GRANDMOTHER SPIDER - The Weaving of Fate

(From the book, Animal-Speak, by Ted Andrews)

The spider has shown up in myth and lore throughout the world.  Usually it’s symbolism has been very similar wherever it is used.  In India, it was associated with Maya, the weaver of illusion.  It has had connections to the Fates in Greek mythology and the Norns in Scandinavian lore—women who would weave, measure, and cut the threads of life.  To the Native Americans, spider is grandmother, the link to the past and the future.

Unlike insects, spiders have a two section body instead of three, often giving them a figure eight kind of appearance.  This in conjunction with its eight legs (unlike an insect’s six) links it to all the mysticism associated with the geometric form of the figure eight.  On its side, this is the symbol of infinity.  It is the wheel of life, flowing from one circle to the next.  The difficulty is learning to walk those circles or even hold your position within the middle between the two. 

Spider teaches you to maintain a balance—between past and future, physical and spiritual, male and female.  Spider teaches you that everything you now do is weaving what you will encounter in the future.  In the tarot deck is a card– The Wheel of Fortune.  This is a card that has to do with rhythms– the rise and fall, the flow and flux.  It is linked to the energies of honor and fame, and the sensitivities necessary to place ourselves within the rhythm of Nature.  Meditation upon this card would be beneficial for anyone with the spider totem.

The spider awakens creative sensibilities.  It weaves a web of intricate and subtle fabric, as if to remind us that the past always subtly influences the present and the future.  Often the webs will take a spiral shape, the traditional for of creativity and development.  The spider found within the web reminds us that we are the center of our own world.  The ancient mystery schools had one percent inscribed about their portals:  “Know Thyself and Thou Shalt Know the Universe!”  Spider reminds us that the world is woven around us.  We are the keepers and the writers of our own destiny, weaving it like a web by our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

The spider, because of its characteristics, has come to be associated by mystics and in mythology with three predominant expressions of magic.  The first is the magic and energy of creation.  It is a symbol of creative power, reflected in its ability to spin a silken web.  It is also associated with assertiveness of that creative force, of keeping the feminine energies of creation alive and strong.  As will be discussed further, this has ties to the characteristics of some spiders, i.e. the female black widow, which will kill and eat the male after mating has exhausted it.

The third predominant magic of the spider is associated with its spiral energy, the links with the past and the future.  The spiral of the web, converging at a central point, is something to meditated upon by those with this totem.  Are you moving toward a central goal or are you scattered and going in multiple directions?  Is everything staying focused?  Are you becoming too involved and/or self absorbed?  Are you focusing on others’ accomplishments and not on your own?  Are you developing resentment because of it—for yourself or them?

Spider is the guardian of the ancient languages and alphabets.  Every society has had myths about how the different languages and alphabets were formed.  The Chinese alphabet is attributed to Ts’ang Chien, the god with the dragon face and four eyes.  He formed it from the patterns of the stars, the marks on the back of the turtle and the footprints of birds in the sand.  The Norse god, Odin, created the Runic alphabet after hanging upon the great tree of life for nine days and nights.  After this time, the twigs fell off and spelled out certain formulas and words.

To many, there was an alphabet even more primordial.  It was formed by the geometric patterns and angles found within spider’s web.  To many this was the first true alphabet.  This is why spider is considered the teacher of language and magic of writing.  Those who weave magic with the written word probably have a spider totem.

The spider has long been associated with death and rebirth.  Part of this may have to do with the fact that some female spider will kill and eat the male after mating.  This is often found in the insect world, the praying mantis being another such example.  Because it is constantly building and weaving new webs, it has also been a lunar symbol, with ties to the waxing and waning of the moon.  For those with this totem, this pattern is a reminder to maintain balance and polarity in all aspects of life.  Spider teaches that through polarity and balance creativity is stimulated.

Books, movies, and television have had a tendency to promote a fear of spiders in the general public.  Most spiders are poisonous.  This how they kill or stun their prey.  They serve a vital function in controlling insect populations.

The black widow probably has received the worst reputation undeservedly.  It is found all over the United States.  It is jet black, but it has a red hour-glass shaped marking on the belly.  It is a poisonous spider, but it is not fatal to humans as many assume.  It is actually a very timid spider, and it is usually as much or more afraid of humans than they are of it.

 

Tarantulas are another common big spider that people are familiar with.  The tarantella, a folk dance of Southern Italy, was named after the tarantula.  They believed incorrectly that its bite caused convulsive movements in humans.  The dance with its circular direction and quick foot movements was named for it.

The tarantula is one of the largest spiders, and it is hairy.  Its mouth is underneath its body.  Its bite is poisonous, as with most spiders, but it would not affect the average human any more than a bee sting.  Tarantulas do spin a thread, but they do not weave a web.  This dig a burrow or a hole in the sand and hide in the bottom of it.  As soon as they feel something walking around the opening, they will jump up, grab it, and pull it back in.  That is how they catch their food.

Most spiders are actually very, very delicate.  If you were holding a tarantula and dropped it, it would break and die.  Spiders are a combination of gentleness and strength, and they have learned to combine both for successful survival.  This is an important lesson for those with this totem.

As delicate as they are, spiders are also very agile.  They can maintain balance and walk the tiny silken threads with ease.  To walk the threads of life and maintain balance has been one of the mysteries throughout the ages.  Myth and lore often speak of individuals who have learned to walk the threads between life and death—walking and sleeping—between physical and the spiritual.  This is part of what spider medicine can teach, for spiders are the experts at walking threads.

Most people have little or no contact with the bigger spiders, but they will often see a wide variety around the house and home.  Many of these serve vital functions, killing more harmful insects.  Most of their movement occurs in the dark, and they move into inaccessible areas.  This reflects much about how to express the creative energies.  Don’t be afraid to employ it in seemingly inaccessible corners.  Weave your creative threads in the dark and then when the sun hits them, they will glisten with intricate beauty.

If spider has come into your life, ask yourself some important questions.  Are you not weaving your dreams and imaginings into reality?  Are you not using your creative opportunities?  Are you feeling closed in or stuck as if in a web?  Do you need to pay attention to your balance and where you are walking in life?  Are others out of balance around you?  Do you need to write?  Are you inspired to write or draw and not following through?  Remember the spider is the keeper of knowledge of the primordial alphabet.  Spider can teach how to use the written language with power and creativity so that your words weave a web around those who would read them.