The Owl

Owls, or Cailleach-oidhche, have long been seen as a Wiccan symbol.  Most Pagans believed owls imparted the ability to see what is hidden to others with only ordinary sight and are bestowed with psychic awareness.  They are known to also represent wisdom, stealth, initiation, change, and detachment.  They are associated with arcane lore and seeking deeper knowledge such as seeing death as a new beginning rather than an ending.  

Owls are aware of their surroundings at all times, have great intuition, and the courage to follow their instincts. They offer keen insight into obscure occurrences, they are bringers of hidden truths, omens and secrets. They are the power animal of psychics.

Owls share their gift of the second sight, the ability to extract secrets, and clairvoyance to those that honor them.  Owls are known as mysterious creatures for their nocturnal abilities, their silent flights, and their sharp eyesight and hearing that allows them to strike their prey quickly and effectively.  Those that fear the owls believe that they are harbingers of death, doom, and misfortune.  Those that admire them, see them as bringers of insight and knowledge.  They are also seen as having the ability to avert evil.     

The Celts believe Owl is a mysterious sacred animal associated with deities of the Underworld, a place of unpredictable change, and is a guide to and from this realm.  A well-known deity that owls associate with is Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom.  Her owl revealed unseen truths and enable Athena to speak the whole truth rather than half-truths or lies.  Owls are also associated with the Moon and Crone aspect of the Goddess.    

~Fiendlover~