my husband and I fed the crows on the front lawn of our house. After a month, we noticed that the crows were sitting on the telephone wires waiting for us on Saturday morning.
The amazing thing was, they didn’t line up and wait for us every day, but only on Saturdays! At first, we just threw out plain bread heels and sometimes other leftovers. But we were so delighted that they were smart enough to know when it was Saturday, that we started to spoil them a little.
A Menu for Crows
We added peanut butter, honey, and sunflowers seeds to the bread heels. My husband figured out that they didn’t like the typical birdseed used to feed birds because the seeds were too small for their larger beaks.
We also discovered that they love dried cat food, but that dried dog food pieces are too large for them to eat comfortably.
After a time of feeding and watching them, we noticed their personalities and how they looked at different life stages; the adolescents are shinier and sleeker, and smaller, of course, than the adults.
We have never seen any of their babies, nor did we go looking for their nests because we didn’t want to threaten the bond we seemed to be developing with them.
What Happened When We Stopped
Two years later, we had to move. We only moved down the street and around the corner to an apartment building. We stopped feeding them because several children played on the lawn inside the apartment complex. We never saw the crows walking around or foraging on that lawn.
I felt terrible, though, especially when they seemed to follow my car everywhere I went. For a while, every time I got in or out of my car, whether I was at the local grocery store, or 23 miles away in the parking lot of my job, the crows were right there cawing and squawking at me. Just like they were giving me a good scolding.
I thought it could have been my imagination, but they stopped following and scolding me after about two months. I noticed and was relieved when they stopped, but I continued to feel bad about not being able to feed them anymore.
About eight months after moving to the apartment building, we decided to see if they would come down to the lawn area and eat if we left food out for them.
They Come Back
It took about four months, but we started to see them cautiously (caution is a Saturn quality) hopping on the grass, inspecting, and then eating the food we left out for them.
It’s such a simple thing, requiring nothing more from us than putting out food out for them every Friday night after midnight. Still, when we saw them once again eating the food, we were as delighted as if we had spotted unicorns.
One day, I was sitting in my home office, and I noticed a crow kept flying close to the window, squawking his head off. There was no window sill he could alight on, so he just kept flying by as close as he could.
I realized that we had forgotten to leave food out for them the night before as usual (there had been some recent changes to our schedules that threw everything off).
The crows knew who was feeding them and what apartment we lived in, even though it was always dark when we left out the food. Even more incredible is that they knew what room I worked in! Mind you; my office was in the back of the apartment. These are intelligent birds, did I mention that?
Not Exactly Bird-Brains
Check out this video about the intelligence of crows:
Ravens and crows – the most intelligent birds in the world
Why Does Saturn & Rahu Rule Crows?
Rahu, the north node of the Moon, is the inventor. He represents the far future and developing technologies in every field. Crows are inventors, and they can make and use tools in intelligent and unexpected ways (see videos above).
They are also often seen as harbingers of something hard coming in the future. Feeding the crows when you are in a Rahu time period will help you with that turbulent Rahu energy.
Saturn rules crows because they are scavenger birds, they eat nearly everything including other dead animals. Crows are usually black in color and are associated with death in many cultures (probably because they are carrion birds). Saturn is the natural planet of death.
Who Can Benefit From Feeding the Crows
- rules your Ascendant (Capricorn or Aquarius rising)
- is afflicting your Moon (Saturn with, or aspecting, the Moon)
- is in weak dignity (Saturn in the signs of Aries, Leo, or Cancer)
- rules your current Dasa or Bhukti periods
- is afflicted by being with Rahu, Ketu, or Mars
- Saturn is transiting your Moon sign or the sign before and after
your Moon - is transiting over your Ascendant
Crows on Saturdays for Saturn – Just curious – what about the other days of the week, what birds do you feed on Monday (moon), Tuesday (mars), Wednesday (Mercury), Thursday (Jupiter), Friday (VENUS), Sunday (sun)???
Doves maybe for the Moon?
what planet would chickadees represent because i certainly have that one covered!!
