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| Illustration by Bill Worthington |
Today's Card: OWL-- "Cailleach Oidhche" in Gaelic: Detachment, Wisdom, Change
(also: Death, Crossing Points, the Hidden)
The card shows a barn owl in an oak tree covered with ivy. The tree is in an old oak forest in winter on a full moon night. Two tokens hang from branches: a stone pendent relief of a spiraled snake, and another silver pendent of a tragedy or death mask.
** Personal note: I believe that I have a life that touches on 'owl' themes relentlessly, though I seem to have a reluctance to dive into exploring this with Owl. My friend, Mike Clelland, writes books on many uncanny owl experiences that people have, and I have noted that I seem to avoid embracing this particular totemic image. Perhaps because I saw 'behind the veil' and felt betrayed? This may color my experience with Owl now, and I feel odd about confronting this.
I step through onto an enormous and wide branch of an ancient oak tree. I note that it is still fully leaved out, though a cold wind blows through an otherwise bare forest in the midst of winter. The full moon is so bright that I can see very clearly. Though I know of what sorts of themes surround Owl, I reach out to lightly pet her with a finger, she is cute and not frightening at all. The messenger of darker things, but not dark herself.
She shifts a couple of steps away from me and ducks her head in that bowing way owls do, but then steps closer and I lightly pet her chest. She closes her eyes in pleasure, and we just try to get comfortable together for a little bit.
Then Owl rotates her head to face the ivy to one side of her and grabs the spiral snake stone token in her beak. She then walks sideways up to me and drops it into my hand. I see it is a pendent and put it over my head. She reminds me (though I know this already) that snakes are totems of life and death and the shedding of the old. Owls sometimes bring news of such great changes by flying by with a snake in their talons where they can be seen by the one receiving the message. A classic "Omen."
I feel the spiral snake on my chest with my fingers, rubbing the shape of the smooth stone. It feels reassuring. The owl knows I am very well versed in this! I am familiar with life, death, reincarnation, ghosts, prophesy, and omens. I pursue it and don't deny it, but am reluctant to ask for help (from owl.) I acknowledge this is true.
Then owl flies to the next tree and has me follow. I am tall enough, and the forest dense enough, that I can simply climb from limb to limb of various trees. She leads me to the edge of the forest where we can see down into a town. I realize I have amazing night vision! I can see great detail even from very far away-- it makes me think of looking through binoculars, only easier.
And we watch. The human world gets quiet, but that's when other things wake up. We see spirits, and strange lights, and shadow figures, and we hear strange voices and singing and odd clicking and beeping noises as well. I understand that the Owl bears witness to all places where one world touches another. Not a Guardian of the Crossroads (like a Dog spirit might be) so much as a Mind Awake.
We make our way back to the Everliving Oak tree, and both the Owl and I know there are few surprises here for me. Now she reaches for the other token that hangs from the tree: a silver mask pendent. She lets me put it on my wrist, for its a bracelet. I rub the little face with my fingers. Its all about the pain of death and the fear of the unknown. My soul feels like the expression on this face...
The Owl bobs her face up and down, and reminds me that her face appears to be mask-like, as all owls do. I don't avoid Owl because of any of the things under her domain-- I don't like masks. I don't like to be fooled. I don't like things to be hidden from me. I have a raw hunger to unmask all things.
Then she does something that freaks me out. She reaches up with her fat feet and pulls off her face!! To my shock and amusement, there is clockwork there, like she's a sophisticated wind-up toy! She plops her 'mask face' back on and is calm, but seems to enjoy the joke. I realize that Owl bothers me because she doesn't seem very emotional, and this reminds me of the alien Greys, and this is another reason I am disturbed.
She says with calm compassion, "To bear Witness, one must be calm. One must allow events to proceed as they will without succumbing to the fear of those who must live through the event or encounter. I can help you to be calm through the fear. Just call on me. Think of me when experiences overwhelm you and remember I am of your natural world. I bear Witness to the Otherworld, but I am not of it. I'll get you back safely."
This moves me deeply. I understand now. I remove both tokens and return them to the Everliving Oak, feeling tearful and a little tired. I feel much closer to the Owl and decide to stop denying her in my life. I reach out both arms and she flies to my chest with a little hop and flutter of her wings, and she sits on my arms for a minute while I feel her feathers and rest my chin lightly on her head. I thank her and release her back to her branch and then return to my realm.
END.
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