Witchvox Article

Author: Mi Kali D.
Posted: October 11th. 2009
Times Viewed: 1,625

"When philosophy paints its grey in grey, then has a shape of life grown old. The Owl of Minerva spreads its wings only with the coming of dusk."- Georg Friedrich Hegel

I can't say exactly when my fascination for owls began. But, drawn to them I always have been. I felt that the fear of owls that most people have is unjustified. Maybe I've never been scared because I'm a 'night owl.' Scientifically, serotonin, a vital chemical essential to healthy brain activity has "problems" under the effects of sunlight. People with high serotonin tend to be "night owls" doing all their best work and art only at night.

Over the years I've collected a few pieces of owl trivia and with it awe, fascination, and respect. Owls definitely have something to teach us, if we are willing to listen. The owl is often a guide to and through the Underworld. The owl is a symbol of the moon, the night and the feminine.

Even art portrays this in Caspar David Friedrich’s Owl in a Gothic Window. "The owl is a symbol of the keen-eyed philosopher, taking a last glance at the stony-grey shapes of the past before spreading its wings to embrace an icy dusk - that twilight of the gods that must precede the birth of a new ‘philo-sophy’. This the dawn of gnosis as love of Sophia wisdom – the wisdom of feeling cognition. " - Peter Wilberg

The owl is sometimes called a cat with wings; in fact in China the owl is called the "cat-eared hawk". We, as Witches, can see how more than any other animals, these two creatures are associated with magic. The cat and the owl share several characteristics such as heightened senses, intuition, clarity, and wisdom.

Owl's uncanny ability to hunt so effectively comes from nature's version of stealth attack. The non-fish hunting owls (stealth wouldn't be needed for those owls) evolved a unique set of wings that are dull colored so that they are nearly invisible under certain weather conditions. Much like a cat in tall grass invisibly waiting to pounce on its prey. Further, owl flight feathers have soft serrated edges that muffle their wing beats allowing them to be nearly silent. With silent wings, and bland coloring, it's easy to see how owls and cats hunting styles are accurate and similar.

The word "cailleach" in the Scottish-Gaelic means old woman, "coileach-oidhche" is the word for owl, and means "night-cockerel" not surprisingly, owls were most often associated with the Crone aspect of the Goddess.

In modern Scottish and Welsh languages, the owl, by the etymology of the word alone carries negative connotations of death and darkness. Their environment of night may be frightening and uncomfortable. Think about what people often do at night when they are afraid, they put their covers over their heads and hide. Astonishingly, 80% of wildlife is nocturnal, yet people are still fearful. People do this with all their fears consciously and subconsciously. One of the magical key abilities of the owl is discovering truth through the illusion and external appearances.

Henry David Thoreau summarized one perception of owls, when he wrote in 1854's Walden, "I rejoice that there are owls. Let them do the idiotic and maniacal hooting for men. It is a sound admirably suited to swamps and twilight woods that no day illustrates, suggesting a vast and underdeveloped nature that men have not recognized. They represent the stark twilight and unsatisfied thoughts which all [men] have."

The History of Owls Mythology and Folklore

Throughout the history of mankind, the owl has featured significantly in mythology and folklore. A prime example of owl imagery are the handle fittings found with a famous cauldron found in Bra, Jutland that dates to the 3rd century B. C. The cauldron was found in a bog in Bra, and was believed to have been a votive offering that was broken into pieces before it was deposited. When put together, the cauldron spanned over a meter in diameter and was adorned by several owls. Owls are one of the few birds that have been found in prehistoric cave paintings, and have been both revered and feared throughout many civilizations from ancient to more recent times. It was believed that owls did not come out during the day because they were so beautiful and would be mobbed by other birds out of jealousy.

In many parts of the world, owls have been depicted as harbingers of ill and death. In Cameroon, the owl has no name; it is only referred to as "the bird that makes you afraid."

