A. Venefica’s Weblog: Symbolic Meanings

My grandmother, who was like a mother to me, recently passed away, and an “owl” appeared in our backyard. This was the first and only time I’ve ever seen an owl. When I told a friend about it, she came across your website, and told me to read it. I am glad that I did.

I am a poet and I like to write poems about Native American cultures. Before I do, I always try to do extensive research to make sure I am writing truthfully. I have also heard (from some novels I read earlier in my life) that the owl is an omen of death among the Native Americans.

In researching for a poem I was writing, I found your post and immediately stopped my poem, for it was using the owl as an omen of death in a poem about a Native American. Thank you for preventing me from making a serious blunder.

kansaspoet
member of http://www.writing.com

I saw an owl today and knew immediately it was a sign. I tried to take a picture of it through the window ’cause I was afraid when I opened the door it would fly away. It was perched on top of my son’s play set. I have never seen an owl in our backyard or anywhere near our backyard. I saw its backside. Its gaze was focused north of our house.

We just began construction of our bathroom. So I had the three guys working surmise what it was. The third guy confirmed my belief. It was an owl. They asked the guy working, named “Angel,” if it was a vision.

So I looked online and read three or four things on owls and then I find your site. This is the info. I needed. Your template is the same as my template for my blog on wordpress, http://chitownmama.wordpress.com/about/.

In fact, today, I am dropping off the flyers for my first chi-town mama workshop. I know it is a sign I am on the right path and that I should keep going and the owl offers many other signs which I will keep close to my heart.

Thank you for your insight.

Chi-Town Mama

Most people go their whole lives without being graced by the owl’s presence. Rare & divine are moments like these. Sharing the moment makes it even more valuable. Thank you.

Hey everyone… I’ve always been a man of great common sense - not to be egotistical, but one of my comforts has been “communicating” with owls. It gives me so much pride when 3 or 4 of these amazing creatures graces me with their presence since they are so rare. I appreciate your insight into the meaning of these beautiful birds and it reminds me so much of myself… thanks very much!!!

KLDnLAG

I enjoy shopping, especially thrift stores, there are SO many treasures to be found.

Last weekend, I saw the most beautiful necklace with an owl and had to buy it. I have been wearing it for about 2 days now and I don’t usually wear necklaces twice in a row, but without the necklace this morning I felt a little off like something was missing. I have experienced great clarity in regards to life and school. Since I came to this realization I began to evaluate what differences had been occurring or have occurred in my daily life. One of them was the use of this necklace. I began to do my research online and bumped into this website. I don’t know if it’s a huge coincidence or if I’m just making myself believe my clarity came because of the owl.

Hi Scbuterfli,

The owl has some incredible energy - it knows how to cut through a lot of haze - perhaps that’s why you experienced that clarity when wearing the owl necklace.

There is a reason ancient cultures made little fetishes, bone animals, and figurines - they knew about “like attracts like” long before law of attraction (or books like The Secret) became more common knowledge.

Your necklace resonates “owl-ness” it is a piece of the energetic whole.

Your last line made me smile - it made me think: “what came first the chicken or the egg?” (or should I say the owl or the egg).

Is it our belief that comes first, or the coincidence?

BTW: I adore thrift stores too - garage sales are wicked keen too. I got this outrageous three owl lamp @ a thrift store (hubby thinks its hideous - I think it’s masterful!).

Oh, and don’t miss my other writings on the owl here.

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Thanks for your information on symbolic meanings. I recently had the most spiritual encounter with a Great Grey Owl. There is one that has been hanging around our property for the past couple of weeks. I am a photographer so the other morning I went out with my camera. At first the owl flew away but then it came back and perched in a tree very near to me.

I remained calm and quiet while I photographed it and the owl was most cooperative. After awhile I just stood and watched it; and it started to ‘talk’ to me. It made this very soft and quiet cooing noise. Not anything at all like it’s real calls (deep hoot or screeches) that I’ve heard before.

A few days later I had the most ugly confrontations with a sister and my mother that has ended my relationship with them. Although painful this is a good thing since it was a one-sided relationship. I gave they took.

