What do owls signify?

holy crap my warped eyes thought they read that the owls have been sitting on your face

Death, I think.

I would like to know too, because eventhough they are not my favorite animal, they always 'appear' in my life. Somebody would bring me a gift for instance, and it would have an owl picture, shape, etc.

Where I live, I hear them but I don't see them.

If you are Indian, death.

Most likely you may have a heavy infestation of rats and they are there to harvest them.

Aliens

Well that's not good.

No mice or rats...

The is the first time I have seen so many or owl's for that matter in YEARS...

Owls were the companion birds of Athena, Greek Goddess of wisdom.

Native Canadians say if you hear an owl hoot, don't ever hoot back because then you answering the call of death.

A lil' info on the symbolism of the owl [link to www.whats-your-sign.com]

Well, I guess I made that mistake last night... :O

Funny how when I am outside in my screened porch looking at the owls, my indoor cat just sits there and watches them without moving, while once in a while meowing...

They mean death for you, if you hear them call your name!

Dark spirited females.

They are used as intelligence gatherers for the dark side.

I suppose if you are a female they could be signifying you are dating a dark spirited male. Reptilian. Someone who is still a member of Babylon. ie. Non-baptized person.

You twisted religious freaks, never cease to amaze me.

Mail

And you spiritually ignorant arrogant asses never cease to amaze me. Read my blog then shut the fuck up.

If you offer respect you get it in return. Most of you atheists fail to grasp this concept.

It probably signifies you have field mice around your house and the owl is hungry

Wash those fingers with holly water immediately or you will have won some points with "Lucy"(lucifer for you).

That's the thing with you, religious freaks. Hypocrisy at its best.

You can google and get tons of info as to the meaning of owls that is extreme in their opposite interpretations.

I would say, in all cases, seek out the interpretations that are empowering, as there are many fear-based interpretations for those not ready to see the power this totem or animal spirit brings.

Here is the one I favor: owls see in the dark.

Meaning, the idea of "seeing" something formerly hid in darkness, or unsee-able.

As you become more and more awake and aware, your ability to perceive what has been there all along becomes more and more sensitized.

You gain more bandwidth in your sensory perception.

After all, everything we sense, smell, hear, taste, etc. is just a vibration that is hitting us that we are decoding. So you could say that your ability to decode is rapidly expanding (tripling maybe, :) ... in the case of the 3 owls).

As this occurs, things can no longer "hide in plain sight", as the totem of the owl is a sign that you have heightened ability to see more and more, and from a less polarized or opinionated viewpoint. Instead, it becomes easier and actually more fun and playful to adopt a zoomed-out overview as you perceive the world, as you can easily see the truth of all positions (after all, it is true for each person, whatever they feel!). And this sense of "flying high" like an owl over the scene is empowering and very freeing.

This idea of seeing what has been there all along, and from a heightened overview is well illustrated in the book and movie (the book was even better than the movie) What Dreams May Come (with Robin Williams).


After death, as the lead character is following his old life around (attending his own funeral, etc.), he sees in his periphery vision vague blurry images around him. He's now out of his physical body but still focusing on and thereby tied to his old physical life. It is not until later he is able to relax and refocus his eyes, that these blurry images move into crystal sharpness, and he sees what has been in the same room with him all along. (I won't give anything more away for those who may read this post who haven't seen this great movie or read the book.)

This movie is also great because it demonstrates so very clearly that it is a vibrational universe and we go to the area of the universe that is a vibrational match to our thoughts.

Knowing this, we see what a wretched waste of time it is to think wretched thoughts, and construct a hell-world, and keep yourself a prisoner within it than it is to create a heaven-world, and now get used to feeling good.

Feeling good is the only requirement.

Most of us need to work on this as this idea was kept from the slaves, as it is the ticket to freedom.

The owl is very free, fiercely independent, highly skilled, and has the significant gift of being able to fly silently.