Hi Susan,
I wrote you a rather long email about this. I’m thinking of writing an article. Thanks for the inspiration1
Hi Karen, this is really interesting. I started feeding crows quite randomly and now they fly outside my window and try to get our attention. This article was so interesting from a Rahu/Saturn perspective
Thank you, Shilpa! It would be fun to hear about your experience with them over time too 🙂
Yes. I do have an astonishing experience with crows. I do feed crows with curd rice and Black Seasame seeds on Saturdays for more than 25 years. I just started this habit when I was about 7 years old just by observing one of the elders in my family doing it. By that time, I would not even know for what we do it. I had joined hostel for college education. Because in hostel we cannot do it so sacredly as we do it at home, I stopped feeding crows on Saturdays which I had been doing for years. Everyday I used to go to temple within our campus before I go to my classes. And every Saturday, a crow from no clue would just come and poke my head with its beak and you know this happened only on Saturdays. I just didn’t consider it big. But to my wonder, this repeated for about 8 consecutive Saturdays. Then I realised and started feeding them on Saturdays as I used to do before and the crow never poked my head from then on. And still I am doing it. You can learn a lot from crows apart from being a scavenger. A crow never eats alone immediately it sees food. It will always call other crows and share with them. Whenever a Male crow is there around, the female crows would let him finish and only after him, the female crows would eat. The crows will never forget your face and your spiritual connectivity with it. I have felt it. You know when I ask some questions, it responds. Whenever it wants food, it comes and caws sitting in front of my kitchen door and windows asking for food. Such a sacred soul !!!!
I found your article very interesting….as I had similar experiences with crows,dat I have been feeding them for years.I started feeding them,on my terrace with left overs, due to curiosity….
Over the period of time,have learnt so much from them…. really they are very intelligent.
I found your article very interesting….as I had similar experiences with crows,dat I have been feeding for years.I started feeding them,on my terrace with left overs, due to curiosity….
Over the period of time,have learnt so much from them…. really they are very intelligent.
I live in LA. It’s hot. Scorching type of hot. Very little water sources out there.. I’ve been feeding the common birds throughout the year. About 3 month ago there were two crow youngsters, screaming constantly. Parents tried feeding them, but with covid-19/ all the restaurants being closed, not much can be scavengered for the growing kids. I offered them some eggs, wet dog food and whole grain bread.. and been feeding them every day since then. We had a couple of hawks visiting the neighborhood after all the fires broke out, and one of the young crows was chased by them.. he flew right to my door, smashing and screaming.. we ran out and the hawks left…
Ended up reading this article (was looking for other food offerings to add some variety to their diet).. so interesting. Never knew there is a connection to astrology. Thank you for the article.
That is a very interesting story! Thanks for sharing it with us.
I am also feeding the crows regularly right from lockdown started because of the spread of pandemic covid-19. I have noticed a special behaviour, that I want to share, That was they respect their spouses, I have seen so many times that they sit very close to eachother and they both bow down their head towards their feet, every time this gesture gives me the feel like they are saying somthing in the respect of eachother.
Please correct me if I have explained it differently 👍🙏💐🌹
Revathy, what a great crow story! I laughed about the crows pecking your head on Saturdays because you stopped feeding them. So similar to my experience of them chasing and scolding me for months after we moved. You have to admire the crows for directly asking for what they want 🙂
Oh, that is so sweet! I haven’t noticed that, but now I’ll watch more closely to see it. I believe crows mate for life.
Wow! This is so crazy! I noticed the crows scavenging a few weeks back (perhaps they were looking for a new winter roost). There are 2 gigantic redwood trees (about 50-60 years old) in my neighbors yard that are about 150ft tall. I feed my three small dogs outside every morning because they are messy eaters. The crows began to come and scavenge right after we were done and had gone inside. With great joy I watch them through my kitchen window! Now I have started adding extra food (whatever I have lying around: veggies, proteins, some grain) and they are my new friends. When I laid out some finely chopped frozen butter pieces they were so excited they squawked to attract nearby friends!
After reading your Saturn story I have decided to take this very seriously as I am an artist and have a terrible habit of starting numerous paintings yet never fully completing them. Thanks for the tip!
Mia in San Mateo, California 🙂
Hi Susan,
Great article. I started feeding crows few months back during Pitra Paksh, I feed food what ever is available for me in the morning. It could be bread, nuts, almost everyday. When you mentioned about Saturn, I have to say my Saturn is with Venus in 11th house of Cancer, going through Moon Mahardasha. Saturn is also in my 1st house of Pisces Navamsha as my Atmakaraka. Thank you for the article.
when i first started feeding crows in the park by the water, a crow swooped down on the rocks and came up with a fishing memento for me. it was 3 small bells tied together. i come to the park and feed them every day. they are so beautiful. the seagulls stay away except for two who i feed also who keep the other seagulls away and the crows feel safe. I love the way they get close to my car and blink and look at me.
