we have been noticing (though it doesn’t require much attention) how many busy mama, (papa), and grandmother spiders there are finding a home under the eaves of our roof…
in our crowded, busy lives we seldom have the chance to slow down and inquire as to what lessons we may gleam from the things that show up in our lives (including even that small things…like these amazingly diligent spiders)… noticing what the earth and her beautiful creatures may be reflecting back…
not too long ago in our history as a species we paid close attention to these wise teachers… and so i became curious and inquired and came across this interpretation of what she , this beautiful grandmama spider may be asking us to pay attention to…
the following is a bit of what i came upon as i considered the ancient insights of those who have come before us, who noticed what amazing teachers we have access to in our midst at all times…in the fabric of our eco-system that we live and breathe, but often take for granted…
“Many stories exist about the weaver, Grandmother spider, her web bound all things together and formed the foundation of earth. In another story she carried on her back the gift of fire in a basket that she wove and presented it to the people…
These legends give the spider a link to the past and the future, birth and creation. When the spider crawls into our awareness it is asking us to rebuild the web of our life in accordance with the design the creator gave us.
Spiders differ from insects in having eight legs rather than six and in having the body divided into two parts rather than three. The number eight laid on its side is the symbol for infinity. The number two implies the union of two forces joined together. Together they equal ten. Drop the zero and you are back to the starting point of one. The hidden message of spider is unity.
The construction of a web is linked to the geometry of creation. In the construction of an orb web the spider releases a sticky silken thread into the wind. If the breeze carries the thread to a spot where it sticks the first bridge is formed. Spider cautiously crosses the line reinforcing it with a second. This process continues until a frame is constructed in which the web can secure itself. Bridges serve as a link tying all things together and remind us of our interconnectedness to all life.
The spider shows us that the past, the present and the future are all interwoven. It awakens our intuitive creative senses and encourages us to design the fabric of our lives from our souls original intention.
Because spiders are actually very delicate they embody the energy of gentleness. Spiders are not usually aggressive unless they are defending their lives. They move forward in all situations with a gentle strength. In man, the bite of a poisonous spider symbolizes a death, rebirth process. Poison enters the nervous system and the body either transmutes it or falls victim to its venom and dies.
The spider signifies the tapestry of life. The web we weave is the reality we experience. Choosing the appropriate path is one of the lessons associated with the spider.”
such a generous and wise teacher…
who are the teachers in your life that may offer you some insight and encouragement toward living life in a fuller way… what are these many teachers reflecting back to you today?
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birth as metaphor for life
welcoming contraction
as an inevitable companion
facilitating opening if not resisted
as this living life that is alive is constantly birthing and being birthed
unfolding and folding in
when fear finds footing
room for expansion evaporates
and the discomfort of contraction arrests development
in being with the discomfort
greater opening emerges
the laboring offers a glimpse of the potential to be birthed into new life
in each moment
creating space to notice …to listen to the story lines that have shaped and are shaping my life…noticing that they are not always helpful and realizing the power that i have in shaping and creating the story…therein, offering myself grace and welcome, lies such potential and hope.
that these days are fleeting…curious why i have such a hard time slowing down…it is true that there will always be things that need to get done….but these days…these days will be missed…am i really soaking them in now?
i have been loving this song today.
i hope you are enjoying this moment.
i was reminded again recently what great zen masters children can be…
calling into question all of our bs and stripping us bare of all of our notions of having any answers or control…
reminding us that all we have to work with
is. right. now.
oh that i would have the courage to listen and live into this wisdom more often…
but i continue to seek to be open, to listen…
remembering to breathe deeply, be present, soak in the spring sun…
even if it is only occasionally…hopefully those occasions will increase as i open to welcome them.
cultivating space
to notice
to sit
without judgement
to smile at the “imperfection”
noticing the texture it adds
welcoming breathe
graciously encountering contraction
noticing how it opens
and allows for the birthing of new potential
gratitude is a great teacher. the buds on the branches of the tree quietly suggest that life is always emerging and we may not pay attention, unable to hear, as we become distracted by the thought of the mud that will surely be tracked through our door.
the practice of being mindful of that which i am thankful for has the potential to shift my experience of the world.
noticing and spending time with that which lends life vs. that which drains it.
this is where i want to live…i am tired of the other place.
with the intention to notice the beauty that fills my life…
jeremiah was engaged in creating one of his many inventions and (as is usually the case) had to make a mad dash to the to the bathroom (due to his general tendency to wait until the very last moment)…
…from the bathroom he makes this inquiry…
“mom, what do you is more important learning or going to the bathroom?”
“what do you think?” (i reply)
and he concludes…
“the bathroom…or maybe learning is is a weensie bit more important…but i think papa is a good problem solver because he reads when he goes to the bathroom.”
Filed under: noticing the beauty, self-portraiture experiment, why not give it a try
in my last post i mentioned my tendency toward being a rather unforgiving boss (to myself)…
and the shift that i will now tune into is the fact that i am (in fact) a pretty damn good employee.
and who is it after all that i am working for, if not for the good of the world.
so in that vein and with the counsel of many who have gone before me…it is with intention (in this month of my birth) that i will focus on the beauty that i bring to the world…and i hope to share glimpses with you, dear reader…with hopes that you will be reminded of your own.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you.
Don’t go back to sleep.
You must ask for what you really want.
Don’t go back to sleep.
People are going back and forth across the doorsill
where the two worlds touch.
The door is round and open.
Don’t go back to sleep.
I would love to kiss you.
The price of kissing is your life.
Now my loving is running toward my life shouting,
What a bargain, let’s buy it.
Daylight, full of small dancing particles
and the one great turning, our souls
are dancing with you, without feet, they dance.
Can you see them when I whisper in your ear?
All day and night, music,
a quiet, bright
reedsong. If it
fades, we fade.
~rumi
