There are many times in nature when you can’t help but marvel at the beauty of it all. Seeing a horse gallop across a field, a vast field of flowers, or watching a whale surface from below the waves. There are few sights that can silence us to appreciate the awe of the spectacle. But, I would posit that watching a crane dance is one of them.
These beautiful birds are well known around the world and have inspired countless artworks across dozens of cultures. Even appearing in works made in the cold north of Europe. Few creatures tread, dance and gesticulate with their wings as if winter’s bitter bite meant nothing to them.
People associated cranes with ecstatic beauty for a long time. People interpreted their grace in countless different ways. But, to think that these birds are all style, and no substance would be a mistake.
Their beauty may be one of their most defining features and the muse to many artists. But they are no fools and look at the world from a wide perspective, before deciding what to do next.
Crane: Symbolism and Meaning
The crane is a creature that is oddly detached from us, but not necessarily hostile. They are not completely wild. They can tolerate humans in their presence. However, they are not completely docile and will generally react poorly to being treated as such.
Instead, it is best to say they are aware of us, but content to do their own thing. This acquaintanceship has led to humans observing cranes and their actions for a long time. Humans told tales and stories about them that define the creatures from our curiosity.
Considering the number of cranes there are in the world, this meaning has changed with different cultures. Yet here are the most prominent to remember: wisdom, grace, endurance, and communication.
The crane is seen as a deliberate and wise creature. Every action they take is with a purpose in mind and done with forethought. They migrate when the time is right. They take deliberate steps in their dance moves to convey their message properly. Further, they know what places or creatures to avoid.
Speaking of the crane’s dancing, every move it takes is full of grace and beauty. Each move is purposeful but wonderful, every step is done in perfect tandem with their partner. They take their graceful movements seriously. They only have few moments in their lives where no beauty can be found in their movement.
Their flight, their dance, their strut, every action must be done in order to inspire wonder. It would be unwise to mistake their propensity for elegance as weakness, though. These birds are some of the most durable on the planet.
Their migrations are vast in number and in scale. Each year these birds cover thousands of miles and can fly 200 miles in one day.
No matter what is in their path, they endure and keep moving forward. Storms, predators, human interaction, environmental problems, starvation, and dehydration. These birds take it all and keep going, never looking back or wavering.
Finally, the most well-known aspect of the crane’s personality is its communication ability. They dance to breed and communicate. Each one is unique to a species giving a jaw-dropping display for anyone watching.
This is not the crane’s only communication ability. They also have a set of specialized calls that say specific messages to one another. They define their flock as their community. Cranes are known for recognizing individuals in their group simply from their calls.
Crane: Spirit Animal
A crane spirit entering your life will often be the harbinger of good news. It comes to state how your hard work is paying off and success is around the corner. It arrives just before this revelation to caution you against lax behavior simply because you know success is coming.
The crane also comes at these moments to advise you to reflect on your life and your experiences. These moments of reflection can be crucial to seeing the path you wish to take. Not just plowing forward ceaselessly without any awareness of the danger in front of you.
This point of reflection should also be about what you should and shouldn’t reveal to people. Whether it is about your plans, trust your instincts and let them guide you.
Should a crane spirit come to you and caution you about maintaining the balance in your life, heed its warning. You may be neglecting parts of your life. Whether that be free time, work, relationships, or yourself, something is out of balance.
The crane spirit is also a great source of support in times when you need to teach or aid someone.
They allow us to access inherent knowledge within ourselves and communicate it in a clear and concise manner. Such manner is not confusing our students, thanks to their natural affinity for communication.
Crane: Totem Animal
Those born under the totem of the crane do not crack under pressure. They focus completely on the task at hand. Moreover, they endure whatever comes their way to complete it.
They are patient, never rushing or hurrying. Instead, completing whatever they are doing in however long it would take to complete. This patience and concentration give birth to another trait, which is that of a level-headed and fair individual that never takes anything at face value.
They observe and take in all details before making a judgment, which is frequently balanced, logical, and they try to see the argument from all perspectives and sides. This regularly results in advice that is perfect for the situation and does not negatively impact those who take it.
Activity and routine invigorate those of the crane totem, they find themselves doing little rituals throughout the day, and they tend to stick to routines to the point of slight obsessiveness.
Yet, this should not be taken as a negative, as it is all about mindfulness and keeping their mental health in good condition.
Activities play into this by giving crane people a place to focus and relax, winding down the day in a personal bubble of the activity of their choice, whether that be cycling, martial arts, or even just a brisk walk.
The idea of a personal bubble is essential to crane people, and they are quite secretive about their day-to-day, despite its set routine, with a personal distaste amongst most cranes for nosy people.
If your life seems chaotic and control is slipping from your fingertips, then the crane is the perfect power animal to come in and strengthen your grip.
This power animal will help you restore balance, by managing your energy and time before redirecting your attention to the important things.
Its calm, stoic nature in the face of uncertainty and deliberate actions will give a clear guide on what to do and help you navigate through your troubles.
