Aragonite calcite owl shape

The owl is the embodiment of night. Its nocturnal raids, eerie hoots and staring eyes associate it with the power of darkness and the ability to see the future. Throughout history, owls have been associated with wisdom. This includes the ancient Greek night owl. The small owl is a symbol of the goddess Athena. One of Athena’s epithets is ‘Glaucopis’, meaning bright-eyed. It comes from the word ‘glaucos’, meaning ‘shining, glistening’, and ‘ops’, meaning ‘eye’. The word ‘glaux’ (owl) comes from the same root, probably due to the unique eyes of this bird. A bird that can see in the dark is thus associated with Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Athena is depicted with her sacred bird. These birds were protected and kept in abundance at the Acropolis, believed to bring victory in battle. The owl was also the consort of Hecate, goddess of magic, the underworld and the night. To this day, the owl is seen as a symbol of femininity, the moon and the night. She is a sign of magic, darkness, divination and wisdom.