A lot of blues artists have nicknames, and there are usually interesting stories behind the them. It makes for a world of colorful characters: Sleepy John Estes, Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, Blind Lemon Jefferson, T-Bone Walker, and more. Often, the nickname or pseudonym becomes so famous that the original name is almost lost. For instance, not all fans will immediately remember Little Walter’s last name (it’s Jacobs).

All the members of Canned Heat ended up with nicknames, though it wasn’t solely to keep with blues tradition. During interview for the book Blind Owl Blues, the band’s manager recalled this being part of their early promotional efforts. Vocalist Bob Hite, whose sheer size and personality could have come across as a bit overwhelming, became “The Bear”. Suddenly he seemed a little more approachable, maybe even hip. Bassist Larry Taylor, in keeping with the animal theme, was “The Mole”. Guitarist Henry Vestine was “The Sunflower” because of the way he looked leaning over his guitar with his long blond hair. And drummer Adolfo de la Parra was simply “Fito”.

Alan Wilson, however, had come to the band with his own nickname already bestowed. Guitarist John Fahey, a friend of the band who had actually been part of the earliest jug-band lineup, had known Alan since 1965. Then, he’d helped Alan move from Massachusetts to California, but the forgetful Alan left his spectacles behind. Considering his round face and scholarly manner, Fahey declared him to be “Blind Owl” Wilson, much in the manner of classic-era artists such as Blind Willie Johnson, Blind Lemon Jefferson, and the like.

Eventually, of course, Alan got his glasses back, or got another pair. But the name took, and it would appear that he embraced it. Had he not cared for the appellation, he surely would not have reminded his band mates of it after forming Canned Heat. In later years, Alan even began collecting a variety of stuffed owls. By all accounts, it sounds like some of these were plush owl-shaped toys, and others were real owls whose bodies had been preserved by taxidermy. In one case, he perched an owl atop a piano at the house where he was living.

It would appear, then that Alan did not just accept the name Blind Owl. He embraced it. Why would this name have such appeal to him?

Though Alan did not have access to all of the “metaphysical” books that are now readily available through mainstream publishers, and what to speak of the Internet, his soul was very intuitive and it is possible that the mystical associations of the Owl resonated with him. He certainly would have taken advantage of whatever published materials he could find, however scanty, and in-person teachers he might have encountered. We know this by his research into Yoga and Hinduism, which exemplified his dedication to the spiritual quest and the deeper meaning of life.

Nowadays we have a wide variety of resources for learning about the mystical associations of various animals, including the owl. Some use terms like magick, familiar, totem, or power animal when working with creatures on a spiritual level. Others simply see it as a connection to the natural world of which we are a part. Though your personal viewpoint may vary, and we can never know the depths of meaning Alan might have ascribed to his identity as “Blind Owl”, it can be educational for us to study what modern pundits have to say about the owl.

When it comes to animal magick, Ted Andrews was a renowned author among many modern nature lovers and Earth-based spiritual practitioners. In his book Animal Speak, Andrews said of the owl, “It has an ancient aura of mystery about it,” and called it a symbol of the moon as well as the night and feminine energy.

Andrews went on to discuss specific anecdotes from traditional lore, and surveys a few species, his real-life experience with birds of prey enriching his text. Up front, however, we find a connection for Alan in the moon symbolism of the owl. Night is also appropriate for Alan, whose art ended up being performed mostly in the evenings for concerts. In our culture, of course, you don’t have to be mystically inclined to be familiar with the term “night owl” for someone who stays up late.

As for the idea of the moon being feminine, or relating to female energies, this idea runs through a variety of cultures and can be connected to the fact that many women experience a 28-day menstrual cycle that can be tracked via moon phase. (Some women will vary and experience a shorter or longer cycle.) While Alan was biologically male, he was an artist, something that is connected with the intuitive side of one’s nature, often considered the “female” part of the whole psyche. He was also known to be a very sensitive person, a trait that’s often considered feminine, though to be sure it can occur equally in either gender outside of stereotype!

We know, of course, that Alan was deeply fascinated with the moon, an interest he documented in his song “Poor Moon”. It’s not known whether he recognized the owl-lunar connection, but since the owl is known to be a nocturnal bird, and the moon is seen best at night, such associations could not have been too far of a reach.

Chippewa medicine man Sun Bear presented insights on the owl and other animals via a Medicine Wheel system of astrology and spiritual teachings. According to his book Dancing With the Wheel, the owl is located on the Eastern side of the Medicine Wheel, with the wheel itself symbolizing the personal psyche as well as the structure of the entire cosmos.

In this book, Sun Bear tells us that the owl, and its location on the “Second Spirit Path of the East”, represents wisdom. He notes that real-life owls have extraordinary hearing, a theme – along with that of good vision – that Andrews also discussed. While Alan Wilson did not have great eyesight, he did have extremely acute hearing and was able to hear many subtleties and nuances of tone that others missed.

And though Alan’s physical vision might not have been very good, he surely had a different kind of vision – an artistic vision – when it came to music. His love for ecology could be considered visionary as well; during the last couple of years of his life, some friends began considering him a radical ecologist. After his death, many of his ideals would eventually turn into the “green” movement and begin making inroads to mainstream culture.

We also find it interesting to note that the “Woodsy Owl” cartoon character, representing the U.S. Forest Service, was created in 1970 just a few months prior to Alan’s death. This owl’s slogan, coined in 1971, was, “Give a hoot; don’t pollute!” The “Blind Owl” surely would have said the same thing.

Sun Bear commented, “To some the owl represents all that is wise and good; to others, all that is dark and bad. “ A few cultures associate the owl with death; seeing or hearing one may indicate a demise to come. A few native tribes are said to have prohibitions against touching owl feathers for this reason. Cultures vary, however, and in Hinduism the owl is cited as the “vehicle” for the Goddess Lakshmi, meaning that she rides an owl in her travels about the universe. Lakshmi is the embodiment of prosperity, good fortune, and abundance.

This kind of duality associated with the owl has been reflected in Alan Wilson’s life. He is widely remembered as a musical genius, and to those who were particularly close to him or the band, he was also known for his love of nature, both quite positive traits. However, recollections of his life are run through with the issue of his mental depression, and the emotional issues whose lack of resolution seemed to lead, directly or indirectly, to his death.

Death is seen differently by various cultures and individuals. Some fear it; others do not, seeing it as part of a natural cycle. It is a similar business with the idea of darkness and light. Some consider “dark” to be a bad thing, equating it with evil. Others consider dark simply to be the absence of light. The dark not only provides a venue, if you will, for the light; it also can provide respite for us if there is too much light. Think of a hot summer day and how nice it is to rest in the shade. Darkness can also represent the intuitive, nonverbal side of the psyche, the quiet place where ideas gestate before taking complete form in the mind.

Alan, with the wisdom he acquired from Eastern philosophers and other sources, must surely have been aware of these ways of looking at life and death, light and dark.  We also remember his profound words in the essay “Grim Harvest”, when describing the beauty of the redwood forest floor. He describes the sunlight making its way to the ground through a canopy of treetops and vegetation, a process that is at its heart about the intimate interplay between light and dark. Such indeed was his own life.

It seems particularly appropriate, then, that the owl represents Alan. Both a keeper of wisdom and a flier through darkness, even the darkness of death, the owl has much in common with him. Indeed, Owl seems to be more than just his nickname. Some of us consider that it could be more properly viewed as his power animal or totem. In any event, it is clear that the identity of Owl is something that Alan welcomed.