Foraslongashumankindhasrecognizedanimalsasteachers,wisemenandwomenhaverecognizedtraitsworthyofrespectinbothwildanddomesticcreatures.Theculturalandspiritualsignificanceofcertainanimalstranscendsgeographicalboundaries,unifyingdisparatepeoples.Notsothemajesticandmysteriousowl,whichhasovermanymillenniaservedasthefocalpointofnumerouscontradictorybeliefs.Thoughowlshavebeenregardedwithaweandfascination,theyhavealsoinadvertentlyservedasagentsoffear.Sinceowlsarenocturnal,human-owlencounterstendedtooccuratnightandlikelywhenthebirdwasswoopingsilentlydowntoearthtograpplewithprey.Yetevenassomeshiedawayfromtheowl,callingitanagentofdarkness,othersrecognizedthedepthsofawarenessinbeautifulowleyes.
IntheclassicalGreektradition,anowlcouldoftenbefoundperchedontheshoulderofAthena,goddessofwisdom,whileowlscouldwardoffbadluckinRomanlore.ItisinNativeAmericanmythos,however,thattheowlattainsitsownuniqueidentity.Owlsarepatientmessengers,bringersofinformationandtheholdersofwisdom,andtheyarecapableofseeingtheunseen.Withtheirkeeneyesight,theycanglanceintothesoultodiscernmeaningandmotive,andtheyaretotemsoftruth.Unlikeourdistantforebears,wemayneverencounteranowlinthewild,butwecannonethelessinternalizethewisdomoftheowlbyattuningourselvestoitsmostvenerablequalities.Fullyintegratingthemedicineoftheowlintospiritualexistenceisamatterofconsideringhowwemightopenourselvesmorefullytothewisdomthatcanbefoundinthelargeruniverse.
Shouldyoufindyoureffortsblockedasyoucommunewiththeowl,rememberthatitwasnotalwaysreveredasaniconofwisdom.Thisdenizenofthenighttimehasovercomemanyprejudicesinitslongassociationwithhumankind.Torevealthosehiddenelementsoftheselfthatimpactyourlifeforbetterorforworse,youmustoftenmakeyourwaythroughthedarkestpartsofyoursoulasifyouyourselfarethenocturnalhunter.Thereisindeeddarknessbothinsidetheselfandoutsidetheself,butliketheowlyoucantranscenditbydrawingnourishmentfromtheinsightsyoureceivewhenyoupenetrateit.