"Those born in the long nights time are thoughtful people with an ability to seek out things from the minds of others as well as from within themselves.
"Like their animal totem, Owl people conduct themselves proudly Because they are so observant that little of relevance escapes their attention, they have a keen eye for detail and a good insight into whatever they set their minds on."
"No bird has [more] myth and mystery surrounding it than the owl The owl is a symbol of the feminine, the moon, and the night. It has been called a cat with wings."
"To the ancient Greeks, the owl was associated with the goddess Athena, and it was a symbol of higher wisdom. It was the guardian of the Acropolis to the Pawnee, it was a symbol of protection. To the Ojibwa, it was a symbol of evil and death. To the Pueblo, it was associated with the Skeleton Man, the god of death, but who was also a spirit of fertility."
"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.
"Owl is oftentimes the medicine of sorcerers and witches. If Owl is your medicine, you will be drawn to magical practices and perhaps explore the dark arts. You should resist any temptation to practice black magic or any art that takes energy away from another person or being."
"In the Egyptian system of hieroglyphs, the owl symbolizes death, night, cold and passivity. It also pertains to the realm of the dead sun, that is, of the sun which has set below the horizon and which is crossing the lake or sea of darkness."
"Intuition brings in the idea of time as it points to possibilities that lie ahead."
The higher wisdom of the owl relates to the intuitive function. Wisdom comes when we are able to link our thoughts and feeling to the future - to plan for a better future. Intuition is at its best when it is coupled with clear perception on the physical level, logical thinking, and judicious application of the feeling function. Seeing in the dark is analogous to seeing into the future because the future is a dark stage, unlit by the light of today. The owl thus represents both the evil that is possible in the future and the powerful protection of the spirit world, where time is not relevant. I think the mystery lies in discerning the best and most constructive that the future holds for each of us, and then pursuing that and ignoring the "evil", or less constructive possibilities.
Sources
Andrews, Ted, Animal Speak. St. Paul, Llewellyn 1995.
Clement, Stephanie and Terry Rosen, Dreams: Working Interactive. St. Paul, Llewellyn, 2000.
Meadows, Kenneth, Earth Medicine,. Rockport, Element, 1991.
Sams, Jamie and David Carson, Medicine Cards. Santa Fe, Bear & Company, 1988.
