The Owl is, of course, a very real and material raptor which comes in many sizes and shapes. However, the owl is also an extremely powerful totem animal surrounded by myth and lore and this makes the Spirit Owl’s feathers useful for magical cores. The spirit-owl comes in dreams and visions offering her aid and wisdom. Her haunting call, “who, who?” asks the deep question of one’s identity. Who are you? Silent hunter of the night, the owl has been depicted as the messenger of wizards and witches, and a form favored by aerial shapeshifters.
In Welsh myth, the owl is linked to Bloduwedd, the maiden made of flowers who was created by Gwydion to marry his nephew Lleu. She later betrayed her husband with a lover and for that was punished by being turned into an owl. In this story, the owl is chosen perhaps for its predatory nature to indicate that Bloduwedd, far from being the idealized flower-maiden her male creators intended (gentle and beautiful), she had a mind of her own and the heart of a raptor. Druid justice seeks not to “punish” so much as to recognize the true nature — at least in this case! Owls are still called bloduwedd in Welsh.
Used as a magical core, the feather of the spirit owl shines with a misty gray light, faintly blue like starlight on snow. Its powers are for wisdom, cunning, and stealth, for the owl is the companion and emblem of the Hellenic Goddess Athena, wise leader of Attic Greece and patroness of cunning Odysseus. The owl spirit lends great powers of secrecy — both for keeping secrets and unlocking things that are hidden. It is well-suited to magic of forests and animals, and to magic of the night.
Source: Magic of the Night ~ Spirit Owl
GrannyMoon's Morning Feast 