When we take a closer look at the animal world, each being has its way of behaving, reacting, and solving problems, which we can apply to our existence. Because of this, animals carry strong spiritual meanings for us humans, and one of the most popular animals in the spiritual realm is the owl.
Throughout recorded human history, our ancestors used owls to represent different and sometimes even opposite things, which is why their symbolism differs so much in different cultures.
Owl Symbolism In Different Cultures
The owl was first used as a symbol in ancient Egypt, where it was mainly associated with death and mourning.
Greeks had a different perspective when it came to owl symbolism. In their mythology, Goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom, warfare, and handicraft, was commonly depicted with an owl on her shoulder, which is how owls became a symbol of wisdom, knowledge, intuition, and insight.
In ancient Rome, goddess Minerva, the Roman counterpart of Greek Athena, had the owl as her sacred creature.
Lastly, in native American tribes, owls were connected with both the good and the bad. In certain tribes, owls were linked with death, black magic, evil ghosts, and souls, while others respected them, considered them guardians, and used owl feathers as they believed it would give them night vision and the ability to move silently.
When we take a closer look at the animal world, each being has its way of behaving, reacting, and solving problems, which we can apply to our existence. Because of this, animals carry strong spiritual meanings for us humans, and one of the most popular animals in the spiritual realm is the owl.
Throughout recorded human history, our ancestors used owls to represent different and sometimes even opposite things, which is why their symbolism differs so much in different cultures.
What Does It Mean When An Owl Crosses Your Path?
We mention all of these symbolisms and meanings since they persist to this day, and it is important to be aware of them to decipher what does it mean when an owl crosses your path.
If you run into a barn owl or a snowy owl at some point in your life, you’ll probably ask yourself if that encounter had any meaning, which is when this article will come in handy.
1. Trust Your Gut
Owls are able to see and almost effortlessly move even on the darkest of nights due to their night vision. What’s hidden and impossible to see in the dark is clear as a day to the owl.
If an owl crosses your path, and especially if it looks at you while doing so, it means that there is something that you should have noticed, but that is still using deception and darkness to stay uncovered.
This “something” can be your long-term relationship or some situation at your job where you are constantly convinced that you shouldn’t trust your feelings or that certain worries you have are only present because you are paranoid.
Not trusting your gut can be very detrimental to your personal development.
If something like this happens to you, it is an obvious reminder that you should have faith in your observations and intuition regarding people or situations since your (first) impressions of them are often correct.
2. Face Your Fears
Owls, and especially their eyes, are a well-known symbol of perception and insight, which is why an encounter with an owl, e.g., its crossing your path, can sometimes mean that you are in a period when you really need an owl’s eyes in order to see your inner state because you are faced with the bad and scary sides of yourself.
So, this meeting with the owl is an invitation to be brutally honest about the things holding you back. It could be a bad habit or a false belief you’ve been keeping for far too long.
The lesson is clear: there’s something in you that you are afraid of and that you continue to avoid. But facing it can give you the courage to confront your fears and overcome limiting beliefs and behaviors.
3. Keep Being Independent
Owls are solitary and independent creatures that do not need anyone’s help to survive in the harsh animal world. They have their own way of doing things, and it’s clearly working for them.
If an owl crosses your path, it may be a sign that you are a person who often gets into conflicts precisely because of your free-spirited personality.
You are known for being independent and never allowing anyone to use their authority over you, especially to force you to do things you shouldn’t do. You have to stay true to yourself but at the same time let the people with whom you have quarrels see you in a different light. That’s the only way they’ll be able to understand what kind of person you really are.
4. You’ll Discover Something Big
Owls are animals that were always linked with mysteries due to the fact that they are nocturnal creatures that most people rarely see in real life. Their intriguing appearance and especially their eyes are also a part of the puzzle.
Crossing paths with an owl can signify that you will discover a great secret or solve a mystery in the near future.
However, after reading this, you might think that your life is boring or uneventful and not understand where’s the enigma to be decoded. But that’s just what you know. What we don’t know is always much bigger.
And also, you should keep in mind that an encounter with an owl is a situation that few people find themselves in. So, don’t expect anything short of earth-shattering if it happens to you.
5. You’re In For A Treat
Despite not being as fast or looking as intimidating as eagles, owls are apex predators known for being quite successful in catching their prey. For this reason, crossing paths with an owl can be a symbol of success and good luck.
What exactly constitutes success and good fortune is relative and changes from person to person. However, don’t be surprised if things that will make you happy start happening to you. The meeting with the owl was an omen of that.
6. It’s Time To Change
Due to the owls being considered messengers of bad luck and death by ancient Egyptians and native Americans, a lot of people get scared when an owl intersects their path.
However, one should not be so superficial but look deeper into the matter. Death is only a transformation of matter or energy from one state to another, so the death of one thing is the beginning of another.
Unfortunately, people are very often afraid of changes in life and go with what they already know because they assume that their way of doing things has the smallest probability of something going wrong.
If an owl crosses your path, it can signify that important changes must happen in your life. Therefore, don’t run away from them.
Maybe this is a good time to leave a relationship, change a job you don’t like, make a career switch, or make some other drastic change in your life circumstances. These or similar steps may seem scary initially, but you won’t regret them in the long run.
7. Something Is Happening Below The Surface
Owl flies almost silently, which is one of its abilities that makes it an exceptional hunter. So, if it happened to you that an owl “crossed” your path, you saw it flicking its wings but producing no sound, and you probably wondered how it was doing that.
Precisely because of this, coming across an owl can also symbolize that something is happening in your life below the surface that you simply cannot see or understand.
Maybe you can solve certain problems and things yourself, even though you don’t know how at the moment. It is also possible that you feel like there is no way out of your current reality since no matter how positive you are and how much you try to change, it still feels like you’re not making any progress.
Regardless of which of these or similar situations applies to you, it is vital to scratch below the surface and see if really “nothing” is happening or if only you are unaware of the events unfolding.
8. Maybe Owl Is Your Spirit Animal
When we think of an owl crossing our path, we mostly think about events that happened or might happen in our lives.
However, this kind of situation does not necessarily have to convey a message regarding a particular event. It is also possible that the owl is your spirit animal and that this meeting was just a signal to take this into account.
People with owl spirit animals are generally wise, independent, and intuitive. Maybe you are too!
Conclusion
We have come to the end of the article about the meaning of an owl crossing someone’s path.
Trusting in your intuition, staying true to your independent nature, but also looking deep inside yourself and facing your fears are the first meanings you should pay attention to precisely because of the owl’s general symbolism.
Furthermore, don’t be surprised if you find out something huge and important or if luck starts favoring you.
And lastly, know that sometimes it is time for a change and that we are not always aware of all events transpiring around or even before us.
If you have anything to add or ask, feel free to do so in the comments!
