THE STRIX

Ritual Magic – Silence
Danger – Envy

In the image, a zoomorphic figure with a human body and an owl’s face shows the querent a cloud of smoke rising from its feathered hand. It is the smoke of spells, of boiling cauldrons—the very smoke that blinds if it reaches the eyes. The Strix is the female nightmare of the Greeks and Romans, still surviving in European myths and in the etymology of the Romance languages under the name Strix. The witch and the sorcerer are practitioners of hidden arts, officiants and priests who act outside official authority. Unlike the Priest card, which speaks of a ritual consciousness lived in daylight, from the pulpit, in common acceptance and sharing, the Strix operates alone, discreetly, outside canonical texts and recognized ornaments. Her knowledge comes from the world of the “Submerged” (see the Submerged card): those who have not passed “imperial” validation, and nevertheless still survive because their knowledge seems to be necessary.

But the Strix also carries the other side of the myth: in common imagination, she is bilious, resentful, envious, and potentially destructive. Her shadow arises from conflict with the world and gives her the capacity to cause harm, willingly or by commission.

So my dear one, if your subconscious has chosen this card, perhaps it wants to tell you that:

If the card speaks about you – Light

You are entering contact with an ancient, liminal, nocturnal part of yourself, wise and vigilant, that sees where others do not. A form of deep, almost ritual intuition arises. Your sensitivity does not illuminate; it clarifies: it does not dazzle, it reveals.

Questions for you
– Do you trust your visions, even when they are uncomfortable or frightening?
– Could silence be more powerful than sharing at this moment?
– Do you believe certain things occur also thanks to the unseen work you are doing?

If the card speaks about you – Shadow

Perhaps you are seduced by a power that isolates, or you are playing with dark inner forces without full awareness. There is a risk of confusing clairvoyance with fear, protection with control, silence with closure. In shadow, the Strix becomes resentment that devours rather than protects.

Questions for you
– In which area of your psyche are you at risk of losing yourself?
– Are you attributing power to a dark identity that you mistake for strength?
– What form of envy or resentment is clouding your vision?

If the card speaks about the world – Light

The world around you may be visited by nocturnal and silent powers, invisible forces operating in shadow, offering guidance, protection, and orientation. Ancient feminine wisdom—non-canonical, unofficial—may be nearby.

Questions for you
– Where around you is a liminal figure showing an unusual path?
– What troubling thought or unsettling dream could offer you knowledge?
– What form of unconventional protection are you allowing to help you?

If the card speaks about the world – Shadow

The environment could be impregnated with manipulative energies, suspicion, and unspoken dynamics that condition outcomes. The Strix in shadow indicates a world that protects only in exchange for obedience and moves silently with unclear intentions.

Questions for you
– Is your view of the world clouded by too much distrust?
– Who or what around you acts through hidden means?
– Could you have provoked envy?