The crane is great for predicting what is coming next and adapting to life’s changes, it will teach you to endure and survive these concerns without them weighing on your mind.
If the issues you are having are communicative in nature, the crane can also provide you with great power here as its communication abilities are second to none.
And it weathers the most bitter of insults or social fumbles with confidence and hardly a backward glance, its advice is well-thought-out with few ulterior motives making it worth taking.
Far Eastern Crane Symbolic Meaning
Throughout much of the far east, cranes are believed to be symbols of longevity and happiness.
In fact, throughout Han Chinese artwork and literature Cranes have been thought of as Taoist immortals who have transformed into cranes at their own discretion in order to fly or complete various journeys.
In Japan, cranes have always been thought of as sacred or mystical animals that symbolize good luck and immortality thanks to the fabled lifespan they were said to have (up to 1000 years).
This symbolism has changed to one of peace and respect for innocent victims of war in more modern times, thanks to Sadako Sasaki.
A victim of the Hiroshima bombings that survived and died from a disease caused by the bomb, Sasaki knew of the legend that the person who makes 1000 origami cranes will be granted one wish.
Sasaki completed the cranes, but tragically still died at age 12. In her death, she became an international symbol, changed the meaning of cranes for the Japanese people, and started a ritual of making origami cranes for those who are sick.
Be warned, should a crane visit you in your dreams, it is something that you should never ignore.
Every action they take is deliberate and planned, meaning its visit to your dream is not only necessary but vital to your life.
A crane arriving shows that someone is coming to visit you and that visit is also bearing wrongs you committed in your past, wrongs that you now have the chance to put right should you choose.
If your dream contains many cranes that form a flock around you, then you will soon uncover truths in your life, either about yourself or the people around you.
These truths will give you a greater perspective of your role in life and help you focus on what you wish for, rather than what others wish.
Should a crane be flying in any capacity in your dream, then it is foretelling your own wealth and prosperity.
If it flies south, then expect this wealth to come your way, but a north flying crane is warning about a business’s financial trouble, and you would do well to avoid making rash financial decisions for a while.
However, if you see a pair of flying cranes, then the relationships in your life may be getting better and your bond with a particular person closer.
Crane tattoos are most commonly associated with loyalty and success in relationships. Cranes are incredibly loyal partners and tend to have the same mating partner for life, therefore when people get a crane tattoo they are often hoping for the same success in relationships as cranes have.
Not only this but thanks to the legends that come from China and Japan, cranes are also symbols of longevity, and many who get the crane as a tattoo are hoping for their divine blessing on their own lifespan, extending it for as long as possible.
There are many who consider this sacred blessing to be one of good luck as well, with the story of Sadako Sasaki inspiring a great number of people in particular, and they ink their bodies in hope of receiving the good luck that the crane is said to give.
Crane: Spiritual Meaning
Our spiritual attachment to the crane is actually quite unique amongst the animals of spirituality, as most creatures influence our view of them through a series of cause and effect actions on other things.
Yet, this is not the case for the crane, as its actions are only for the benefit of itself. They cause no harm or benefit to others, their actions are solely done to show us the majesty of these creatures.
When touched by their aura, we immediately feel their elegance and grace, but they do not move any faster for our benefit.
Our opinion means little to them, and they make each action as deliberately as if it was their first, no movement is wasted for they are communicating with one another and nothing must be misconstrued.
The wisdom they show in their patient dance moves and endurance they display throughout each step is magnificent, everything is done right and in good time and a crane will happily share this way of doing things if you were to only ask.
Cranes are part of the primal astrological and zodiac figures, with those born under the sign of the crane being generous and graceful people who will strike up a conversation with someone without a second thought.
There are dreamers who refuse to conform to the world around them and much rather live in a fantasy of their own choosing rather than the mundane world around them.
Crane people’s goals tend to be quite lofty and would take extraordinary work to reach, but they are determined and will weather whatever they need to make it to achieve their vision.
These romantic and friendly inclinations make them steadfast friends and fantastic listeners, who will stop at nothing for those they care about.
However, this can make them cautious in their own actions, and they may not take steps for their own happiness, rather defaulting to helping others.
This kind heart also contains a deep sense of justice, and crane people will happily fight any action they see as unfair or unjust in order to help others and base a lot of their success in life on being a good person.
Crane: Symbolic Meanings
Wisdom and perception.
Grace and elegance.
Endurance and determination.
Communication and conveyance.
Longevity and good luck.
Nobility and justice.
Final Thoughts
Standing across a lake and watching a crane dance is a spectacle. The beauty of their dance moves and synchronicity of each crane to another really shows you why we consider a crane such a majestic creature.
Looking beyond this display, though, will reveal a thoughtful creature that we can learn a lot from both physically and spiritually, while the crane would be happy to teach us what we wish to know.
Diane has always been interested in spirituality and self-improvement. She is a happy and outgoing person. She started her spiritual journey with Chandra while looking for tools to bring positivity to their lives. She boosts her mind with self-care and affirmations. However, she also knows what crystals to wear based on her feelings. She also practices the law of attraction.