I see this as meaning that from an expanded perspective, our ego has been stilled, and we are no longer flapping our wings and strutting around like a rooster and making noise in the yard. We can move easily in all situations (and dimensions). No longer trying. Being the bird in flight. (And seeing that trying was a trap).

Owl doesn't try. Owl knows and does.

..
.

They just want a safe place to perch.
Might not be safe for them elsewhere until later.

Last year I had an owl show up at my house 3 nights in a row.. We never see owls in the city and this was really strange and sort of freaked me out. I had just stepped out onto the back deck for a smoke when this huge thing came out of nowhere and landed on top of our patio swing 3 feet from me. Was dark out and when it was coming at me I didn't know what the hell it was! My dog was sitting there just staring and didn't even move a muscle.. thing looked at me said "who, who who" and left.. Came back the next two nights.. Landed in a near bye tree and on the fence the next then never saw it again.

Anyhow, a few weeks later my best friend of 20 years who had been fighting cancer lost her battle. Truly believe to this day that owl was there to let me know that her time was coming.. Will never forget it.

They want to know "who" is going to feed them.

Hmmm...maybe I've been longing what I already have. Thanks BeautifulOwl.

Pssst, religious freak...see what a beautiful message that was, instead of your twisted bible character (the non-baptised evil entity) that you created out of three beautiful owls?.

The owls are not what they seem...

I had a dream once about an Owl and I have been freaked when I hear or see them since. It had been hit by a car and I had turned around to try and help it but it was dead. Then suddenly it came to life in my hands and hissed at me with these horrible sharp teeth...It was a terrible dream...

I have no idea what they mean but I am still alive so maybe not that...

Abyssinia: the Hamites held the Owl to be sacred.

Afghanistan: the Owl gave Man flint and iron to make fire - in exchange, Man gave the Owl his feathers.

Africa, Central: the Owl is the familiar of wizards to the Bantu.

Africa, East: the Swahili believe the Owl brings illness to children.

Africa, Southern: Zulus know the Owl as the sorcerers' bird.

Africa, West: the messenger of wizards and witches, the Owl's cry presages evil.

Algeria: place the right eye of an Eagle Owl in the hand of a sleeping woman and she will tell all.

Arabia: the Owl is a bird of ill omen, the embodiment of evil spirits that carries off children at night.
According to an ancient Arabic treatise, from each female Owl supposedly came two eggs, one held the power to cause hair fall out and one held the power to restore it.
Arabs used to believe that the spirit of a murdered man continues to wail and weep until his death is avenged. They believed that a bird that they called "al Sada" (or the death-owl) would continue to hoot over the grave of a slain man whose death had not been avenged. The bird would continue to hoot endlessly until the slain man's death was avenged.

Arctic Circle: a little girl was turned into a bird with a long beak by magic, but was so frightened she flapped about madly and flew into a wall, flattening her face and beak. So the Owl was created.

Australia: Aborigines believe bats represent the souls of men and Owls the souls of women. Owls are therefore sacred, because your sister is an Owl - and the Owl is your sister.

Aztecs: one of their evil gods wore a Screech Owl on his head.

Babylon: Owl amulets protected women during childbirth.

Belgium: legend has it that a priest offered the Owl his church tower to live in if the bird would get rid of the rats and mice that plagued his church.

Bordeaux: throw salt in the fire to avoid the Owl's curse

Borneo: the Supreme Being turned his wife into an Owl after she told secrets to mortals.

Brittany: an Owl seen on the way to the harvest is the sign of a good yield.

Burma: during a quarrel among the birds, the Owl was jumped upon and so his face was flattened.

Cameroon: too evil to name, the Owl is known only as "the bird that makes you afraid".

Carthage: the city was captured by Agathocles of Syracuse (Southern Italy) in 310 BC. Afterward, he released Owls over his troops and they settled on their shields and helmets, signifying victory in battle.

