I recently without inquiry was told by a yoga teacher that I was an Owl. At the moment it was said, I felt open o hearing / learning more. I’ve always identified with Birds, and the belief that we are all one – to see myself in a bird felt right and intriguing. I believe that he was speaking of my physical stature, and how I was twisting. But what I know about there being no difference between physiology and psychology. I looked into this majestic bird. The Owl.
First I called in The Medicine Card Tarot deck for it’s wisdom on this totem spirit:
Owl medicine is a feminine trait and is symbolically associated with clairvoyance, astral projection, and magic. 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. It has great awareness of all that is around it at all times. It has predator vision, which means it sees clearly what it looks at. It has great intuition, and the courage to follow its instincts. It is a meat eater, which means it can be a fierce warrior if challenged, or if something dear to it is threatened.
Owl can see in the dark, and can accurately pinpoint and identify any sound. If you have Owl medicine, these night birds will have a tendency to collect around you, even in the daytime, because they recognize kinship with you.
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 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 hid it from you. You may be a little frightening to be around, since so many people have ulterior motives which you see right through. Owl medicine people know more about an individual’s inner life than that person knows about herself or himself.
Owl medicine is wonderful to have. Those who carry it cannot be conned because their vision shows them the truth of the situation.
Next I looked at characteristics and physiology From Owl Pages:
Appearance: A large, round head and huge, forward-facing eyes are features that make an Owl instantly recognisable. They also have a sharp, downward-facing beak (or bill), and soft, cryptically colored plumage. Males and Females are generally similar in appearance, although the female is often up to 25% larger. 
Adaptations: Owls are Raptors, or Birds of Prey, which means they hunt other living things for their food, using their special adaptations and unique abilities that set them apart from any other creature. Exceptional vision, and acute hearing play a major part in an Owl’s hunting technique. Couple these with powerful talons and beak, plus the ability to fly silently, and you have a formidable predator, using stealth to hunt down prey.
The part about the hearing, sparked my interest as I have always been very sound sensitive…. From Wikipedia:
Owls exhibit specialized hearing functions and ear shapes that also aid in hunting. They are noted for asymmetrical ear placements on the skull in some genera. Owls can have either internal or external ears, but those genera exhibiting asymmetrical ear geometry only have external ear placements. Asymmetry has not been reported to extend to the middle or internal ear of the owl. Asymmetrical ear placement on the skull allows the owl to pinpoint the location of its prey. This is especially true for strictly nocturnal species such as the barn owls ‘Tyto’ or Tengmalm’s Owl. With ears set at different places on its skull, an owl is able to determine the direction from which the sound is coming by the minute difference in time that it takes for the sound waves to penetrate the left and right ears. The owl turns its head until the sound reaches both ears simultaneously, at which point it is directly facing the source of the sound….Owls have an audible range similar to that of humans, but far more acute in certain frequencies, allowing them to detect even the slightest movements of their prey. Once an owl has determined the location of its prey, it flies towards it according to the last sound perceived. If the prey moves, the owl is able to adjust its flight pattern mid-flight.
And then there is the beak…
The beak of the owl is short, curved and downward-facing, and typically hooked at the tip for gripping and tearing its prey. Once prey is captured, the scissor motion of the top and lower bill is used to tear the tissue and kill. The sharp lower edge of the upper bill works in coordination with the sharp upper edge of the lower bill to deliver this motion.[20] The downward-facing beak allows the owl’s field of vision to be clear, as well as to direct sound into the ears without deflecting sound waves away from the face.
Owls in Ancient Cultures
The Aztecs and Maya, along with other Natives of Mesoamerica, considered the owl a symbol of death and destruction. In fact, the Aztec god of death, Mictlantecuhtli, was often depicted with owls. There is an old saying in Mexico that is still in use: Cuando el tecolote canta, el indio muere (“When the owl cries/sings, the Indian dies”). In Hinduism, the Goddess Lakshmi is revealved as an Owl. And Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity, wisdom.
I am happy I took the time to feel this insight and tune into the Owl energy. Any time I have seen one – which there have been a number of I was always in awe of their majesty and grace. Now when I see one next, I will smile as I will know they are there for me. 🙂
I hope you have enjoyed learning more about The Owl Energy and the next time someone says you remind them of an animal – perhaps it will encourage you to look into their spirit and the ways you may learn from your animal twin.
Aloha, Ali Owl
