The spider - feared by many, understood by few. I feel like the spider gets a bad rap. It might seem scary with all of its crawly legs hanging out of it’s tiny body. I guess our ancestors had to fear it for a reason. Due to, you know, poisonous spiders. But things have become wildly domestic since our caveman ancestors. The spiders we now encounter are usually not deadly, at least I am speaking for places in the more Western hemisphere of the planet. So, instead of fearing the spider when we see it, maybe we could look at it like an omen, a sign of good luck.
For one, finding spiders inside your home shows that you have a cozy place to live. So much so that even a spider decided to crash your pad. Actually by the mere presence of them, you are basically receiving a compliment. So the least we can do is not react in a jumping up and down manner screaming for dear life. Although, sometimes our fears are irrational, and not judging anyone here. We all have fears.
web of life
Spiders are more than their somewhat scary appearance. Shamanic cultures believed in something called the web of life. This web of life connects all things. It was believed that everything in life was interwoven. The thoughts we have, the words we speak, the daydreams we dream, the actions we take - all create a ripple effect in our life that affects not only ourselves, but those lives of others.
It is also said that we are the so-called creators of life. Yes, we really are that powerful. We have the potential to destroy or create. Some things are meant for destruction, for example bad habits, patterns, toxic cycles need to be destroyed. As women we have our premenstrual phase, our inner dark moon phase that helps regenerate our energies and destroy/eliminate what is no longer needed in our lives. Neither creation or destruction are positive or negative until we give it meaning or until it has an effect on ourselves or others. Does that make sense?
When you find a spider in your home, climbing up your purse outdoors, or wherever you might encounter your friendly spider neighbor, see it as a sign. Maybe you already do - spiders have been popping up left and right for you, and now you are wondering: well, what does it mean?
the symbolism behind the spider
Seeing spiders as a sign is an invitation for you to reclaim your position as the Creator of your Life/Web. You are the creator of your own circumstances. It holds deep medicine for you to realize your own power. Maybe you have a lot of creativity boiling underneath the surface that is waiting to come out and to be expressed. Maybe it is calling you to use your sense of expression and create art with it. Art is so subjective, when I mean art, I mean creating a life that resembles art. And that can be done in many ways, the way you dress as a way of self-expression and exploration or taking photography that captures rare moments of vulnerability. Whatever art means to you! Make your life a walking expression of art.
make life art
We are all naturally born artists/creators/expressionists. That doesn’t mean you have to exhibit your art/creations to a whole audience. It could be just for you, and your close-knit group of friends and family. As long as you share it, as long it serves an inner purpose, and quenches that inner thirst for creation that is all that matters.
Here are some ways you can express yourself:
Writing
Painting
Drawing
Sculpting
Clothes
Collages
Graphic design
Interior design
Gardening
Journaling
Talking
Singing
Public speaking
Sharing on Social Media
Blogging
And the list goes on and on.
What from this list gives you the biggest feeling of expansion in your body? Follow that intrigue.
How are some ways you desire to express yourself? If there were no limitations (especially self-imposed ones) at all - how would you express yourself in this lifetime? What would you create?
a symbol of the feminine
The spider embodies such a feminine energy to it. When she creates her own web, she allows the flies to come to her and be caught in her web by mere attraction. How can you ease into your feminine energy more and allow things to come to you? Be the magnet you came here to be. When we embody our desires to the fullest, it becomes a natural extension of who we are, this attracts the results we so deeply crave with ease.
Finally, as always, I urge you to always listen to your intuition before all. My interpretation of spider medicine is not necessarily yours and that is ok. Maybe the spider has another hidden message that is waiting for you to uncover. When you see the sign of your spider friend - listen intently to your gut, intuition, inner voice, your guides, whatever ya wanna call it - what is she whispering to you? You might hear a message in that moment, if you open your invisible ears to what your most trusted guides have to offer.
reflection questions
Here are a few journaling prompts for you, if spider medicine has been coming up for you lately:
What are you being called to create?
How are you being called to express yourself and your life?
How can you reclaim your position as the creator of your life?
You might also interested in:
About the writer
Inés Kelly is a mentor, astrologer and space holder. Since 2019 she has been writing about the moon, the seasons and astrology.
Building community has facilitated healing in her life and in the life of others. She believes that is where the inner work happens.
Bringing ancient principles and weaving them into modern day life, she is rewriting the way we relate to one another through ceremony, ritual and coming back to nature.