Understanding the Lucky Owl Symbol

The owl is a nocturnal bird of prey whose large, intriguing eyes and chilling cry have captured the imagination of many people.

The symbol of the owl is both deeply anchored in reality (a simple walk in the forest in the evening can allow you to come across one) but also in the symbolic and the sacred.

Witches, magicians and other wise men of yesteryear have elevated this animal to the rank of emblem.

The legends and mythology surrounding the owl are undoubtedly among the richest and most interesting of our civilization.

In this article, we will take a little tour of the world and look at some of the civilizations that have taken an interest in them.

We will also make a clear list of what this bird of prey is related to, and what we can learn from it.

Associated with the mysteries of our world, the owl is linked to certain invisible, yet very real, forces that only a handful of us know how to perceive.

Through her great hidden powers, she will in any case not have stolen her title of lucky charm!

What the owl symbol represents

Owls, like all the other animals that populate our world, exist for a good reason: to transmit certain messages to us.

Look at this owl-shaped pendant for example. It seems obvious that it carries something within it that goes beyond most other jewelry you might find.

Rather than going into too distant spiritual considerations, we preferred to stay in the concrete, and will therefore present to you the symbol of the lucky owl and present to you a list of its main characteristics.

There she is :

• Not too surprisingly, the owl represents wisdom and knowledge. We will talk about her later, but she was in this capacity some of the greatest goddesses of Antiquity.
• Our bird is also linked to ideas of transformation, change and transmutation. After all, it's not for nothing that alchemists love it so much! (Let us point out, however, that these changes can be positive or negative…)
• With its large round eyes, the owl expresses curiosity and interest in mysteries and secrets of all kinds.
• A bit for the same reason, it is linked to insight, clairvoyance and the ability to detect the truth. Psychics and mediums of all kinds can therefore also feel close to the symbol of the owl.
• A whole host of cultures and religions also see it as a symbol of magic and death. The image of the witch having a lucky owl for a pet is not so wrong.
• Often, when you come across them, the owls are alone in the forest. From this arises ideas of independence and individualism.
• When it flies in a dense forest in the middle of the dark night, we can only salute the intuition and the singular link that this animal maintains with its instincts.
• An owl knows how to stay calm for hours on its branch. In this, she demonstrates exceptional qualities of patience.

In any case, it is clear: our bird is associated with magic and esoteric arts of all kinds. If this type of subject interests you, you will also appreciate our collection dedicated to witchcraft, as well as this one which brings together our knowledge in alchemy.

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The lucky owl around the world

As we told you in the introduction, many civilizations have been interested in the symbol of the owl.

Some may have had (very) divergent opinions about it, but one thing was obvious to everyone: the owl is linked to magic and the most esoteric mysteries.

Truly, this idea is a constant wherever you are on earth.

When people who have not consulted together arrive at the same conclusion, it is a safe bet that it is correct... Don't you think?

In any case, we are ready to bet on it!

From European peoples of the past to secret societies very present today, including Native Americans and African sages, let's take an interest in all of this together.

The symbol of the owl and the goddess Athena

Among the ancient Greeks, wisdom and reason were the playgrounds of the goddess Athena.

Always accompanied by an owl, priests throughout the Hellenic peninsula believed that this animal was capable of bringing prophecies and knowledge to men.

Some classic mythological legends even explain to us how owls served as Athena's eyes, allowing her to know everything that was happening among mortals.

It is clear, for the Greeks, the lucky owl was linked to Athena. Here is an interesting historian's document which talks about the link between the goddess and her owl.

A fairly similar culture, the Romans thought on the contrary that owls were birds of bad omen which brought with them dark omens of death.

A mixed opinion for Native Americans

Native Americans had a mixed opinion on the symbol of the owl.

This is actually explained quite easily: the different tribes were scattered across the entire American continent and sometimes several hundred kilometers apart from each other.

In short, for most of them, the owl was a symbol of death and desolation.

However, some clans may have considered it in a more neutral way... or even downright positive!

