Spider - Spirit Animal by Vanessa Armstrong

There have been one or two animals that have come into my life but just recently I seem to have a bit of a thing as it were for spiders. Strange as I've never been a huge fan of them. The daddy long legs ones never particularly bothered me, but those dark brown house spiders used to have me running for the hills. But now I find them fascinating and am not frightened of them at all. Which led me to think, that perhaps they have a message for me. That I shouldn't be frightened and see what they have to say...

I researched a few of our native spiders and I gotta say that the false widow does give me the chills on looking at it. Probably because I've read and heard things about them which doesn't sound pleasant. The common house spider, however, or Tegenaria as its scientifically known, seems quite a pleasant species.

There are several species of 'house spider' but they are similar and all fall under that same named category.

They are brown in colour with herringbone markings on their abdomens and can grow up to 120mm. Not really scary as most of that is their long legs. The males can be differentiated from the females in that they have two palps on the front of their heads for reproduction and they are generally smaller than a female.

It's the females that live indoors for most of the time - we don't very often see them as they are hidden away beneath skirting boards and dark hidey holes. The males live indoors too and it's them that you see scuttling across the floor or in your bath when they are searching for a mate. Bless them, it does take them some doing to get to a mate. If they are outdoors in a shed, they have the garden and predatory birds to watch out for to make sure they don't end up as lunch. Once indoors, if they are not thwacked with a slipper or rolled up paper from the spider haters, they very often need to get a drink of water and there is where you will find them in a bath. Poor things climb in and then can't get out. I must admit, if I find one in the bath, I capture it in a glass and put it outside. Not so good for the spider who then must try all over again to find his mate. Once he does find her, he approaches her web very carefully as any sudden movements, may mean she could attack him.

Mating takes place frequently and he will stay with her until her eggs are hatched and then he dies. His carcass is then food for the young - nice huh?

Researching spider spirit animal, I sat there nodding and agreeing with all that I found out. Spider is a figure of feminine energy and creativity. My meditation with spider almost matched those of what I learnt. Spider weaves a web and this web is her home and her life. The web is very intricate and there are many twists and turns - a bit like life itself. By having an affinity with spider, you can tune into life's intricacies and are highly creative and receptive. Spider will weave a web and wait patiently for her prey - likewise we are being shown to take patience in our creative projects and waiting till the right moment comes along - rushing and cutting corners is a big no-no. If you are an impatient person at times, always wanting something done now, striking while the iron is hot etc., learn to slow down, take things as they come and if you wait patiently, you will achieve your goals if you try hard enough and it is meant to be.

Spider also teaches us it's what we do now - our actions, thoughts and feelings that weave the web of our future. Learn to expose your creative side.

I love writing and I'm putting a bit of me into my writing and studies. I've found my style of writing is written differently to how it was in the beginning. I was quite formal then - almost like I was sitting an exam. Now I feel I've become more fluid, letting my words take on expression, putting the odd ad-lib comment in there if I feel I need to share it etc. Weaving my web as it were.

You would call on spider’s energies for assistance in any creative writing that you are doing, will be doing or want to do.

Spiders energies are also called upon if you feel 'stuck' in any way in your life and can't move on because of negative thoughts and fears within yourself.

Spider doesn’t take on this negativity. Instead it asks you to work with them. Where does your fear or discomfort lie? Look at the aspects of your life - work, family or other relationships.

To sum it up spider spirit animal meanings are - • Patience • Receptivity • Feminine energy • Weaver of life’s fate • Shadow self - working with the darker aspects of yourself