Celtic:the Owl was a sign of the underworld.

China: the Owl is associated with lightning (because it brightens the night) and with the drum (because it breaks the silence). Placing Owl effigies in each corner of the home protect it against lightning. The Owl is a symbol of Too much Yang (positive, masculine, bright, active energy).

Croatia: The Owl is a symbol of City of Krk on the island of Krk, and is also protector of the island of Solta, where it is called "cuvitar". (Jadranka Lukacic)

Ethiopia: a man condemned to death was taken to a table on which an Owl was painted, and then expected to take his own life.

Etruria: to the Etruscans of Ancient Italy the Owl was an attribute of the god of darkness.

France: when a pregnant woman hears an Owl it is an omen that her child will be a girl.

Germany: if an Owl hoots as a child is born, the infant will have an unhappy life.
"A charm against the terrible consequences of being bitten by a mad dog was to carry the heart and right foot of an Owl under the left armpit." (Encyclopedia of Superstitions)

Greenland: the Inuit see the Owl as a source of guidance and help.

Hawaii: Owls feature in old war chants.

Incas: venerated the Owl for its beautiful eyes and head.

India: Seizures in children could be treated with a broth made from Owl eyes. Rheumatism pain was treated with a gel made from Owl meat. Owl meat could also be eaten as a natural aphrodisiac. In northern India, if one ate the eyes of an Owl, they would be able to see in the dark. In southern India, the cries of an Owl were interpreted by number: One hoot was an omen of impending death; two meant success in anything that would be started soon after; three represented a woman being married into the family; four indicated a disturbance; five denoted coming travel; six meant guests were on the way; seven was a sign of mental distress; eight foretold sudden death; and nine symbolized good fortune. In parts of the Indian sub-continent people believed that the Owl was married to the bat.

Indonesia: Around Manado, on the isle of Sulawesi, People consider Owls very wise. They call them Burung Manguni. Every time someone wants to travel, they listen to the owls. The owls make two different sounds; the first means it is safe to go, and the second means it's better to stay at home. The Minahasa, people around Manado, take those warnings very seriously. They stay at home when Manguni says so. Information thanks to Alex van Poppel

Iran: In Farsi the Little Owl (Athene Noctua) is called "Joghde-kochek". It is said that this bird brings bad luck. In Islam, it's forbidden (Haram) to eat.

Ireland: An Owl that enters the house must be killed at once, for if it flies away it will take the luck of the house with it.

Israel: in Hebrew lore the Owl represents blindness and desolation and is unclean.

Jamaica: to ward off the Owl's bad luck, cry "Salt and pepper for your mammy".

Japan: among the Ainu people the Eagle Owl is revered as a messenger of the gods or a divine ancestor. They would drink a toast to the Eagle Owl before a hunting expedition. The Screech Owl warns against danger. Though they think the Barn Owl and Horned Owl are demonic. They would nail wooden images of owls to their houses in times of famine or pestilence.

Latvia: when Christian soldiers entered his temple, the local pagan god flew away as an Owl.

Lorraine: spinsters go to the woods and call to the Owl to help them find a husband.

Luxembourg: Owls spy treasures, steal them and hoard them.

Madagascar: Owls join witches to dance on the graves of the dead.

Malawi: the Owl carries messages for witches.

Malaya: Owls eat new-born babies.

Mayarts: Owls were the messengers of the rulers of Xibalba, the Place of Phantoms.

Mexico: the Owl makes the cold North wind (the gentle South wind is made by the butterfly). The Little Owl was called "messenger of the lord of the land of the dead", and flew between the land of the living and the dead.

Middle East: the owl is linked with destruction, ruin and death. They are believed to represents the souls of people who have died un-avenged. Seeing an owl on the way to battle foretells a bloody battle with many deaths and casualties. Seeing an owl at somebody's house predicts their death. Seeing an owl in your sleep is fine as long as you don't hear it's voice. An Owl's sound forecasts a bad day.
A person who nags and complains a lot is compared to an owl. When someone is grumpy or is delivering bad news, they are said to have a face like an owl.