I think the owl was trying to give me protection and strength to get through this situation.

Hi Rgail,

Incredible!

Thanks for sharing your experience here.

What a marvelous encounter!

I love how you were given the gift of communication too…Great Greys don’t normally speak in such a fashion - I suppose she really wanted you to listen

You are astute in associating the owl with protection and strength.

Owl will also reveal herself when new beginnings are underway.

Although it may seem like “ending a relationship” with your mother and sister - we could look at it also as a new beginning in the nature of the relationship, right?

At least, this is what the owl has shown me… where I thought I had ended a partnership in my own life, the distance effectively allowed me to observe the relationship from an objective perspective - thus coloring the canvas of the relationship quite differently than it was prior.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

Oh, let us know when you’ve captured the owl on film - would relish a look.

Thank you. For some reason I am just weeping reading this. I have a phobia of birds — I think they are terrifying. Larger birds like ducks or geese or owls are less frightening to me — part of my fear is to do with an overactive startle reflex and small birds startle me easily with their sudden movements.

When we moved into this house last February (2007), the first night I heard an owl calling in the woods behind our house all night. I was delighted. The owl continued for at least a month, though I never saw it. But when warmer weather came it stopped calling or went away.

We had no birds all winter, despite many feeders and nice food.

All of a sudden this week we have been overrun with birds. All types. A smallish hawk or falcon and I startled each other when it landed right by my window and looked right at me. A red-tailed hawk caught a squirrel beside my kids’ playset while its mate looked on. And I looked out my back window tonight, wondering again about what happened to last winter’s owl, and in the tree in our backyard, RIGHT THERE, was an owl.

I went upstairs to look at it from a better vantage, and it watched me for a while. Then, when I brought my husband and daughter it moved farther away, but kept watching us. I tried calling to it, to see if it would reply, but it just watched me curiously. My owl call is pretty bad.

But after I put the baby to bed, I heard it calling. I watched it some more, and I am just amazed by this, but a bit frightened because of the number of unusual bird sightings recently combined with my phobia, which can be incapacitating.

Thank you for calming my fears that this was somehow a bad omen.

Hi Fern,

Now it is me who feels the well of tears come to the surface. I am so touched by your thoughts here, and so grateful you took the time to share these remarkable experiences with us/me.

As you already know - all of nature is our most patient, profound and intimate teacher. The lessons are vast and sticky too because the experiences these birds leave with us will stick in our hearts forever.

Sharing your experience allows the lesson to circulate, grow, and gain more power within our collective psyche.

I’m serious - this is profound stuff - the nature of these lessons are mammoth to humankind.

Even in the grips of your phobia, you opened yourself to the feathered kingdom - what remarkable courage!

And, by holding out your hand in faith - it feels as though gentle wings are reaching out to touch you in return.

I’m deeply grateful for your comment Fern.

Namaste,
A.

I have always seemed to carry Owl energy/force/magic w. me in this life.I had to begin dealing w. death / “transition” at the age of 3 when my 1st Grandmother passed on- then my Mother- my Grandfather- my father- my 2nd grandmother (who raised me) my mothers brother- my own brother (who was one of those who died in ‘Nam and didn’t know till 18 yrs. later..)

Always I have seen or heard the Owl. The last time I was close enough to nature ( 5yrs ago) to daily walk in wild land close to my house I would daily see a gray owl sitting in a huge oak near the path I took. This was always in the daylight and it never flew away. From the pellets on the ground under the tree it was evident that the nest was there. We would “talk” for sometimes close to an hour– calmly gazing at each other.

Sometimes I would wake in the early morning with the pull to go to the tree and the knowledge that there was a Gift for me - every time I had this happen I would find a beautiful Owl feather waiting for me either near the tree or further on- I always just Knew where to go to find it.

One day I was thinking I must have missed the timing because I just couldn’t seem to find it ( I was also w/o my glasses that day) but as I walked back I saw a shining thing way on the other side of the oak filled gully- I slid on my bottom most of the way and clambered clumsily up the slippery deepness of the fallen oak leaves & sure enough there was my Gift- a beautiful, huge, perfect, wing feather.

