Owl

Because the owl sees in the dark it represents our intuitive sense that ‘sees’ what is happening in the subtle areas of our feeling and experience. This sense ‘feeds’ by watching or acting as an integrating function with the many dark or hidden aspects of our experience and behaviour. Because this part of our mental process is aware of the hidden activities in the depths of our body and mind, it can initiate our conscious self into the mysteries of life and death. If one can imagine having a council of all living things, we would all have in common the drive to reproduce, and there would be huge links of understanding regarding care and rearing of young and perhaps of love for mate. The unconscious seems to have a sense of this synthesis of all life, and the owl, representing it, speaks with this sort of collective wisdom; a wise advisor.

Because the owl as a dream symbol is an actual doorway to the usually hidden side of life, we may sometimes feel fear or danger in regard to it. In some mythologies the owl was connected with death, and might act as a messenger regarding the death of a family member. For instance in Jewish tradition it is unlucky to dream of an owl, but okay to dream of any other bird. See: Second example in wife.

Idioms: Wise old owl; wisdom of the owl; night owl; owlish – looking wise or solemn.

Useful Questions and Hints:

What do I know about Owls?

Does this show any use of my intuition and wisdom?

If the owl seems menacing in the dream, is this about my fear of the dark, or death, or possibly the contents of my unconscious?

See CoreCollective UnconsciousBeing the Person or ThingUsing Your Intuition

Comments

-Sarah 2016-08-31 17:11:08

I had a strange dream which left me anxious. After looking after my old next door neighbour (who is now deceased) I returned to my old house with my now step son when she started knocking on the wall to get our attention – I was worried about contacting her family again having just called them out to see to her. I then got distracted by the noise of flapping and my stepson said oh there’s a bird in the kitchen I went for a look and an owl flew right towards me with big eyes. I woke scared my neighbour has been dead for about 3 years I left my old house & ex husband over 5 years ago – what does this mean?

-Kathy 2016-08-28 17:41:50

Last night I had a dream which was long and involved and I don’t really remember it except for this; I was driving along a road and a small brown owl with golden eyes appeared directly in front of me on the road and I didn’t have time to swerve or avoid it! I ran over it and felt so sad, then I saw its left eye had come out and was stuck to some rubber and was a kind of milky white. I feel quite affected by it and feel it is significant. Wonder if anyone has some idea of what it may mean?

-Mellissa 2016-08-12 19:03:16

I had a dream I was in an unknown room, it was daytime outside but when I looked outside, all I could see were trees. Right next to the window was hill. Literally right next to it. & there was a colorful owl there and before I could even think about what to do, I scared it away by slapping the window.. After I scared it, I looked out & saw a different owl out there with a regular bird.. Attacking it.

-R2 2016-07-18 16:35:30

I had a dream that I went to a friends house and my ex was there. You could say we’re aquaintance we only see eachother because we have a few of the same friends. When I saw him in the dream at my friends house I just thought why is he here. The entire time if we ever got close to eachother we made a disgusted face we didn’t look at each other and he bumped into me and I cussed hi
out. At my friend house they had a pool and as I was walking around there was a medium-small owl with red eyes in the grass I put my hand out to see if it would climb onto it and instead it tried to bite me, but the owl did get closer to me and let me pet it for a while and then I got up and went swimming. When I got out of the pool the owl was by the door and when I put my hand down he jumped into it and let me hold it. What does that mean? I’ve never dreamt of an owl before

-Jennifer V 2016-07-03 19:01:18

Tony, I had a peculiar dream last night, and I would really love to get it interpreted. But I think a little back story first is necessary.

I’m not going to blatantly say I am psychic, but I have many abilities. I think spirits are really drawn to me, because they know I can see them. I see them while awake, and while asleep. Visitation dreams aren’t rare for me. But I also have premonitions. Recently I dreamt of the terrorist attack in Instanbul, only to see it on the news the next day. I just wanted to say this first, just to explain how open I am with the paranormal, it comes very easily for me.

But in my dream last night, I was visited by an owl. I tried looking it up to find out what exact kind it was, but I haven’t had any luck. I heard a lot of noise in one of the bedrooms in my house, so I ran to the room to see what it was. There was an owl just sitting on a dresser by the window, staring at me. I started slowly approaching it, and I could see that it was injured. I walked up to the dresser, and I put my arm out for him to climb up on me, and he did. His wing looked like it was hurting him, so I walked over to the bed and sat down, with him still on my arm. I sat with him in my lap, petting him and trying to make his wing feel better. He looked at me with the biggest and kindest eyes I’ve ever seen. I put him down to stand on my bed, while I went to turn the water on in my bathroom. I got a hot wash cloth and returned, and I wrapped the wash cloth around his wing. I sat there with him for what felt like hours. I went and turned the water on in my actual shower, and left the door open, to let him go take a small bird bath. He ended up flying into the bathroom for a minute, and flew back out and landed on my arm. He looked at me as if he was my friend, he had so much love in his eyes. I kept the window open to he could fly out if he wanted to. He stayed inside for the night, and he flew away in the morning, though I don’t think he went far away, it felt like he wanted to stay close to my house.

