Rick de Yampert, FlaglerLive’s arts and culture writer, will have his book “Crows and Ravens: Mystery, Myth, and Magic of Sacred Corvids” released March 8 by Llewellyn, one of the world’s major metaphysical publishers.
The Palm Coast author will hold a book signing and meet-and-greet from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, March 9, at Vedic Moons – Ayurvedic Wellness, Metaphysical Shop & Herbal Apothecary, 4984 Palm Coast Pkwy NW, Unit 4-6, Palm Coast.
The event also will feature de Yampert’s Mr. Crow art for sale.
For more information, see the Vedic Moons website at vedicmoons.com, or call the shop at 386-585-5167.
See de Yampert’s Llewellyn author page here, and his Amazon page here. Visit de Yampert’s personal websites at rickdeyampert.com and mistercrowart.com.
“Crows are expressive creatures whose intelligence has been well-documented by science,” de Yampert says, noting that ravens are not found in Florida. “Wildlife biologist John Marzluff calls crows ‘feathered apes.’ They recognize human faces upon seeing them again, and they especially remember humans who have tried to do them harm, and those who have favored them. Crows make and use tools. They hold ‘crow funerals’ for their deceased.”
Crows and their cousins the ravens – both part of the family of birds known as corvids – feature prominently in the myths, legends and spiritualities of cultures around the world, including the ancient Celts, the Norse and Native American tribes.
“My spiritual path is Pagan – we Pagans believe Spirit and Divinity are manifested in nature,” de Yampert says. “Crows are sacred creatures to me – they are the living embodiment of an aspect of Gaia, the great Earth Goddess.”
de Yampert’s Mr. Crow art “springs from the 10,000 or so photos I’ve taken of these magical, mystical creatures in nature,” he says. “In this case nature is the backyard of my home in Palm Coast, which borders on woods where I have witnessed deer, a bobcat, turtles, black racer snakes, red-shouldered hawks, squirrels and other wildlife.
“I shape-shift my photos through a half-dozen digital programs, including a digital ‘paint’ process in which the mouse is used as various ‘brushes’ to apply colors and lines. I then have the images printed on canvas. I never use Photoshop or AI, and I never alter the shapes of the crows themselves. The forms of the crows you see in my art – heads tilted this way or that, wings a-flutter, etc. – are the way my camera captured them in nature. My art is my way to visibly portray crows’ magical, mystical nature.”
