After writing my last post, I noticed that owls are the latest fad in jewelry & home decor. For example, I received 2 owl necklaces, an owl figurine, & owl notecards for gifts this past year. Every time something new becomes trendy with mainstream America, I ask myself, “Why?” Why designer handbags? Why expensive little beads for bracelets? Why painful stiletto shoes that cost a fortune? Why owls?
Owls have resonated with people for thousands of years. To many earth-centered cultures, Owl is a symbol of wisdom, magic, omens, prophetic vision, the moon, & the Divine feminine. Owl was Athena’s animal, a symbol of higher wisdom. To the Pawnee, it symbolized protection & to the early Welsh, fertility. Christian Gnostics associate Owl with Lilith, Adam’s first wife. She refused to submit to Adam & left him (& the garden) of her own free will. Owl is a symbol of her strength. I find it ironic that the Gnostic story states both Lilith & Adam were made of the earth while Genesis states Eve came from Adam’s rib (& doesn’t even refer to Lilith at all). It puts Eve (& all women) “beneath” men in a subservient way. Interesting…. I must read more about this but don’t know enough about it to comment further here.
Because of Owl’s acute vision & hearing, it can see & hear what others try to hide, making their secrets transparent. The message being: keep silent & stay alert; all will be revealed.
I find it intriguing that so many cultures throughout history attach spiritual significance to animals, reinforcing, for me, the importance of honoring all forms of life on this planet.