For example, you can say of this nocturnal bird that it possesses qualities of adaptability and curiosity without equal measure, and that it works with magical energies to which few other beings have access.

Let us point out, however, that, despite everything, only sorcerers, shamans or crazy people from the clan dared to approach the owl...

A symbol of evil and death for Christians

Christian tradition speaks of the symbol of the owl in very uncomplimentary terms.

The animal is in fact presented to us as a servant of the devil, of the forces of evil and those of destruction.

Even if it is a little less "extreme" on the question, the Old Testament already speaks to us, of the owl as an impure creature in the mere presence can bring sadness and desolation.

Some historians think that this vision could come from the nocturnal nature of our bird: night being the time when the forces of the devil are most agitated, the owl could only be a representative.

Later, in the Middle Ages, the tradition seemed to soften, however, and made the symbol of the owl the emblem of hermits, reclusive monks and loners.

A true lucky charm for the Celts

If we stopped at these few points of view, our bird might seem very negative to you...

This would be without taking into account the Celts, for whom talking about lucky owls really had meaning!

Our ancients actually worshiped a half-woman, half-owl goddess who had the power to travel between our world and that of spirits. Even if she was not inherently malicious, we cannot really classify her in the category of positive deities to whom the druids paid homage.

It would also seem that the owl played a leading role in the cults of the first Celts, and even of their Indo-European ancestors.

In any case, if the honor of the lucky owl is safe, it is thanks to the Celts. There is therefore no doubt that the ancient Celtic Druids would have worn this type of lucky ring decorated with an owl with great pride!

The owl and witchcraft in Africa

In Africa, owls are seen as the animals of magicians and sorcerers.

Ancestral tales even tell us how certain people can transform into owls at night to spy on their neighbors and cast spells on the inhabitants of villages.

Very clearly, the symbol of the owl is not something positive in African folklore either.

Some people from the East of the continent even believe that it can bring illnesses, particularly to children. Hearing the cry of an owl is therefore something very frightening for them.

Further south, the descendants of the Zulu have a more mixed opinion and describe owls as “simple” vectors of magic, without necessarily there being a negative connotation behind this.

The symbol of the owl in secret societies

We couldn't talk about the lucky owl without talking about secret societies!

From the Illuminati to the Freemasons, representations of owls can be found everywhere in these esoteric traditions.

Apparently, it would seem (we use the conditional here because these are only suppositions) that this bird is used to express ideas of mysteries and access to hidden knowledge.

In addition, Minerva (a Roman goddess very comparable to Athena among the Greeks) had an owl as an animal advisor... However, Minerva is one of the goddesses to whom secret societies most often pay homage.

Another clue, darker this time, could be that of a demonic cult: given that the Bible links owls, the devil and demons, some unconscious people could try to access dark occult forces through them.

Have the owl as your totem animal

It seems that we all have a totem animal.

According to some specialists, this idea came from the native peoples of the American continent, who named their children after natural animals until they reached adulthood.

This concept of totem animal would in fact be a constant that we could find to a certain extent almost everywhere on earth.

In short, the fact is that we can all connect to the spirit of a particular animal, to the spirit of our totem animal. If you are curious to discover yours, here is a fun test that might help you.

In short, those of us who are connected to the owl will do well to read what follows.

A physically calm bird but overflowing with psychic energy, the owl is perfect for magicians and practitioners of esotericism of all kinds.

In particular, getting closer to it allows you to develop a sharper, faster and more insightful mind.

It sometimes even happens that people with the owl as their totem animal develop gifts of clairvoyance or prophecy.

In any case, people close to owls would do well to listen to their intuition, that much is clear!

A good way to know if this animal totem is right for you is to pay attention to your natural rhythm: if, like the owl, you like to live at night and feel more productive when the moon is high in the sky, it is a good lead.

The owl being a (very) calm animal, having it as a totem animal can also be the sign of a reserved personality or, at least, one who will recharge his batteries through meditation and contemplation.

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