Topic: Owls

[Nichi]

[Nichi]

[Nichi]

[Michael]

love those owls!

[Nichi]

This fellow looks of ancient mind to me.

[Nichi]

I was reading somewhere that in some of the First Nation tribes, if one (an outsider, no doubt) comes to ceremony, and it is known that the person has "Owl Medicine", that that person will be asked to leave. In these tribes, owl medicine is not viewed favorably and its presence is interpreted as a bad omen, but I've got it worked out why that might be.

The healing medicine which comes with Owl is silent .. it happens unannounced, powerfully, stealthily, and no doubt in the eyes of some, sneakily. In other words, there's a lack of trust and good faith on the interpreter's/banisher's part.

I've been exploring this because it comes to my awareness that I might have it myself ... which is ironic, as much as I protest someone sneaking up on me. Hilarious that.

[Nichi]

The other, more cliche aspect is that Owl is supposed to signify Death.

[Nichi]

[Nichi]

[Nichi]

[Michael]

incredible creatures

[Nichi]

Penetrating the Darkness
Wisdom of the Owl

Owls are the holders of wisdom, capable of seeing the unseen. With keen eyesight they glance into the soul and are totems of truth.


For as long as humankind has recognized animals as teachers, wise men and women have recognized traits worthy of respect in both wild and domestic creatures. The cultural and spiritual significance of certain animals transcends geographical boundaries, unifying disparate peoples. Not so the majestic and mysterious owl, which has over many millennia served as the focal point of numerous contradictory beliefs. Though owls have been regarded with awe and fascination, they have also inadvertently served as agents of fear. Since owls are nocturnal, human-owl encounters tended to occur at night and likely when the bird was swooping silently down to earth to grapple with prey. Yet even as some shied away from the owl, calling it an agent of darkness, others recognized the depths of awareness in beautiful owl’s eyes.

In the classical Greek tradition, an owl could often be found perched on the shoulder of Athena, goddess of wisdom, while owls could ward off bad luck in Roman lore. It is in Native American mythos, however, that the owl attains its own unique identity. Owls are patient messengers, bringers of information and the holders of wisdom, and they are capable of seeing the unseen. With their keen eyesight, they can glance into the soul to discern meaning and motive, and they are totems of truth. Unlike our distant forebears, we may never encounter an owl in the wild, but we can nonetheless internalize the wisdom of the owl by attuning ourselves to its most venerable qualities. Fully integrating the medicine of the owl into spiritual existence is a matter of considering how we might open ourselves more fully to the wisdom that can be found in the larger universe.

Should you find your efforts blocked as you commune with the owl, remember that it was not always revered as an icon of wisdom. This denizen of the nighttime has overcome many prejudices in its long association with humankind. To reveal those hidden elements of the self that impact your life for better or for worse, you must often make your way through the darkest parts of your soul as if you yourself are the nocturnal hunter. There is indeed darkness both inside the self and outside the self, but like the owl you can transcend it by drawing nourishment from the insights you receive when you penetrate it.

The Daily Om

[Nichi]

[Nichi]

[Michael]

I feel like I know them