Societies such as the Kikuyu of Kenya, the Aztecs and Mayans, along with other natives of Mesoamerica, all agree in this belief the owls don't have our best interest in mind. In fact, the Aztec god of death, Mictlantecuhtli, was often depicted with owls. The fear they inflict is no doubt caused by their nocturnal activity and common screeching call. Some tribes referred to death as "crossing the owls bridge".

Some people believed that owls were particular bad to children. In Malaya it was believed that owls ate new-born babies, are called "burung hantu", literally 'ghost bird.' The Swahili shared this belief, and held that owls brought sickness to children. While in Arabia it was believed that owls were evil spirits that carried children off in the night. In Poland it was believed that girls who died unmarried turned into doves, while those who died married turned into owls, perhaps reinforcing the Crone depiction.

The Moche people of ancient Peru worshipped the animal and often depicted owls in their art, while other Native American tribes saw the owl as the carrier of the elders' spirit. In an Australian Aboriginal myth the owl is the messenger of bad news. Yama, the Verdic God of death, sometimes sent out the owl as his emissary.

The Celts (particularly the famed Cult of the Head) believe the owl is a magical animal, sacred in that it is associated with deities of the Underworld, a place of unpredictable change, and is a guide to and from this realm.

The French have interesting interpretations on owls, and are split in their depictions of owls depending if they are eared or not. The hiboux, eared owls, are considered symbols of wisdom, but chouettes, earless owls, are again considered a bad omen. Owls, to the French, were also considered with great esteem, with several named as dukes. For example the European Eagle Owl was called Hibou Grand-Duc and the long-eared owl was called Hibou Moyen-Duc. This probably stemmed from a middle age custom that nobles below the rank of a duke could not wear a plume of feathers. The 'eared' owls must then be of rank of a duke. In the Lorraine region owls are believed to help spinsters find husbands. In Finland the owl is a sign of wisdom and of imbecility.

Hunting traditions have encaptured the owl. In Russia, hunters used to carry owl claws, so that their souls could use them to climb to heaven when they died. The Kalmuks held owls sacred because one was believed to have saved the life of Genghis Khan.

The Ainu in Japan trust the Owl because it gives them notice of evil approaching. They revere the owl, and believe it mediates between the Gods and men, though other parts of Japan don't hold this opinion.

Zulus and other West African nations consider the bird a powerful influence in casting spells, and think that using parts of the owl gives great strength to a person involved with magical incantations.

For Christians the owl traditionally, as with most things that around after dark, signifies the Devil, powers of evil, bad news, and destruction. Similarly, in the Old Testament the owl is an unclean creature that stands alone as a figure of desolation.

There were also beliefs about events predicted by the number of owl hoots you hear:
1 : Impending death
2 : Success in imminent venture
3 : Woman will be married into the family
4 : Disturbance
5 : Imminent travel
6 : Guests arriving
7 : Mental distress
8 : Sudden death
9 : Good fortune

Goddesses and Owls

Not such a big surprise, owls are frequently companion animals for Goddesses worldwide.
*Ancient Egyptian Queens and Princess used the owl as their emblem, naming themselves "Neith" in honor of the first Goddess Neith, the primary Goddess of Sais, Supreme mother goddess of Egypt. The letter 'M' in heiroglyphics was an owl, linking Hathor, Isis, and Nephthys to the owl. The letter 'M' to the Egyptians means wisdom, secret Goddess knowledge, having and/or keeping a secret. All attributes thought to be held by owls.

*In Hindu Mythology, the Goddess Lakshmi's (Goddess of Wealth) travels on a barn owl and thus it is considered lucky if an owl resides near your house.

*In Greek mythology, the Goddess Athena, was associated with the owl, wisdom, the arts, and skills, as she had a companion owl on her shoulder, which revealed unseen truths to her. The owl had the ability to light up Athena's blind side, enabling her to speak the whole truth, as opposed to only a half-truth. This also links with the lunar, feminine aspect of Athena as "reflective light", the wisdom given to the world as opposed to the direct knowledge of solar illumination

*The Welch have an interesting depiction of the owl both blessed, and cursed. Goddess Arianrhod shapeshifts into a large Owl, and through the great owl-eyes, sees even into the darkness of the human subconscious and soul. She is said to move with strength and purpose through the night, her wings of comfort and healing spread to give solace to those who seek her. Yet in the Welsh Cycles of the Mabinogion/Mabinogi, the owl is considered cursed - the first owl was Blodeuedd, a woman born of flowers to be the wife of Lleu Llaw Gyffes.

