Lovely are the curves of the white owl sweeping
Wavy in the dusk lit by one large star. ,br>
Lone on the fir-branch his rattle-note unvaried,
Brooding o'er the gloom, spins the brown eve-jar.
~George Meredith
Lilith is the Divine Lady Owl and the original bad-ass chick, the archetypal seductress and the personification of the dangerous feminine glamour of the Moon. Lilith is the wanton winged goddess of erotic dreams. She is a symbol of the forbidden pleasures and beguiling sorcery. Is it any wonder she is so popular nowadays?
Our most familiar image of Lilith comes from a terra-cotta relief from Sumer, dated to around 2000 B.C. Her, she is depicted as an attractive, winged woman with clawed feet, surrounded by owls and standing on two lion that face in opposite directions.
Generally speaking, Lilith has ties to the mythologies of the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Hebrew cultures. To the Babylonians she was known as Lilitu; to the Sumerians, Bellit-illi or Belili. A Sumerian fragment recorded her name and described Lilith as a maiden, "the hand of Innana." She was sent by Innana to bring men into the temple, In Hebrew mythology, who was known as a screech owl or night hag.
Lilith was the first wife of Adam, and she demanded equality in all things. When she refused to lie submissive beneath him, Adam complained to his creator about Lilith's "shrewish" behaviour. Having had enough, Lilith spoke the hidden name of God and flew away to her home in the Red Sea. the more docile Eve was created to take her place.
Lilith was also associated with the Queen of Sheba, and in medieval France she was known as La Reine Perauque, which translates, "the queen with the bird's foot." Lilith was thought to fly at night along with her twelve daughters, the Lilim. Together, the enticed young men who slept.
To modern Witches and Pagans, Lilith is a patroness of Witches and goddess of the waning Moon. Lillith was described by the author Doreen Valiente in her book ABC of Witchcraft, as an enticing sorceress, a beautiful vampire, and the ultimate femme fatale. Lilith stands for desire, pleasure, and sexual love - not for the purpose of procreation but simply for the enjoyment. Besides her obvious associations with sexuality, Lilith represents wisdom, renewal, equality, feminine power, and independence. Lility encourages us to live on our own terms. She is a powerful role model for women, and as long as we remember that sex, like magic, should never be used to coerce, harm, or control another person in any way, we can use Lilith energy to improve our lives and relationships.
Lilith's sacred animals are the owl and the lion. Owl magick or medicine has an interesting connection to Lility. Because it has a noiseless flight, the owl traditionally symbolizes secrets, wisdom, and silence. The owl swoops silently down on prey, just as Lilith was believe to, and so people who carry the owl as a totem animal often are a little spookier than average. Their natural clairvoyance leads them to perceive and detect what other folks want to keep hidden.
Lilith Clairvoyance
People who are close to Lilith therefore often experience an owl-like insight, seeing pictures or receiving images of people and places, Learning to control this "talent," for those of us who have always had it, takes effort and discipline. Being a clairvoyant, though it can be useful, is not always a barrel of laughs - many images can be overwhelming and or disturbing. When I was younger I couldn't even shake a person's hand without receiving a fast shuffle of images and feelings. I had no type of shield or buffer to mitigate the swirl of emotions. When I began to avoid touching anybody, people misinterpreted that as being rude or snobbish. It wasn't until I grew older that I learned a few shielding techniques to protect myself.
For instance, learning to work with owl medicine was a great help to me.The owl is all-seeing, certainly, but she is also wise enough to be still, and to watch and wait. Furthermore, working with dark goddess energy taught me the value of acceptance. If you need help learning to deal with yourself just as you are, then Lilith can be a powerful ally.
If you care to try magic with Lilith, her magical correspondences are:
Planetary association: Saturn
Moon Phase: Waning Moon
Oil: Patchouli (also a sexual stimulant for men)
Plants: Lily, willow tree and red roses.
Animals: Owls and lions
Crystals: Carnelian for desire, and ruby for power
Colours: Red and black (use in candles and perhaps in lingerie)
By Ellen Dugan, Llewellyn's 2003 Magickal Almanac