I always gave thanks to the owl even if I didn’t see her physically on some days. I moved north to a city area shortly after finding the wing feather but by now my collection numbered over 25 feathers of all sizes — mostly larger (the last being the best of all). I keep them carefully hidden (except for the few on my altar) as I know they are supposedly “illegal” in the hard society of “regular folks” but I know they were Gifted to me by a dear friend.

And my daughter has always had the gift of hearing the owls in the evening sitting near her house whenever she is with child. Sometimes they are on the branches that brush the screen. She was worried when we all moved north that the city would end this BUT her husband found a wonderful place in the “country suburbs” w. lots of trees & horse property around them & she informed me that she is again hearing the sound of the Owl as she awaits the birth of the current child she is carrying!

We have also now added Eagles and Hawks to our frequent viewing and I was amazed to find a FALCON perched in the birch tree close to my city apt.complex balcony just last week! It even flew down to the ground below where I toss seed & breads for the ducks ect.

I laughed so hard at my worries–our totems cannot be parted from us by physical distance or “civilization”, highways or construction.

I Honor my Owl energy thru my Celtic heritage -
Thank and Bless the Native Land that accepts me and mine -
Golden Eyes shining in the moonlight-
deep with Wisdom and the message that the Circle is never broken -
wings of Angels- or Owls– is there really a difference?

Thank you for your message and the opportunity to share mine here. -

Blessings to All-
Honor Grace.

PS- to avenefica- I loved what you said about the Owls’ representation of New Beginnings- that certainly fits for my 3 grandchildren ~ Thanks for sharing that! Blessings! ~Honor

Hi HonorGrace,

Your post reads like poetry. I read it several times, each time brought a smile to my face and new observations to the surface.

I love your emphasis - your capitalizations are not lost on me - I understand precisely where you are coming from, and am grateful you’ve taken the time to share with us these meaningful insights.

I took the liberty of embedding links within your post (oak, birch, hawk, falcon)…I thought these links might enhance our path as we walk along together.

I understand it’s a rhetorical question, but no, I really don’t think there’s a difference between our feathered friends & angels - what a fantastic correlation you’ve made here.

Thank you again for opening a window of light through this thread.

Bright blessings & big smiles,
A.

I went to the edge of Wa to the reserve, on the coast. We slept on the land, myself ans my husband, and 2 kids. I Showered as soon as I woke and did not speak to any one since I drempt. When I looked in the steamed mirrow, I was Owl. I looked away confused, and still I was Owl. Owl stayed with me all day as we explored the beaches.
I played in the sand with my kids and I drew Owl.
I am adopted from Montreal Canada. What do you think this means. I am a cave diver and rock climber, grew uo in the woods with 13 dogs was allowed to roam alot on our property 40 acers with the dogs. One was a wolf. Why Owl why on the res.

Hi Deborah,

Fascinating. Thank you for sharing this with us.

What an amazing experience - to mingle and mesh with owl energy is an exhileration, an experience of clarity, and a taste of wisdom that does not normally visit our standard “human-ness.”

It gives me great joy to read your story.

It’s not for me to say why the owl has chosen you, and you it.

I’ve written ideas about what owl energy signifies in this post, these comments, and on my other site here, but as I am quick to point out, the owl whispers a different message to you than it does to me (or anyone else for that matter).

Just as our fingerprints are symbolic of our uniqueness - so too are our unique energy patterns formed with our animal allies.

My relationship with the owl comes through years of meditation, contemplation and active communication.

From this relationship I can express my thoughts and opinions, that may help others. However, ultimately your owl message is meant for you and you alone.

When you think of Owl - what are your very first impressions? The qualities that first come up in your psyche are a good starting place for your journey of communication with owl energy.

It sounds like you are very in-tune with the pulse of the Mother (nature) and so I know you are aligned with all her creatures too.

Relax and enjoy your time with the owl.