-Kel 2016-06-29 11:59:43

I had a dream where there was baby owls roosting inside, maybe a shed or something? And I offered some food to the adult owl. Does my dream mean anything? I’m rather scared..

-Wendy 2016-05-23 4:54:28

Hey Tony/Anna I dreamed last night that I found an owl in danger in a parking lot outside of what I think was an owl sanctuary. As the dream continued though there were 2 large owls with gold eyes, as well as baby owls. I was protecting the Owls in my dreams and could communicate with them. The prominate colors in the dream were the golds, dark and almost tan brown as well as purple. On a side note I was raised with the thought process that owls were bad luck or omen however this dream did not feel threatening towards me.

-Ryan 2016-04-26 20:23:16

I had a dream that these two people ate a slice of pizza and then they hallucinated and there was an owl with one large eye in the center. Not that it had on eye gone but it was like a Cyclops. Later in the dream I came across a man who I recognized to be my great grandfather. He was very tall. I believe he said he was 9’6. He said he was 30,but I then asked how is that possible seeing that I am 30? In real life I have no great grandparents alive. I noticed him because he had a hook nose like my moms side of the family has(as do i) and he had a specific hairstyle like my grandpa did(wavy hair).

    -Anna - Tony's Assistant 2016-05-02 15:20:23

    Dear Ryan – Thank you for sharing another dream with us.
    I wonder if it is the whole dream as you jump from “an owl with one eye like a Cyclops” to “later in the dream”; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/not-enough-information/
    You do not express why your dream figure perceives these two people as hallucinating or what may have triggered a dream like this or links with it in some way.
    Are you experimenting with drugs?
    While awake a hallucination is an experience of a ‘dream’ occurring while we have our eyes open. The voices heard, people seen, smells smelt, although appearing to be outside of us, are no more exterior than the things and images of our dreams; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/hallucinations/
    Dreams themselves are an Altered State of Consciousness. The term – ASC – refers to a significant change in what is considered a normal waking awareness. Therefore a dream is an excellent example of an ASC. For instance in dreams or in a state where the sense of self is diminished, people can sometimes do or experience things they cannot in ‘normal’ waking consciousness. Problems can be solved in an intuitive way; perception is heightened; some people look ahead to future events, or experience a view of things far distant from their physical body; there is also the possibility of generally impossible healing processes released in the body; memories of early childhood or even life in the womb are more readily accessible in a dream or ASC state than in normal life. Of course, it has to be said that although such things are possible, the run of the mill altered state in dreams of fantasies, has little or nothing of these splendid possibilities. Therefore part of the study of ASC’s is to discover how we can, as humans, learn to use our own potential more adequately; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/altered-states-of-consciousness/
    An owl with one eye in the middle may refer to you using your so called “third eye” to look inside where you become aware of part of your potential.
    In this dream your potential may be seen as those traits that you have inherited from your great grandfather that can provide you with great insights. (I am partly guessing here as there may be part of your dream missing.)
    It will serve a purpose to explore why you believe your great grandfather said he was 9’6 by using “Being your great grandfather” because “a giant” can have both so called positive and negative meanings in a dream; http://dreamhawk.com/dream-dictionary/giant/
    I believe that spiritual realization and psychological development must go hand in hand.
    Do you perceive that you are also able to take any new insights with you with the intention of integrating them into your present state of mind?
    See also http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/archetype-of-the-night-journey-the-search-for-self/
    Anna 🙂

-G2 2016-04-26 13:19:34

I dreamt I was sleeping on my bed and was awakened by thumps on my bed. I thought it was my cat pouncing on the bed. But it was a huge great horned owl standing at the foot of my bed looking at me. I love owls! As I reached for it, I realized there was another owl laying on the bed next to me, it looked a bit matted but it stood up. Both were beautiful, I was so happy to see them. The odd thing was that I passed and open window and it was night, very dark, it was raining and a bit flooded out so the water looked dark. I was unafraid, I love rain. But then my father who h as been deceased for years r was there in another room, I was so excited to tell him about the owls, but he had one of the owls perched on his arm. I haven’t dreamt my father in years. What does this all mean? Please explain.
Thank you.

