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For your consideration...In Native American culture, owls are considered the harbingers of death.
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That is my understanding too, and I have been thinking of that also, blu during this whole exploration of All Things Owl.

I was walking one evening and an owl slowly swooped over me. I could see him very clearly. Every feather. He landed a short way away from me, and I observed him for quite a few minutes. Gorgeous creature.

I had been aware of that belief, but had not given any credence to it. I thought of it later when I learned a dear close relative died within two weeks of this happening.

I did not feel the owl had anything to do with the death, but I felt its appearance as a grace that all is connected through our Father and all of His creation. That owl memory I treasure as a blessing from Holy Spirit, and the beauty of it sustained me during the grief process. This relative also happened to be a bird lover.

I do not know if it is actually true, what the Native Americans believe.... but I am certainly in no position to gainsay it.

Today Q returned to us. And so has Bagster, the voice of reason. I am here to chew bubble gum and bring peace to FReeQville, and I'm all out of bubble gum.

Here's what happened. Txhurl posted an old Q post that he says is related to the shenanigans in Arizona. He didn't post it in the commonly accepted format. Somebody asked him where he got the post because previously, Lady Heron posted a similar Q looking post and didn't respond to inquiries about where she got it. The reason Txhurl went off in a psycho tangent is because he had a point to make (and a pretty good one) and was butt-hurt that he didn't receive a heroes welcome and a bronze star for his connection. I get that.

Now this is my conjecture only and nothing personal Txhurl. I think you like to drunk post and that is what's happening now. I've seen you snap before and start fights over nothing. This is one of those time.

When you posted that you were trying to draw attention to the Arizona things by posting the Q, that should have been enough to end this mini drama, if maybe you would have apologized for your out of line assholery. But you didn't. You then proceeded to go all in with the woman card.

I recommend an apology so we can move on and get to ciphering. I half expect you to come at me, given your current state of mind.

I prefer peace, but will accept war. :)

Bagster

Lesser Oracle

Re: Owls in Native American cultures.

I am going to (pre) apologize before this comment. Because I can’t find my reliable link on the first statement and cant find an internet reference to a second comment that I recall from a book.

First is, because of the numerous tribes, some closely tied to others and some with no connections, the belief systems of Native Americans were widely varied. With the rise of interest in new age spirituality in the latter half of the 20th century many beliefs were clumped together piecemeal to make it sound as if all groups held the same “religion.”

Which leads to comment 2. While some tribes reportedly held the owl as a harbinger of death, other tribes did not place that significance on the owl. That part comes from a book I read that my family owned or used to own that examined the differences between the different native beliefs. I did a quick search trying to find the book so I could at least reference that.

I have some family background, not me just relatives, of people doing missions outreach to various reservations. Research was done on the varying differences because it’s highly offensive to the few who are actually knowledgeable about their own culture for even a medical missions helper to assume they were all the same. I read the books because I just love studying American history.

If you want further research or links I can look further but after quite a bit of clicking about on links I didn’t find the guy I was looking for and I dont have the book. If we had this rabbit hole earmarked as important I could dig out lots. I’m pretty certain my dad or one of his brothers has the book spelling out which groups attested to which signs of death/evil etc.

For your consideration...In Native American culture, owls are considered the harbingers of death.

There’s a reason owls are considered "evil". They are pretty much the only bird that flies at night. Consider that fact.

For most of mankind’s history the night was dark and mysterious, a place of danger where death stalked, yet one bird among all preyed then, the owl. His cries defined the night along with other animals of danger who preyed then. . . Wolves, coyotes, bears. etc. we could not see at night well, but the owl could find the smallest mouse. . . Or catch a bat in flight. Obviously it had occult powers to see the unseeable.

During the day, the owls avoided bright light and stayed in darker areas of forests or even in man made structures (barn owls, anyone?) where bright sunlight would not hurt their eyes, but their ability to swivel their heads completely around and gaze undisturbed and quietly at intruders gave them a studious appearance. People attributed to them arcane knowledge because they appeared to look through one. Mystery, "Wisdom." the ability to fly in the night, the abode of the dead. . . soon they were the messengers of the dead to the living in religious sense in Egyptian and other ancient religions. . . all because they were the one night flying bird.

WE gave them these attributes by anthropomorphising their thinking abilities. WE associated them with our gods. WE gave them attributes of evil, when they are merely using a slow, quiet flying ability and large eyes with good binocular vision which other non-raptor birds lack, an attribute owls share with humans, to hunt in low light conditions.