Part of this creature’s amazing symbolism deals with inner knowing. Perhaps this in itself is a message to you - an assurance that indeed, profound answers ARE within you.

Light and love,
A.

I had an owl bring me a message during a deep meditation. My partner who practices Lakota spirituality (Sioux) is deeply disturbed saying that it is an ill omen. The owl told me to continue my life path–to teach acceptance but to do so “rationally and responsibly.” I’m not seeing this as bad… can anyone shed light on this for me, it is creating a rift in our union… feel free to contact me via my website http://www.usefulart.net. Thanks!

Who is responsible for you?

The owl comes to you and only you. This visitation is a gift.

Your mate sees it as a gift of warning. That’s nice, but who lives with the prophecy?
Who has her spiritual ear attuned to its unique message?
More simply:
Who is the observer?
Who is the meditator?

Did the owl come to YOU or to your mate?

As I said in the comment above:

“Just as our fingerprints are symbolic of our uniqueness - so too are our unique energy patterns formed with our animal allies.”

Do you blindly follow the message of the owl?

Do you bare your teeth at your mate’s admonishment and ignore his idea of ill-omen?

I can’t say what you will do.

I do know, however, that our core never changes.

As a practitioner of meditation - you already know this. Within you is the still, calm sea of knowingness - the shamasagara - the unified essence of light and higher, finer understanding.

Owls come to us.
Mates interact with us.
Animals, nature, events, everything our physical realm provides for our infinite diversity are cues and buffers on our path.

All of these are variables. They enhance our core, and color our perceptions.

One remaining constant we have in our lives is our ability to interpret our own experiences from the position of our core.

When we seek guidance from that infinite center - that expanse of knowingness - we step into clarity.

Namaste,
a.

I was dropping off one of my dear friends home after a very special/spiritual night out. She is on the brink of a divorce and is struggling very much emotionally. We were talking about the fact that she thinks he may be deceiving her about money and I was telling her I think she should hire someone to investigate. Suddenly an owl swooped over my car from behind and startled us. I know owls are messengers of wisdom and I feel like it was no coincidence that this happened at that moment. What are your feelings on this? I’ve always been concerned that he’s being sneaky with money and I’m worried he’s going to screw her over. Any advice would be appreciated!

Blessed Be

Michele,
Perhaps the owl is a message requesting your clarity on behalf of your friend.

Holding thoughts of “screwing” or worry for ourselves or or loved ones holds a vibrational match to further disruption and irritation entering yours and your friends energy.

If the owl is a keeper of secrets (and according to Venefica’s research, this is one of its symbolic implications) - then perhaps the owl wants you to understand the secret of keeping high, clean, radically affirmative thoughts of peace and well being within your consciousness.

I wish that I could send you the picture. Last week my husabnd and son and I were in our car, as we were pulling out of the driveway across the road, where is a small pond, this same owl was there. I tried to get my phone out to take a picture but he left. Today, I pulled out of my driveway and stopped at the road side at the end of our street, which is very close to our house, and I saw the Owl. I got out of my car and walked around the car with my phone and took two pictures. The first picture was of his backside, and then I tried to get closer and as I did he turn his head and looked straight into my eyes. I took the picture and sent it off to all of my co-workers. I do not know what if means to be able to have seen him twice, i know it is it the same owl, and especially in daylight. If you have thoughts about the meaning, I would appreicatite

As a child my Mother was told by her ya ya not to listen if an owl speaks to you as it will tell you when you would die-and it only did so in our native tongue, Coeur d’Alene. My Mom always said she’d plug her ears when an owl was hooting and run home…it was only later did she realize it was just a tale to have her get home on time when she was out playing!

So different tribes see the owl differently (much like Coyote-trickster to some tribes, bringer of fire and helper of man to other tribes)…we also believe having an owl visit your house is a token of good luck.

I came to this site because I had a dream that an owl that flew onto a fence directly in front of me. For some reason the face of the owl stuck in my mind. reading this site helped me understand more about what the owl might represent. thank you.

Hi Bryan,
It gives me infinite joy to know connections are made. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience.
Namaste,
A.

