Post by Spirit of the Lynx on Jul 4, 2007 18:35:19 GMT -5
From: ScrëämïngËäglë™ (Original Message) Sent: 6/30/2003 11:14 AM
Owl animal totem
The old Roman word for owl is strix, the same as their word for witch.
Throughout northern Europe, the owl is also associated with witchcraft.
Wicca means "wise ones," and the Witches of this tradition emphasize
the owl as one of their principal animal totems.
Universally, the owl is a symbol for wisdom, and it is the totem animal
for such ancient goddesses as Athene, Lilith, and Blodeuwedd, the
Welsh Virgin Goddess of spring. Tiazolteotl, the Aztec goddess,
shepherded the souls of women who died in childbirth and had the owl
and the snake as her totem animals.To the Winnebago, the owl ruled the
north, the land of the unknown, of cold, dark forests; of death. Many
Native American tribes believed that if they heard an owl calling their
name, they were soon to join the Grandparents in the spirit world. In
Celtic lore, the owl was also the "corpse bird" that carried the recently
deceased to the underworld.
In the Rio Grande area of the Southwest, owls were considered the familiar
that witches prefer over black cats, If one heard an owl hooting above one's
rooftop at night, it was certain that evil was soon to visit the home.
The Zuni believed that if a family incurred the wrath of a witch, the evilworker
would plant owl feathers in their cornfield, thus summoning a strong wind
to destroy the crop.
The Apaches kept a wary eye out for Big Owl, a bloodthirsty, evil giant who
took the form of a huge owl and carried humans off to eat them.
Although the Japanese generally regard the owl as a wise and benevolent
night creature, most of the cultures of Asia fear the bird as a demon of
darkness that delights in carrying off human souls. Conversely, in the
Polynesian tradition, the owl is a special protector in battles or danger and
brings back to life any souls that may be lost and wandering.
If you have long cherished the owl as a totem animal, you are quite likely a
student of the mysterious and the unknown who loves to ferret out clues to
the unexplained enigmas of existence on the Earth Mother. You probably
enjoy watching magicians perform their craft, and you may even be an
amateur magician. Even your closest friends may consider you something
of a paradox, on the one hand, you seem to worship logic and reason;
on the other, you appear to prefer fantasy and the illogical.
With the owl as your spirit helper, you will not cease to explore the most
distant perimeters of the unknown; And you will not cease spending an
equal amount of time in the Silence, receiving messages from the
Great Mystery.
Owl animal totem
The old Roman word for owl is strix, the same as their word for witch.
Throughout northern Europe, the owl is also associated with witchcraft.
Wicca means "wise ones," and the Witches of this tradition emphasize
the owl as one of their principal animal totems.
Universally, the owl is a symbol for wisdom, and it is the totem animal
for such ancient goddesses as Athene, Lilith, and Blodeuwedd, the
Welsh Virgin Goddess of spring. Tiazolteotl, the Aztec goddess,
shepherded the souls of women who died in childbirth and had the owl
and the snake as her totem animals.To the Winnebago, the owl ruled the
north, the land of the unknown, of cold, dark forests; of death. Many
Native American tribes believed that if they heard an owl calling their
name, they were soon to join the Grandparents in the spirit world. In
Celtic lore, the owl was also the "corpse bird" that carried the recently
deceased to the underworld.
In the Rio Grande area of the Southwest, owls were considered the familiar
that witches prefer over black cats, If one heard an owl hooting above one's
rooftop at night, it was certain that evil was soon to visit the home.
The Zuni believed that if a family incurred the wrath of a witch, the evilworker
would plant owl feathers in their cornfield, thus summoning a strong wind
to destroy the crop.
The Apaches kept a wary eye out for Big Owl, a bloodthirsty, evil giant who
took the form of a huge owl and carried humans off to eat them.
Although the Japanese generally regard the owl as a wise and benevolent
night creature, most of the cultures of Asia fear the bird as a demon of
darkness that delights in carrying off human souls. Conversely, in the
Polynesian tradition, the owl is a special protector in battles or danger and
brings back to life any souls that may be lost and wandering.
If you have long cherished the owl as a totem animal, you are quite likely a
student of the mysterious and the unknown who loves to ferret out clues to
the unexplained enigmas of existence on the Earth Mother. You probably
enjoy watching magicians perform their craft, and you may even be an
amateur magician. Even your closest friends may consider you something
of a paradox, on the one hand, you seem to worship logic and reason;
on the other, you appear to prefer fantasy and the illogical.
With the owl as your spirit helper, you will not cease to explore the most
distant perimeters of the unknown; And you will not cease spending an
equal amount of time in the Silence, receiving messages from the
Great Mystery.