    -Anna - Tony's Assistant 2016-05-02 12:29:13

    Dear G2 – What you experience when you “wake up” in a dream suggests the meaning is very significant. Your dream creator is telling you to really be aware of what the dream is trying to communicate. It could also be a first step to the lucid state; http://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/lucid-dreaming/
    What I see in your dream is that you become aware of your “inheritance”; the abilities you have received from your father through genes and living with him; http://dreamhawk.com/pregnancy-childbirth/parenting-is-a-spiritual-path/
    Your dream shows that part of your intuition may be “ill-used”; As I reached for it, I realized there was another owl lying on the bed next to me, it looked a bit matted but it stood up.”
    What your dream figure perceives as “odd” may be a purposeful way to use your intuition; to look into (unconscious?) feelings and (past?) experiences symbolised by “night, very dark, it was raining and a bit flooded out so the water looked dark.”
    Why does your dream figure perceive that as “odd”?
    How would she use her intuition? (Some people tend to use their intuition to find a parking place for instance or to try to win the lottery.)
    When you use your intuition to look through the open window what do you see/sense and what thoughts/feelings/images arise?
    To explore these questions, the two owls and your inner father see http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-on-your-dream/#BeingPerson
    Many people do not realise that they have an inner father equally as powerful as an external father. You have taken in millions of bit of memory, lessons learnt, life experiences along with all the feelings or problems met by loving and living with your father, and they are what makes you the person you are. This is true even if your father was never there for you – you still have all the memories of him not being there for you filed under ‘Father’. The memories and experience we gather unconsciously change us and are not lost. It is part of you and is symbolised in dreams as a person or event. Such an inner father can appear in dreams because you are still deeply influenced by what you hold within you.
    I understand from your dream that your inner father has one of the two owls perched on his arm.
    Which one?
    Your father being in “another room” may symbolise that he used his intuition to explore other areas (of his mind?).
    What kind of room is “another room”?
    What do you see/sense and what thoughts/feelings/images arise when you explore “Being your father with an owl perched on his arm”?
    See also http://dreamhawk.com/inner-life/using-your-intuition-1/
    Anna 🙂

-Jamie 2015-10-28 13:45:52

I had a dream that I was petting an owl and in my dream it was like I was gone from one piece of my path to the next of my past I’m on children’s dad passed away in January he was in my dream but I couldn’t get ahold of him the owl was so peaceful while I was petting it it was going through bits and pieces of my past from one to the next hello showing like parts of me and my kids arguing and life parts of me and my kids and their dad getting along it was the weirdest most sincere dream I’ve ever had

-Jamie 2015-10-28 13:44:33

I had a dream that I was petting him out and in my dream it was like I was gone from one piece of my path to the next of my past I’m on children’s dad passed away in January he was in my dream but I couldn’t get ahold of him the owl was so peaceful while I was petting it it was going through bits and pieces of my past from one to the next hello showing like parts of me and my kids arguing and life parts of me and my kids and their dad getting along it was the weirdest most sincere dream I’ve ever had

-Rebecca 2015-10-08 6:28:22

I had a dream that two owls were sitting on my fence, a pure white and a dark brown one, I carefully crept back inside to get my camera. As I returned my dog had scared them and they and settled on my neighboura fence, facing me
Just as I was about to take the photo the brown one flew off, the white one remained – I till my dog hurdled the fence and scared it off (although I don’t remember seeing it fly away, it just wasn’t there anymore). the photo I got was off the white one staring and the brown one in the distance flying away!
Would be really interested in this as I can’t find interpretations with 2 birds of different colour !

-Kay 2015-09-21 21:26:12

Hi, hello Tony,

I would so appreciate it a lot if you can offer at least a little insight please, regarding this dream…

My dream had two medium/dark brown owls flying away next to each other (their backs facing me) at some point they both were managing to hold a long piece of bark together… ?

I immediately thought something having to do with a partnership or bond of some kind..? It seems symbolic. Can this dream have anything at all to do with this? Any brief thoughts?
A lots of thank yous.

-In light- Kay

    -Kay 2015-09-21 21:48:27

    UPDATE.. forgot to mention.. the two owls were managing to hold that long piece of bark together ( AS they were flying away, together). If that makes a difference ..

      -Anna - Tony's Assistant 2015-10-04 10:27:26

      Dear Kay – Your dream could express that you let go of some part of your inner world that you feel you no longer need.
      The bark of a tree can be a symbol of some form of cover up (story) you have used so far to feel safe and now you are ready to look at what is underneath.
      The long stories/beliefs we create/make up about ourselves can be like long barks covering up our heart and the possibility to hear and see (the needs of) our authentic self.
      This long cover-up works in both directions. The stories we make up about another person can keep us from seeing and hearing them as well. This will leave us disconnected from ourselves and from “the other” as well.
      See http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/beliefs/
      and
      http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/authentic-self/
      So removing the long bark will have an effect both on the (intuitive) relationship you have with yourself AND with others.
      I feel it will be helpful to use “Being the tree without the long bark” to explore what you feel and how you feel now that you have “shed (part of) your bark”;
      http://dreamhawk.com/dream-encyclopedia/acting-on-your-dream/#BeingPerson.
      Does that give you a start with exploring your dream?
      Anna 🙂

-Eliana utley 2015-09-20 13:07:34

I had a dream when me and the owl were just staring and then it just fell on its back smiled and turned into a mini sloth that fit on my finger and then the sloths claws sighed into my finger and I oil don’t get it off

-Tifani 2015-08-29 0:48:19

I had a dream last night about a purple owl. It was sick and looked wet and puffed up. Someone gave it to me and I was petting it and trying to console it. It appeared to like me and it started talking but I can’t remember what it said. When I woke up I felt like I needed to remember what it said but I don’t.

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