“Aves admittunt!” Is the name given to a series of paintings inspired by the Roman practice of ornithomancy in the context of modern relationships. “Aves admittunt!” Translates to “The birds allow it,” a phrase which Augurs used after consulting birds' movements and flight patterns to determine the will of the gods. Through this series I wanted to explore the vulnerability of beginning a new relationship and the desire for certainty, the constant analysing of actions and brief conversations. In relation to the quote “love is a battlefield,” roman officials would call upon augurs to use ornithomancy to predetermine the results of a military campaign. Drawing upon practices used by Roman Augurs to interpret the movements and behaviours of birds as omens, I related this to human interactions and connections. Exploring the highs and lows of human relations, I focussed on playfully analysing the meanings of these fleeting moments by documenting the signals from magpies, starlings, and crows. There was a delicate balance between experiencing these signals as omens for events yet to take place and interpreting them as reassurance of events that had already passed.

From left to right: Disperse 1, Texts From You, Disperse 2

Texts From You is based upon a form of ornithomancy used by Roman Augurs to predetermine the results of military campaigns. When wild birds were unavailable to divine omens from, Augurs would place chickens inside a circle of grain. Around the circle, all the letters of the alphabet were placed and as the chickens pecked the grain, the Augurs would gather the letters that the chickens had pecked to create messages which they believed predicted the future. Chickens that were thought to be sacred would also accompany the Roman army on military campaigns where Augurs used a similar form of ornithomancy to predict the outcome of a battle.

Texts From You, 2025

*Texts From You* is a reflection on these ancient practices in relation to modern relationships. In contemporary dating culture, where texting is such a prevalent form of communication, I wanted to play with the idea of trying to compose text messages in the same way Roman Augurs would seek signs and omens from chickens. The painting represents feelings of uncertainty as well as the excitement and playfulness that surrounds new relationships.

Disperse 1&2 are reflections on the nursery rhyme “One for sorrow”. As a more contemporary version of ancient ornithomancy practices, I used omens interpreted from the movements and appearances of magpies in relation to modern relationships between humans. Inspired by sightings of magpies on my walks to and from university, I reflected on the superstitions surrounding these sightings and the belief of inevitable sorrow or joy as a result of them. Disperse 1 was primarily inspired by my morning walk to university while Disperse 2 was inspired by my walk home in the evening.

“Aves admittunt!”

Poetry

I’m in the Garden