I also have had close encounters with owls. The most profound encounter was when a small owl flew inside my truck and rode along with me for about 1 1/2 miles. I’ve had about five encounters with owls and have knocked over by accident a owl driveway ornament.

I can’t remember when I first heard an owl at home (maybe February or March) but I was laying in bed and thought it was in my garage, as it was that loud. It has visited me on a few occasions before this and I thought about researching the significance of the owl and only have done so tonight, as I hear it again, more faintly. I am grateful for your website and the postings as my first thought was that maybe, possibly, the owl was delivering a message from my father who passed away in January, as I was just thinking about him before the owl visited me. Or maybe I’m looking for too much symbolism. Would you be able to provide me some insight?

Thank you very much,
Debbie

Hi Debbie,

Thank you for sharing this experience with us.

There is a ton of insight shining brightly within and between each line of this post, and each comment to this post. I’ve also written more information on the owl symbolism here.

It is not surprising that the owl has chosen to reveal itself to you - like attracts like, and it’s obvious from your comment that you are quite wise in your perceptions.

When we look to animals (or any occurance) for deeper symbolic meaning, we can look to all the details for deeper clarity.

For example, we can look at:

*Direction of flight or transit (see here cardinal directions for some symbolic guidance)

*The feeling of the bird call (i.e.: is the bird song light, urgent, repetitive, sing-song, pining, joyful, etc.)

*Appearance/activity/behavior of the animal (sickly, healthy, hunting, resting, sleeping, fleeing)

*Environment around the animal (weather conditions, types of trees, in the city, near water, circling in the sky, etc).

For example, even the garage in your experience may provide symbolic meaning. Often, we use our garage as storage places. So, that your owl is in the garage may indicate you have things (in an energetic/symbolic sense - like thoughts, ideas, dreams, memories) that are tucked away that you might want to pull back out to examine or display.

Debbie, I hope these thoughts provide some navigation as you continue to make your way to uncover the beautiful messages your higher self (and the loved ones such as your father) are sending to you.

Just keep in mind that symbolic messages are only reminders. This means that you already know the answer within you before the message even comes.

Take the time to soul search and meditate - I promise with this investment, answers and clarity will come.

With light & love,
A.

For 3 years I walked the woods behind my house, as an relaxing escape from everyday life. I never seen a wild owl until 2 days ago. It was a Great Grey owl and he was sitting on a branch low to the ground, I had my camera with me so I took as many pics as possible because I thought I may never have that chance again. After about 10 minutes the Owl flew away. Today(two days later) I was walking through my favourite trail and there was that Owl just sitting for me clearly to see. So, I sat down and the Owl and I looked at each other for a while. Then all of a sudden he got up and flew in the direction I was going to be heading. As such, I got up and followed, and… as I walked along I wondered where the owl would land. I was surprised to see the Owl landed in on of my favourite spots (a beautiful fallen tree which crosses a babbling brook….., I often sat at that location just to listen to the brook and watch the tree tops sway in the wind). Today was special because I got to share my space of tranquility with this Owl. The Owl just starred at me and so I whistled it a song, the Owl made no noise back but he still starred at me…. I looked into his eyes and wondered what he was thinking, I felt peace with our interaction but I also felt I should keep a comfortable distance away. Twenty feet, I think, was just fine for the both of us. This may sound strange but I thought I started to feel a sort of bonding with the owl. Then…All Of A Sudden….the Owls eyes shot off to the right and he peered into the bushes…and so I did the same but I could see nothing. Next, the Owl dove down towards the bushes and caught a mouse. He then flew over my head and landed on a branch of another tree….on that branch he ate his meal. I then climbed on the fallen log which crossed the brook and observed the Owl. After the Owl was finished eating he then flew in the direction towards the end of the trail. Again I followed, and again the Owl sat himself on a branch low to the ground. At that point I felt it was time to be getting back home to my pregnant wife, but, I was still too fascinated with the Owl just to walk away. Then the Owl gave me one last look and the flew high in the trees where I could no longer see him, and so, I returned home with my story and good feeling the Owl left me with.