Superstition regarding a white owl crossing your path?

a reply to: StoicMystic

Owls aren't commonly seen around my parts here, in North-Texas, in fact I've only seen two in my entire 24-year existence, despite having lived in a somewhat rural area, which makes the whole situation just a little more interesting to me.

Not sure what part of North Texas you live in, but my Sister and Brother-in-law live in Flower Mound, TX (a far North Dallas suburb) and have a pair of white barn owls that have roosted in their back yard since late spring of this year.

The pair comes and sits on the roof of the playhouse just after twilight every night...there are tons of field mice and other small rodents in their neighborhood. Maybe that food source is attracting the owls to your area as well?

I have heard the old stories about owls bringing death or illness too, but honestly we have had a blast watching them this Summer, and have even come up with "Happy Owl Hour" since they come around 6:30ish pm every evening.

Very cool creatures - I think you are lucky not unlucky to have them around.

Its usually seen as a death omen or protector. I think this two sides of the same thing. Also it seems most mention it landing somewhere or being seen at your home, not really it crossing your path but it as a protector its warning you not to go that way i presume.

to add on you yours, i heard WHITE OWLS in particular


a reply to: vivid1975

I wouldn't worry about it too much...superstitions are just that, only superstitions and will have different meanings depending on who you ask.

If you don't mind, what part of North TX do you live in?

I'm north of Dallas - been here for about 8 years and I can't say I've ever see a white owl in this area that I noticed...heard some owls but haven't really seen them around much (probably more of me being in the wrong place/time than them not being there...I'd be willing to bet that if you're looking for them they're around)

a reply to: coldkidc

This is true to some extent but as i previously mentioned at least when it comes to owls its pretty universal and the opposite meanings have to do with different interpretations of the same thing. Not saying for sure its true as i havent experienced it myself since not seen an owl but for every culture to have this is pretty interesting.

I didnt mention though that owls likely and obviously would change locations if their habitats get destroyed or the foodchain is upset.

a reply to: StoicMystic

Have you ever watched The Fourth Kind?

I live about 60 miles north of Dallas and have been here over 20 yrs. The only time I have ever seen large white owls, (twice) they have been roosting on fence posts and watch you without moving anything but their eyes when you drive by. Beautiful creatures. It seems like they look right into your eyes as you pass by.

On the 2 occasions white owls landed on my parents house when I was younger, within 3 days someone/thing died.

One was a family pet 13yr old chow, the other was my grandmother. Of course it is very rare to see a white owl in Arizona, at least the part I am in.

Was it just coincidence? Probably, a spooky one but yea.

I don't know. Harry Potter had good luck with Hedwig right up to the last book when she was killed by a death eater. But until then she was pretty lucky to him.

a reply to: pez1975

i have an aboriginal background as well, my grandma and mom are ojibway. the amount of superstitions they have is ridiculous, but one i remember hearing while growing up is that seeing an owl means death, death is especially imminent, for someone in the immediate family, if the owl spreads its wings.

i was paranoid about seeing owls until i was old enough to realize it's superstition. i think owls are animals we rarely see, so people long ago thought, "i've rarely seen an owl in my life--this means something bad...or good...i'll figure it out whenever something significant happens in my life."

a reply to: Boswell

Potter shares a lot of other Masonic allegory, but you almost need a microscope to find it sometimes.
Owls are mysterious creatures with incredible hearing its no surprise they get painted in and out of so many works of art and legend.
That movie "fourth kind" 2009 looks pretty esoteric.
Made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

a reply to: StoicMystic

you saw a barn owl [white underneath, fly low over fields]. as an omen of death, barn owls are too common...so literally everyone would be dead in most rural areas.

How about dreams? I had a dream where 3 white owls were angry with me for some reason. You know how most dreams just fade away as the day goes on? Well this dream has stayed with me since January. Omen for bad luck, you say? I've had one of the worst years of my life. Probably a coincidence.

Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl whose stepmother always made her stay home with the baby. And the baby was a spoiled child, and wanted everything to himself, and the young girl was practically a slave. But what no one knew is that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the the girl, and he had given her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had been particularly cruel to her, she called on the goblins for help!

"Say your right words," the goblins said, "and we'll take the baby to the castle, and you will be free!" But the girl knew, that the Goblin King would keep the baby in his castle for ever and ever and ever, and turn it into a goblin! And so the girl suffered in silence. Until one day, when she was tired from a day of housework, and she was hurt by the harsh words of her stepmother, and she could no longer stand it...

