Totem of the day is Crane! Return to an old hobby that you would like to bring back into your life. Work on spending time balancing the parts of your life outside and within in order to become healthier. In the coming time, pay attention to signs around you for messages. It may be a time when glimpses of the future are open to you so stand with a relaxed vigil in order to access the signs and omens coming to you. The Crane spirit guide is known for it's connection to longevity, justice, inspiration, understanding, and as conduits for astral traveling. Crane can often show up to remind us of the creative joys of working with others in a social setting. Dancing as a form of body language can be very beneficial and Crane reminds us how we can find our inspirations and mental support by learning how to speak with our actions. Look to Crane for support when wanting to bring understanding between individuals or groups. Crane can also show us when we are stretching ourselves too thin and must refocus our creative energies into only one or two items for proper focus. These birds have long been seen as messengers for omens from the spirits or Gods. In Asian tales, the Crane was called a heavenly messenger while in China it was believed they could fly to the Isle of Immortals, or the home of the eight immortals. The Romans saw Cranes as sacred to Demeter and a sign of rejuvenation for spring to come once more. People who connect with Crane often possess clairvoyance that enables them to catch glimpses of the future. They live without worry and it takes a lot to ruffle their feathers. These individuals can slip into focused trances that have them missing what goes on around them, however, they are extremely sensitive to their environments. When dealing with foes, they have an ability to create a common ground to speak peacefully.

Cranes, Gruidae, are a family of omnivorous birds that can live between 15 and 30 years in the wild. There are 15 species of Crane including the Demoiselle Crane featured in this illustration. These ancient birds can be traced back up to 60 million years ago with their closest living relative being the New World Limpkin found in the Southern Americas from Florida to Argentina. The next closest relative would be the Trumpeters. However, they are not related to other birds such as herons despite their similarities. One way to tell them apart would be how they fly. When flying, a Heron will carry it's neck with a curve, however, Cranes hold their necks out straight as they fly in order to help aid in controlling their large bodies. Cranes can be found all over the world except in South America and Antarctica. The most diverse species can be found in East Asia with a population of 8 different species. They prefer wet habitats such as swamps or temperate wetlands. These birds require large amounts of open space and water, however, will sometimes move onto grasslands to rear their young. Some species even nest or feed in grasslands, however, require wetlands for roosting during the night. Only the two African crowned crane species roost in trees. Some of the Crane species are known as migratory birds while others will remain in the same area all year around. Those that migrate will undergo enormous migrations over hundreds of miles. A few species will even have individual populations that are either migratory or sedentary. Cranes are long-legged and long-necked birds perfectly adapted for their marshland environments. The largest species of Crane, the Sarus Crane is the tallest flying bird in the world coming in at a height of over 5 feet tall with a weight of around 17 lbs. The heaviest crane is the Red-crowned Crane which can weigh up to 26 lbs. The smallest species of Crane is the Demoiselle Crane weighing only just over 6 lbs with a wingspan of around 70 inches and a height of up to 30 inches. In order to aid in communication, all cranes except for the Demoiselle and the blue crane possess bald patches of skin on their face that can be expanded to change the intensity of color. The Blue, Demoiselle, and Wattled cranes will use feathers on the head that can be moved for communication. Communication also occurs with the use of a specialized trachea. In the Crowned crane species, this trachea is quite short while others have a longer trachea that enables them to amplify their call over several miles. Cranes have many specialized calls that begin as low, purring calls to contact parents or beg for food as chicks. It is said that Cranes singing together creates a beautiful duet. Active during the day, cranes are highly social and form large flocks. However, during, the breeding season, they will become solitary and territorial. When breeding season occurs, Cranes will form monogamous pairs that last their entire life. These pairs will bond during their second or third years of life, however, it may take several more years before breeding occurs. If breeding is unsuccessful, they may divorce the pair bond to find new mates. Migratory cranes will breed between April and June when they reach their summer breeding grounds. Females will lay between 3 and 5 eggs which will hatch into chicks that are taken care of by the parents until they are ready to leave the nest. Tropical species will breed during wet seasons. The diet of a Crane consists of plant matter such as berries, nuts, seeds, leaves, and fruits, as well as animals such as snails, insects, worms, and small mammals, reptiles, or birds. In wetlands, they will also consume tubers, roots, mollusks, amphibians, and small fish. Cranes use various techniques for the specific food they are hunting. Some will spend time digging holes they expand to search for tubers while others will move slowly probing with their bills for insects or animals.