Spider Medicine can be terrifying.
When Aaron and I first moved to New Mexico from Minnesota, we pulled up to our new home having no idea what to expect. I had rented it months earlier from intuition alone, not able to see the inside due to massive renovations that were taking place when I was there. I had to sign on the dotted line sight unseen, but I trusted the woman who owned the home and I knew it was the right choice for us.
When we finally crossed the threshold of the house I knew it was perfect, with high ceilings, charming architectural details, sunlight-flooded rooms, and even a well-behaved ghost or two. There was, however, one thing that gave me pause, which I spotted through the bathroom window. It was on the outside of the house, so no need for hysteria, but gazing upon the most enormous spider I have ever seen, perfectly centered within an elaborate web spanning the entire frame, I nearly dispatched my own personal bouncer (my husband) to rid me of her presence.
Nearly.
But then her message to me came through loud and clear. This is the energy of New Mexico. Live with it comfortably- accept it- or leave. So, not liking the leave part, I let her be.
The meaning of Spider Medicine
She remained there in that window for two weeks before a storm came through and she decided to move.
Until she was gone, I couldn’t go into that bathroom. Too horrifying. My landlady, Susan, (probably the kindest woman on the planet) knew about her web and hoped I would leave her in peace. When she saw that we had done just that, she told me “The Universe had sent the perfect people to rent this home”.
We laughed about it then, but a few weeks later, Susan sent me an email talking about a book she had recently read on Native American mythology. One story involved the spider and how it came to be the symbolic protector of the creative energies. Spider keeps creativity thriving and those who work with the creative arts safe and inspired. Susan told me she believes the spider was there in that window to protect me, marking me as one of her own, announcing her intent to guide me creatively. She said she was there to assure me that I was on the right path, offering Divine validity for my creative gifts.
And to think I almost swept her off the house.
Our Fears = Our Greatest Gifts
I was struck by the symbolism of this. So often we allow fears to keep us from the very things in life which empower us, not understanding that they’re a source of life-giving energy. Imagine if we allowed them to move us, enrich us, and fortify us without chasing them away through our own insecurities, doubts and projections. We have no limits and yet we create these self-imposed, invisible barricades which starve us of our own dreams and desires.
We focus on the spiders, instead of the wide expanse beyond.
So sad, this tendency to be diverted, pushed off our path, by fear. Yet we alone have the power to remove the barricades which block our way, simply by believing in our own talents, our own capability, our own chance at happiness.
“Limitations” is just a word, not something to believe in. And sometimes something as small as a spider can speak to us of so much more.
Much Love,
Kristy Sweetland
P.S. ~ Read the story of how I left my career, upended my life, moved to a remote mountain town in New Mexico, and followed my creative dreams. Stark Raving Zen: A Memoir of Coming Alive is also available on Audible.
Leave a Comment