A harbinger is like the town crier– he heralds what is to come. Or he may be a messenger who would go ahead to announce someone’s pending arrival or some coming event.

This is the job of a harbinger spirit: one who comes first to herald an event or coming in order.

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Many people fear harbinger spirits, but they’re actually not bad. You know the old saying: don’t kill the messenger. It’s actually more to your advantage to get a warning in most cases.

There are different types of harbinger spirits; this list is by no means comprehensive but these are the most common.

MOTHMEN

If you’re familiar with the Richard Gere film, “The Mothman Prophecies,” you probably have heard of these creatures that appeared to townspeople preceding a tragic bridge collapse.

What you might not know is that this was based on true events that occurred in the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. So-called mothmen– winged creatures with human shapes– have been seen all over the world, though, heralding coming disasters in other places.

Moth men are never a welcome site, but at least you know to be on the alert.

PSYCHOPOMPS

Birds have long been seen as spiritual messengers through many cultures. Occasionally, birds are considered harbingers of death. There are many rumors that if a black raven or crow perches on your window or flies into your home, it means someone in the house will die.

On the flip side, many people who live where migratory patterns pass have had such encounters with these black feathered friends, and there was no death in the house. Other cultures dispute the notion that black birds are associated with death, so much depends on where your folklore came from.

A good rule of thumb if you see a crow or raven on your sill or fly into your home: don’t panic, but make a doctor’s appointment.

BANSHEES

A popular harbinger in Irish folklore is the banshee. Banshees are female spirits are heard wailing outside someone’s house when a family member is about to die.

Usually the people warned by the banshee are not people immediately living in the household, so you don’t have to worry about anyone under your roof. But if you have an ill relative, it may be a good time to plan a visit and help them get affairs in order.

THE JERSEY DEVIL

The Jersey Devil is a creature that many argue as legend, however this creature has had more mass sightings than just about any other obscure creature. At times, entire tour busses full of people witnessed this winged, horse-headed being leaping and bounding through the wooded areas of New Jersey. There are a lot of legends about his origins; they say he’s the 13th child of a poor woman who wanted no more children and cursed him when he was born.

While no one can really confirm the origins of the Jersey Devil, one interesting fact about him is that for the last 300 years, sightings tend to increase before wartime. Some people believe he’s not a devil at all, but an entity created by the negative energy of pending wars. His appearance warns us that that some serious political trouble may be on the horizon.

The idea of a harbinger may be frightening to you, but if you happen to see one, try to keep a level head. You might be misinterpreting something and your fear may cause you to have an unnecessary accident. Just record the sighting and contact a paranormal investigation team or psychic for help in sorting it out.