This is obviously a David Bowie sighting.

Watch your kids.

So,

I saw my first owl face to face and close up back in 2005-2006ish. I walked out of our home and there it was on a small tree stump, just looking at me. I stopped in my tracks because I really noticed it by chance it seemed. My eyes didn't pick up on it at first and then boom! like seeing the forest for the trees there it was.

It looked into me so deep, was so majestic, was subtly intimidating, was mildly confusing, and was very intelligent.

It's gaze was humbling to me and required my respect and attention. It was rare.

Just as I was locked and frozen in this moment, it quickly and precisely flapped its wings once or twice and off it went, as to signal this meeting is now over.

Interesting thing is, around this same time I started seeing this purple flame in my dreams and also with my eyes closed while in relaxation. But perhaps more importantly, around this same time I awoke in the morning and when I opened my eyes I saw a purple aura in my vision that slowly faded away.

So I was fully awake and eyes were open. This was actually the start of the purple flame. After this I started seeing it in my dreams and while relaxing with my eyes closed. Since then it has grown to purple shapes and faces that are in constant change, a green flame/aura, and finally just 1 week ago actually a white flame/aura.

All these colors and shapes have come with a feeling of peace, joy, mystery, discovery, healing, and pleasure. I've asked around here about them and got some pretty neat responses, but this owl encounter definitely was associated with the very beginning of this phenomena.

One night, came home and saw something out of the ordinary up in the tree behind my house. Took out the binocs and was amazed, then got my camera and took this pic. I am on the porch a story off the ground where my cat comes out once in a while to sit on the deck. I think this white owl was casing him out. Anyway, a firecracker in the air made him fly away, but wow, what an impressive bird.

You can see the reflection of the window behind me in it's eyes. Really incredible.

Added: Oh, and this picture was taken in moonlight only, no flash was used.

I'm from South Texas and the area is predominantly Hispanic esp since we sit right across the Mexican border. In this area, part of the Mexican folklore involves stories of white owls, which are called "lechusas". These owls are thought to be witches that practice black magic, that can transform into owls and stalk and bring bad luck or are just evil to people that have crossed them. I am totally not making this up, just Google lechusa and you'll see.

I never believed these stories but I did see one really large, white owl on one random night that totally spooked me out. I was talking to a friend outside of a bar after it had just closed and out of nowhere, we noticed this huge owl just glide into our view..i was immediately scared because of its size...i just remember my friend say, "Oh my God..." and we watched this bird circle around this guy who couldn't start his bike at the neighboring bar. We hadn't even noticed the guy before and both parking lots were empty besides the two of us and the motorcyclist. The owl circled around him and then just flew off...There was just an eerie silence besides the guy trying to get his bike going, I don't even think he saw the bird above him. We both snapped out of our little trances in what we had just seen and I remember my friend saying, "holy s***, was that a lechusa?" I said I didn't know what it was but I just wanted to go home and we both just scammed out of there...i feel bad because neither of us stopped to help the guy...i was just too freaked out!
I never believed anything about these owls but I admit I was so spooked and couldn't sleep after that. This was in town where there weren't any trees which just freaked me out even more. It might have not been anything but The way this thing circled this person who was having trouble was just too weird and i couldn't ignore the ugly feeling i got when i first saw it. ::shudders::

ON THE CONSPIRACY side Grays use owls as MIND image camo.

Being Chilcotin my family has had weird omens from owls.

(Jim and Pat(fictitious names))Two friends were out hunting and they heard owls talking on either side of them. They were very surprised. Jim seemed to notice that this owl sent him a vision of his relative who was dying. Pat on the other hand, had the owl tell him to go home right away. They both went home. The next day. Jim was able to talk to his relative before she died. However Jim wanted to know how Pat was doing. Unfortunately, Pat's family told Jim that Pat had shot and killed himself that very day because his marriage wasn't going so well.

My great Auntie had a really weird encounter when she was hunting. An owl came to visit her in the night. It said "Nunchit" to her. In Chilcotin it means "I want to # you". So she pointed the gun at it shot it and it missed and the owl flew away.

Seems rather strange an owl wanting to have sex with you, but really funny at the same time. The first story is rather dark and grim but it needs to be told how severe these signs can be.

a reply to: StoicMystic

In the Navajo culture, an owl can be an omen of misfortune and even death depending on the circumstance and are to be avoided. You don't hold an owl feather and owl surprising you at day--bad news. It's just a superstition though.