Mongolia: the Burial people hang up Owl skins to ward off evil.

Mongolia, Inner: Owls enter the house by night to gather human fingernails.

Morocco: the cry of Owls can kill infants. According to Moroccan custom, an Owl's eye worn on a string around the neck was an effective talisman to avert the "evil eye."

New Mexico: the hooting of Owls warns of the coming of witches.

New Zealand: to the Maoris it is an unlucky bird.

Newfoundland: the hoot of the Horned Owl signals the approach of bad weather.

Nigeria: in legend, Elullo, a witch and a chief of the Okuni tribe, could become an Owl.
In certain parts of Nigeria, natives avoid naming the Owl, referring to it at "the bird that makes your afraid".

Persia: wizards use arrows tipped with a bewitched man's fingernails to kill Owls.

Peru: boiled Owl is said to be a strong medicine.

Poland: Polish folklore links Owls with death. Girls who die unmarried turn into doves; girls who are married when they die turn into Owls.
An owl cry heard in or near a home usually meant impending death, sickness, or other misfortune.
An old story tells how the Owl does not come out at during the day because it is too beautiful, and would be mobbed by other, jealous birds.

Puerto Rico: The Owl is called "Mucaro". Back in the 1800s, the people from the mountain coffee plantations used to blame the little mucaro for the loss of coffee grains. The belief was that the coffee was part of the owls' diet, and many owls were killed.
There are old folklore songs on the subject, one goes like this:
"Poor Mucaro
you're a gentleman
you just want to eat a rat,
then the rat set up a trap,
he eats the coffee grains
and people blame you."

Romania: the souls of repentant sinners flew to heaven in the guise of a Snowy Owl.

Russia: hunters carry Owl claws so that, if they are killed, their souls can use them to climb up to Heaven.
Tartar shamen of Central Russia could assume Owl shapes.
Kalmucks hold the Owl to be sacred because one once saved the life of Genghis Khan.

Samoa: the people are descended from an Owl.

Saxony: the Wend people say that the sight of an Owl makes child-birth easier.

Scotland: it's bad luck to see an Owl in daylight.

Shetland Isles: a cow will give bloody milk if scared by an Owl.

Siberia: the Owl is a helpful spirit.

Spain: legend has it that the Owl was once the sweetest of singers, until it saw Jesus crucified. Ever since it has shunned daylight and only repeats the words 'cruz, cruz' ('cross, cross').

Sri Lanka: the Owl is married to the bat.

Sumeria: The goddess of death, Lilith, was attended by Owls.

Sweden: the Owl is associated with witch's.

Tangiers: Barn Owls are the clairvoyants of the Devil.

Transylvania: farmers used to scare away Owls by walking round their fields naked.

Ural Mountains: Snowy Owls were made to stay behind while other birds migrate as a punishment for deception.

U.S.A: if you hear an Owl-cry you must return the call, or else take off an item of clothing and put it on again inside-out.
Louisiana: Owls are old people and should be respected.
Louisiana Cajuns (individuals who share the French-based culture originally brought to Louisiana by exiles from the French colony of Acadia in the 18th century) thought you should get up from bed and turn your left shoe upside down to avert disaster, if you hear an Owl calling late at night.
Illinois: kill an Owl and revenge will be visited upon your family.

Wales: an Owl heard among houses means an unmarried girl has lost her virginity.
If a woman is pregnant and she alone hears an owl hoot outside her house at night then her child will be blessed.
In Welsh mythology, Blodeuedd, a woman made from flowers, is cursed by her husband's uncle, turning her into an owl. "You are never to show your face to the light of day, rather you shall fear other birds; they will be hostile to you, and it will be their nature to maul and molest you wherever they find you."

You're more than likely hearing doves.