Hi Karen
Very Nice article , can you please tell about other days in week.
Hi Karen,
I like reading your articles and listening your astrology videos. I have started feeding crows in my backyard every Saturday couple of months ago. I share this house with other housemates. I have noticed lately that crows are building something with small branches exactly on the roof above my bedroom. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Regards
Valentina
Hi crows don’t come where I live and more I’ve I live in appartment I’m only able to feed pigeons Mina they come every morning they are fond of rice I buy the long grain rice and feed them
Hi Karen ,
Nice article.
Do you know that Crows like fried stuff. They just love *Ghatia* . This is a speciality of Gujaratis in India. It’s made out of Besan flour.
Never feed Leftovers to Crows.
In India we believe that they represent Lord Yamadev ,the God of Death, they are the Vehicle of Lord Shanidev n all our Ancestors. Infact after death, when the soul is making its journey to heaven or hell, the crows carry food n water for the souls.
That’s the reason we should not give leftovers n spoilt food to them.
I have been.feeding 200 crows everyday from 2014.
They come at 5:30 am n start cawing . They will not eat alone. They early ones are the callers , who will call n bring the others. They will eat last.
Also the Crows also have clans
Lots of fights take place between clans.
They will remember your face.
They offer protection from your enemies.
I feed them Curd Rice on Saturdays.
Feeding a Black Dog , Roti with a bit of Mustard Oil or Sesame oil on Saturdays also is helpful during Shani dasa n Sadisati
Hi Mia, thank you for commenting and telling your story about the crows eating the butter pieces!
Hi Prabal, I don’t know about that but it sure sounds like it’s some kind of loving gesture. Have you heard them talk to their babies? It’s amazing!
Hi Mrita, that’s a great story, thank you for sharing it! How wonderful that you are taking such good care of the crows, Saturn will be pleased 🙂
Hi Harsha, thank you for sharing this with us, I’d love to hear some of the things you’ve learned from the crows!
I love this crow story!
Jestem małym astrologiem. Wszystkim zalecam karmić ptaki, zależnie od problematycznej planety. Dla wron zawsze robi się świeże jedzenie i ma być jeszcze ciepłe i bardzo tłuste z cukrem (sweet Roti) innym małym ptakom wystarczą ziarenka i dobry dzień na to środa, gołębie w poniedziałek i czwartek a lubią ryż, kukurydzę i owies. Nie powinno się nikogo karmić nie wegetariańskim jedzeniem jeśli chcemy poprawić działanie planet, mimo że mogą to lubić.
Polish to English Translation of Zenobiusz`s comment via Google Translate:
I’m a little astrologer. I recommend that everyone feed the birds, depending on the problematic planet. For crows, fresh food is always prepared and it should be still warm and very fatty with sugar (sweet Roti), for other small birds, grains are enough and Wednesday is a good day for it, pigeons on Monday and Thursday and they like rice, corn and oats. No one should be fed non-vegetarian food if we want to improve the functioning of the planets, even though they may like it.
Thank you for your detailed recommendations of feeding the crows and other birds. Where did you get this information, if I may ask? It’s very interesting. We’ve been feeding the crows all kinds of things, except when it rains. They don’t like the food when it’s been rained on.
Hi Valentina, It sounds like they were building a nest, a symbol of new life. I would take that as a positive omen!
Thank you for telling us your story, Mrita!
Wow! Such a great article Karen.
I now realize this is probably why my elders keep on feeding the crows randomly every now and then. We used to feed them a small item which my grandmother used to say is what they love (gathiya) :p There were times the crows would come cawing through the windows and I would shoo them away. Once, while sleeping near the window bed, a crow literally pecked me hard on my butt lol. Haha. We believe the crows that came to the window were are dead relatives. There used to be a crow who always visited us when we cooked meat. My grandma would say that’s my grandpa haha.
Honestly, though I am scared of crows and their beaks, would you recommend me feeding crows? I have Saturn in my 1st house (Pisces rising) and also undergoing Sade Sati as per what I was told.
We don’t have crows around us. Plenty of birdlike that gets fed but no crows. How can we attract them.