Snowy Owl: A Journey into Feminine Power and Healing

In the fall of 2023, I discovered firsthand the difference between spirit animals and power animals. Up until then, I had worked with a variety of spirit animal helpers, but my new experiences with Snowy Owl taught me a whole new relationship with this spirit guide.

From my journal:

10/3/23 3 pm, waning gibbous moon.

I initially sat with Grandfather in a cave, inquiring about my what I needed to work on next in my shamanic training and work. He blew on my heart center, and I flew up into the air as a snowy owl. I was able to see or sense the shape of the head of the bird I’d shifted into, which helped me understand what kind of bird I was working with.

What was different, was that I experienced flight as the owl, while aware that there was already a presence in it. It was female, and the connection between owls and feminine power made me think of Athena, whose familiar is an owl. I later remembered that a snowy owl is the High Priestess card in the Brady Tarot. The presence with me felt old and powerful, and we landed in a wetland on a bare branch, and looked out over the landscape.

Looking out, I came to understand that water can be used to quell fire when there’s too much of it in my life. While sitting on this branch a dark cloud with thick tendrils started floating around us, and I was told to cut it off. I separated the tendrils from the owl with some sort of blade, and after a few seconds, it all disappeared in a poof of white smoke. When it had cleared, I understood that I was separating myself from the lingering attachments to the safety of hiding my feminine power – that part of me that I had kept with the Goddess and was returned to me during my soul retrieval.

I took flight again as the owl and flew low to the ground, where a wolf was moving through the trees. I spent time flying over the wolf as it ran, then I shifted into the wolf running and experienced the joy of flying through the forest on four legs. I shifted again to the owl and played back and forth with the two of them as we traveled.

11/13/23 New Moon

I journeyed intending to get assistance with my physical healing—new head pain in particular. However, when I began my journey to the fire circle, I shifted into the form of snowy owl and flew as and with her to our circle.

Shifting into owl’s form is different from shifting to crow form. As a crow, I am only me – there’s no other presence. But as Owl, I feel the divine feminine presence of White Owl, as she was known to the Reindeer Tribe. I got a strong association between snowy owls and female shamans. When I arrived at the fire circle, I shifted mostly back to human form but kept my white wings.

My family recognized my Owl form and affirmed this unique relationship and the feminine power it represents. We drummed, danced, and raised power, and at points, I experienced flying through the starry sky. For a while, I found myself on the moonlit beach where I met the Goddess, and near the cave I experienced several years ago during a meditation with Barbara. I danced and drummed alone around a fire, although I could feel the Goddess’ energy present at times.

This connection with Owl is specific to me, unlike being a crow, which is how many in my line were first taught to shape-shift. I think one difference is that she comes to me, and stays present with me when I’m in her form. I can feel the connection to her in my heart center – in front of where my wings connect to my spine. 

This article is part of an ongoing series that follows my journey of Reindeer Shamanism and how I’m building my skills and practice. If you’d like to read more articles in the series or follow along from the beginning, they are collected under the blog category of ‘My Shamanic Path‘.

Header image by Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash