Owls are beautiful, graceful hunters that embody strength and willpower. They are known as hunters of
the night and prey on small mammals. People are always amazed at how these hunters are able to be so
agile and yet carry an eerie grace when they hunt. They are unique in how they remove the waste of the
food they have eaten. You may have dissected something in your early school years called an owl pellet.
These pellets are a collection of the bones, fur, or feathers of what the owl has eaten and thrown up in a
clean ball. Many have been able to put together whole skeletons by dissecting one of these pellets. But
owls are more than just their pellets and the beauty they carry. Their nature holds strong magick that
Witches should learn to use in their Craft. You may have used owls in your spell work without even
realizing, like if you needed a feather for a spell or small bones; you may have obtained both from an
owl without even knowing! Of course, parts of the owl can be used for its induvial magick. Together, we
will learn of the lore of the owl, its magickal properties, and anything else useful for Witches to utilize.
Owl Legends and Folklore
The owl has been depicted for centuries in art and stories. Here are some that surround the owl and the
influences they have brought to this magickal creature.
Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and is often portrayed with an owl as a companion. Before
the owl, though, Athena had a crow as a companion. But she grew fed up with him and his prankster
ways, so she banished him as her companion and instead sought out a new one worthy to be at her side.
Impressed with the owl’s wisdom and levels of seriousness, Athena chose one to be her companion
instead. The specific owl that represented Athena was called the Little Owl, a species found in great
numbers inside places like the Acropolis. Coins were minted with Athena’s face on one side and an owl
on the other.
There are a number of Native American stories about owls, most of which are related to their
association with prophecy and divination. The Hopi tribe held the Burrowing Owl as sacred as they
believed it to be a symbol of their god of the dead. As such, the Burrowing Owl was a protector of the
underworld and things that grow on Earth, such as seeds and plants. This species of owl actually nests in
the ground and so was associated with the earth itself because of this unique talent.
The Inuit people of Alaska have a legend about the snowy owl. The snowy owl and a raven are making
each other new clothes. The raven made the snowy owl a pretty dress of black and white feathers, while
the snowy owl decided to make the raven a lovely white dress to wear. However, when the owl asked
the raven to allow her to fit the dress, the raven was so excited that she could not hold still. She was
jumping around so much that the owl got fed up and threw a pot of lamp oil at the raven. The lamp oil
soaked through the white dress, and so the raven has been black ever since. This legend shows that
patience is needed, even if, at times, it seems like your patience has run short.
Owl Superstitions and the Magick They Bring
The owl’s superstitions are what bring it its magick. As it is believed, the stronger someone believes in
superstition, the stronger the magick and will of those revolving around it become. By looking at the
superstitions surrounding the owl, you will better understand the magick these mysterious creatures
produce.
In many African countries, the owl is associated with sorcery and baneful magick. A large owl hanging
around a house is believed to indicate that a powerful shaman lives within. The bigger the owl and the
longer it stays around the shaman, the more strength the shaman will receive from the energies of
nature. Many in the villages also believed that the owl carried messages back and forth between the
shaman and the spirit world. So, if someone were in need of answers from the other side, the shaman
could send an owl with the question, and when the owl returns, they would have the answers you seek.
You can also use the owl to ask questions in the spirit realm. You do not need to use a real owl to get the
answer; images and symbols of the owl are enough. Ask the question you seek to the objects of the owl,
and in your sleep, you should get the answers you seek in a riddle-type way; you cannot expect the owl
to give you a direct answer after all, as they love seeing those who honor it grow.
In some places, nailing an owl to the door of a house was considered a way to keep evil at bay. The
tradition actually began in ancient Rome after owls foretold the deaths of Julius Caesar and several
other Emperors. The custom persisted in some areas, including Great Britain, until the eighteenth
century, when an owl nailed to a barn door protected the livestock within from fire or lightning. In the
modern era, you can place the figure of an owl on the roof of your home or on your porch to absorb
negative energies and repel them from following you or your guests inside. As the owl figure remains
outside, it will be naturally cleansed of collected energies whenever there is a full moon.
Though the owl’s nocturnal activity is the root of many superstitions, its amazing ability to rotate its
neck to extraordinary degrees was even turned into a myth. In England, it was believed that if you
walked around a tree that an owl was perched on it, it would follow you with its eyes, around and
around until it wrung its own neck. As the owl can rotate its head so far, you can use it as a protector
when you need someone to keep an eye on your back. When you feel unsure whether someone is
speaking ill about you behind your back, wear a charm or pendant with the owl so that they can see
what you are not able to, and they will be able to tell you if you need to worry or not.
Much of Appalachian tradition can be traced back to the Scottish Highlands, where the owl was
associated with the Cailleach and English villages that were the original homes of mountain settlers.
Because of this, there is still a good deal of superstition surrounding the owl in the Appalachian region,
most of which revolves around death. According to mountain legends, an owl hooting at midnight
signifies death is coming. Also, seeing an owl circling during the day means bad news for someone
nearby. In some areas, it is believed that owls flew down on Mabon night to eat the souls of the dead.
You can use the power of the owl when you want to speak with the dead or leave an offering to them.
The owl will be your best connection to those who have parted for either their guidance or to get
magickal aid from them.
If you find an owl feather, it can be used for a variety of purposes. The Zuni tribe believed an owl feather
placed in a baby’s crib kept evil spirits away from the infant. Other tribes saw owls as bringers of healing,
so a feather could be hung in the doorway of a home to keep illness out. In the British Isles, owls were
also associated with death and negative energy, so feathers can be used to repel those same unpleasant
influences.
The many variety of owls are not just amazing hunters but excellent magick providers. Their magick
flows as easily as the way they fly, so Witches and old and new should have little trouble using the owl’s magick in their spell work. With all animals you plan on using in your spells, you need to ask permission
before using their magick or collecting any elements that come from them. So long as you are careful
and have pure intentions, you should not have issues. But be warned, your intentions need to be pure,
or else the owl will not help you and instead may try to get revenge for the betrayal. Be cautious and
pure; the owl’s gentle touch will be upon you in your spells. Happy casting and many successful spells with the help of the owl!