Because she fell in love with another man and plotted to kill Lleu, by divulging the secret to his own mortality, and convincing him to show how, Lleu's guardian Gwydion, avenges his death by turned her into the first owl, saying "You are never to show your face to the light of day, rather you shall fear other birds; they will be hostile to you, and it will be their nature to maul and molest you wherever they find you. You will not lose your name but always be called Blodeuwedd." The addition of the w in her name changed her from a woman of flowers to an owl from which she receives her namesake in Gaelic.

*The Goddess Lillith first appears around 3000 B.C.E. The lilitu (a class of Sumerian wind and storm demigods) were associated with the owl, early reliefs portray the lilitu with wings and taloned feet, often astride or in the company of the now-extinct European lion (a large and man-devouring predator, possibly a last vestige of the cave lion) which roamed the deserts of ancient Mesopotamia.

Likewise, early incantations against lilitu mention them in association with zu-birds (owls) , while Lillake/Lilitu is referred to as "the maiden who screeches constantly" and "the gladdener of all hearts." This link is throughout the Sumerian texts where the owl is found as a badge of some of the Annunaki Goddess as well as Lillith.

One of the most well-known and controversial reliefs, the Burney relief, is now popularly used to represent Lilith, although the actual historic significance of the figure is somewhat unclear. The relief, named for its former owners, depicts a nude, winged figure with bird's feet standing atop two lions and flanked by owls.

The Magical Interpretations of Owls and What Owls Can Teach Us

There are many types of wisdom. Logical and reasonable wisdom can bring you to leadership and success, maybe that's why they are the unofficial mascot of the high-IQ society Mensa. Wisdom that has some fantasy and creativity can give you inner success. With the owl as your totem, know that your mind will open to ideas that you could never have without owl's wise assistance, it can help unmask those who would deceive you or take advantage of you. Because the owl has a dual symbolism of wisdom and darkness, they are symbolically associated with clairvoyance, astral projection. Those who have owl medicine will find that these night birds will tend to collect around you, even in daytime, because they recognize a kinship with you.

Owl medicine is related to psychism, occult matters, instincts, and clairvoyance-- the true ability to see what is happening around you. The owl can see that which others cannot, which is the essence of true wisdom. Where others are deceived, the owl sees and knows what is there. Use your power of keen, silent observation to intuit some life situation, the owl is befriending you and aiding you in seeing the whole truth. The owl often brings its messages in the night through dreams or meditation. Pay attention to the signals and omens. The truth always brings further enlightenment.

If you are attracted to the owl you may have this ability to see through deception, and may find that other people are as uncomfortable with you as they are with the night hunter. It is a gift to be used carefully - and with compassion. The ability to see through illusion and secrecy is one, which is valuable for all of to cultivate with regard to ourselves.

The owl teaches us that it is safe to look at what we may consider to be the darkness of our own souls, and that in that darkness we may find much food for growth. The owl, as a powerful symbol of the Goddess, represents the Goddess's perfect wisdom and clarity to see truth.

The owl as our guide, looks upon reality without distortion and acknowledges it, yet is aware that with ancient magical and spiritual knowledge, he or she can assist us in making changes, we alone do not see to make.

Owl Chant

Owl of blackened night.
Owl of second sight.
Guide me, show me, enlighten me, tonight.
Owl, grant me clarity,
as I will so mote it be.

Footnotes:
Resources:
Falcon Feather and Valkarie Sword by D.J. Conway
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owl
http://www.pauldfrost.co.uk/intro_o2.html
http://www.paganwiki.org/index.php?title=Lilith
Hurwitz 81-83 Hurwitz 50
http://www.goddessathena.eu/symbols.html Article by Glaucus
http://www.thenewgnosis.org/theowlofminerva.htm

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