I’ve been asked this question a few times now, and I did mention in an earlier post that I would explain why.

It does seem a little strange, to some, that a blog about cancer would have such a title. But I like strangeness. It allows us to venture into the unknown sometimes. It can also challenge us as some people are afraid of strangeness.

They don’t need to be though. Just because something is strange, or different, doesn’t make it dangerous. In fact, I think, often the most dangerous elements of life are sometimes the least strange.

I often find that when I come across those strange elements in life I like to have a look. Be a little inquisitive and explore the strangeness. That’s how I’ve discovered new food, music, books, films etc. I’ve learnt about new cultures, embraced people and formed new friendships with folk who have a very different background to my own. Strangeness has forced me to step out of my comfort zone and embrace life. As Danielle will tell you, I love my comfort zone. But sometimes we all need to get out of our comfort zones and embrace the strangeness of life.

Cancer has certainly done that for me. What a weird strange trip this one is. Out of the blue, unexpected and a destroyer of comfort zones. It is a strange business this cancer trip. There are so many different opinions and view points. But what I’m finding on this journey is there is so much fear around it, from all walks of life. Understandably too as a lot of people die from cancer. Both my parents did, as did an aunt and an uncle. However, what you also learn on this journey is that a lot of people survive cancer. Where there is cancer there is also hope.

I met a lady recently who had been given two weeks to live, she had been in palliative care in the hospital. This lady had bone cancer and a massive tumour in her lung. She couldn’t walk anymore and her life appeared to be ending. This lady showed me photos, on her phone, of what she looked like, bed ridden and fragile in the hospital. She looked like a person who was going to die. But her husband didn’t give up, and neither did she. He removed her from the hospital and sought different treatments to that which had been on offer. Now, nineteen months later she is cancer free. When I met her she looked nothing like what she did in those photos. Her weight has come back, she can walk and her last scans showed no signs of cancer. Fantastic and amazing!! So you have to have hope and if something isn’t working change it. And keep changing it until you find something that does.

We have to learn to step out of fear and into hope. I certainly have had to do this and I’ll admit it’s not always easy. But the more you face fear and allow it to flow over you, rather than trying to bury it, the more you overcome it. Until you realise that the only thing to fear is fear itself. Then you start to realise that you don’t even need to fear the fear. You can use it and utilise it to move forwards and bring in hope. Hope will save you. It will give you courage and strength to overcome the adversity of what you’re going through.

I have hope, just like the lady I mentioned, that I will overcome my cancer. I will keep living and enjoying life, one day at a time.

What has all of that got to do with the title of this blog? I can hear a few of you grumbling. He’s off on one again. For goodness sake get back on track.

Well, I kind of am in a round about way.

The cancer part of the title is fairly self explanatory. I mean, it does seem kind of obvious to put that in the title. That way I like to think people who stumble across my blog will have a slight indication as to what it could be about. Although they might think it could be to do with astrology. Well, they’re in for a shock, or possibly an enlightening surprise, when they start reading.

Either way, cancer part of the title explained. Now onto the raven part.

Ok, I will state, here and now, that I like ravens. And crows too for that matter. I know some people don’t but they are one of my favourite birds. They’re also from the same family known as the corvidae. Which, incidentally, includes rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies, choughs, and nutcrackers. I think there are about 133 species in this family. But you’ll have to do your own research to find out what they all are. I’m too busy writing this to do it for you, and I’m fairly sure you wouldn’t want me to list them all here.

Ravens are very smart, have utilised tools like stones and twigs to find and hide food, and can speak their own language amongst other things. No, I don’t speak raven but there are plenty of videos on YouTube showing you all of the above. Again, do your own research folks.

However, none of this is to do with the title. The reason for the title comes down to the mythology of the raven. They are a mythical creature that traverse the globe. From indigenous Australia to indigenous America. From viking mythology to celtic mythology. They go right back through time and history.

The raven is a shape shifter and it can teach us how to adapt. It can show us how to shift our consciousness so that we can change with any new environment or situation. This change of consciousness helps with stepping out of fear and into hope, like I mentioned earlier.

Raven is the bird of creation and healing. They can teach you how to stir the magic of life without fear and are deeply connected to the creative life force that runs through all of us. They can access that life force and go into the otherworld to stir the energies and manifest what you need. By doing this they symbolise the power of healing. The type of healing that comes from having the courage to confront the darker parts of the unconscious that hold us back and that can create physical illness within the self. The raven teaches how to go into the dark and bring out the light. The light that brings a shift in consciousness, which in turn starts the healing process. A healing process that transcends the spiritual, the emotional and the physical. With each trip into the dark we develop the ability to bring out more light.

The raven stands at the doorway between life and death and teaches you to fear neither. That it can travel between both worlds to bring healing, but also messages from the otherworld. It is a powerful totem in many cultures, and if it turns up in your life then it is letting you know that the powers of creation and magic are at work with your will and intention.

Now, you may not believe any of this. Which is fair enough. But I don’t think all these ancient cultures, from all around the world, made stuff up on a whim. All legends start somewhere and probably have an element of truth in them. But at the end of the day it’s what you believe.

We have a raven that comes to visit now and again. It’s a bit of a regular really. And strangely enough it seems to turn up on everyday that I’m contemplating doing some writing. It also turns up when I haven’t written for awhile and starts speaking very loudly outside the house. Almost as if to say “Come on, get on with it.” Maybe I can speak the language.

This is why the blog is called ‘The Cancer Raven’. It just seemed the right thing to do. I didn’t plan to call it that but it just kind of happened. And I like the name as it fits my purpose. So now you know.

Till next time. Live life and enjoy it.

Big love, Jon