This morning on my way out of the gym, I found an owl feather on the
ground. Pretty sure it's an owl feather, anyway. It wasn't there on
my way in.
Wonder what the omen/message was?
==================================
http://www.sacredhoop.demon.co.uk/HOOP-08/OWL.html OWL MEDICINE
bringer of the dream and death, wisdom and deceit
The owl is the night-time hunter par excellance. It has a mythical
placein the tales of many cultures, including the Native American and
our own.
Although a skilful hunter, the owl is not a considered a true bird of
prey: it evolved quite separately to the hawks and eagles, and is not
closely related to them. All owls eat meat, their diet being mice and
other small animals. Although generally nocturnal, they will hunt
during the day time, when they need to.
If you have ever held an owl's wing or feather, you will be
immediately drawn to its softness. This is a particular
characteristic of owls. The feathers are much softer than those of
most other birds, especially bird of prey; which gives the owl its
ability to fly almost silently. This silent flight is of course
important at night, when much of the owl's prey is relying on their
own acute hearing to save them from being the owl's dinner. Because
of its silent flight, sharp claws and strong beak - owls seldom miss
their prey.
This silent flight however, is also seen by some people as a symbol
of the silence of deceit. When someone is stalking you with stealthy
persistence and strikes when the time is right, they can be said to
be using an aspect of owl medicine.
Within Great Britain, we have eight species of owl1, although some
non-native species such as the Eagle Owl and Hawk Owl are seen here
on occasions.
british traditions
We speak of the owl as a wisdom keeper ('the wise old owl'), although
its cry is also said to signify a death ('the owl called my name').
An owl hooting at a birth is said to signify that the child will have
bad luck in its life.
In the pantheon of classical Greek and Roman mythology, the night owl
was associated with several Goddesses, most notably Athena who
carried an owl on her shoulder. The owl revealed unseen truths to
Athena, so the Goddess was able to see the whole truth of a situation.
The owl is also sacred to the crone Goddess Hecate, and in Scotland,
with Caillaech, the blue-faced crone who represents winter and death.
It appears in many Celtic legends, including the famous mediaeval
Welsh book of the Mabinogion.
There does not, however, seem to be any specific relationship between
owls and dreams in British mythology, except for the owl as a
witches' helper and mysterious bird of the night.
native american traditions
In many Native American traditions the owl is regarded as the bringer
of the dream, but also the bringer and herald of death and as a
symbol of black magic.
As the bringer of death it is known to many tribal cultures - never
give an owl feather gift to a Diné (Navajo): out of all the tribes,
thet perhapes hold the strongest views on this matter.
I once prepared the wings of a owl for someone whilst in the presence
of an Ojibwa gentleman, who was reluctant to come very close, and who
told me about his tribe's attitudes to this 'death bringer'. Amongst
the Lakota, there is a similar view. If you have a bunch of owl
feathers in your car, often no amount of persuasion will make your
native friend travel with you until the offending articles are
removed. They say that ghosts often appear in the shape of owls.
But this rather negative association does not mean that the owl is
not considered a powerful, and also at times a benevolent bird.
The owl is associated with some healing traditions, its soft feathers
and night flight helping the healer to cure unseen illness and the
causes of the illness itself.
The owl moves at night when men are asleep. The medicine man gets his
power through dreams at night and believes that his dream is clear,
like the owl's own sight.
So he promises that he will never harm an owl. If he did so, his
power would leave him. For this reason some medicine-men wear owl
feathers.
The medicine-man also regards the owl as having very soft, gentle
ways, and when he begins to treat the sick person he is supposed to
treat them very gently.
People with owl medicine are also said to be good with their energy
efficiency (remember, the owl hardly ever misses its prey - it uses
it energy well and does not waste it). They may have a predeliction
for being more active at night (a 'night owl'), rather than in the
day time.
They may well feel that they are drawn to the more magical
traditions, and may see many things that other people cannot so
easily see - especially in the darker places.....or they may simply
be a 'hoot' at parties! (sorry).
notes
1 The eight species of British owls are;
Snowy owl, Short-eared owl, Long-eared owl, Scops owl, Tengmalm's
owl, Barn owl, Little owl, and Tawny Owl.
Taken from Sacred Hoop Magazine Issue Number 8
© Copyright Sacred Hoop Magazine 1995
=====================================================
http://members.aol.com/ivycleartoes/birds.html Owls
Owls are thought to be messengers from the gods.
Giving another person an owl feather makes them unable to lie to
themselves.
If you hear an owl hoot three times, or it flies near you, you
should check your motivation and make sure you are not going astray.
=====================================================
http://www.shewolf.net/medicine/owl.html Owl
Deception
Owl. . . .
Magic
Omens
Time and space
Does the truth emerge
Casting out deception
Silent flight
Sacred Medicine Bird
Owl medicine is symbolically associated with clairvoyance, astral
projection, and magic, both black and white. Owl is called Night
Eagle on several medicine wheels used by Amerindian teachers.
Traditionally, Owl sits in the East, the place of illumination. Since
time immemorial, humanity has been afraid of the night, the dark, and
the unseen - waiting fearfully for the first crack of morning light.
Conversely, night is Owl's friend.
Owls hunts its prey at night. Not only can Owl see in the dark, it
can accurately pinpoint and identify any sound. This gives it a great
advantage when seeking food. Owls are the night hunters. Some native
people are fearful of Owl and call its feathers "deceiver feathers".
An Owl feather is silent. You cannot hear Owl when it flies, but its
prey definitely knows when it strikes, for its beak and talons are
razor sharp.
Owl is oftentimes the medicine of sorcerers and witches. If Owl is in
your medicine, you will be drawn to magical practices and perhaps
explore the dark arts. You should resist any temptation to practise
black magic or any art that takes energy from another person or
being. If you have Owl medicine, these night birds will have a
tendency to collect around you, even in the daytime, because they
recognise a kinship with you.
Is it any wonder that in many cultures Owl is a symbol for wisdom?
This is because Owl can see that which others cannot, which is the
essence of true wisdom. Where others are deceived, Owl sees and knows
what is there.
Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, had a companion Owl on her
shoulder which revealed unseen truths to her. 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.
If Owl is your personal medicine, no one can deceive you about what
they are doing, no matter how they try to disguise or hide it from
you. You may be a little frightening to be around, since so many
people have ulterior motives which you see right through. If you are
unaware of your medicine power, you may take your keen insights and
abilities for granted. Others never do. You may frighten them and
reflect their blindness, for you cannot be fooled. Owl medicine
people know more about an individual's inner life than that person
knows about herself or himself.
If you have pulled the Owl card, you are being asked to use your
powers of keen, silent observation to intuit some life situation. Owl
is befriending you and aiding you in seeing the total truth. Owl can
bring you messages in the night through dreams or meditation. Pay
attention to the signals and omens. The truth always brings further
enlightenment.
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