Animal Totem Spider: Irving is Irvina
This is a bit of the lore I found on my spider-in-residence. It has been a lengthy association we have had since there has been a spider in the same spot for three years, as our photos have shown. I didn’t think they could live so long but apparently they can overwinter occasionally. More likely, this is just a good spot and the generations have moved in. also, Irving is now Irvina. Apparently only the females weave the magical webs, so grandmother spider is in the house!
I felt I should see what gifts spiders bring since we are watching it and looking at its web everyday as we pass. So here is one interpretation that I like:
Spider Woman
Spider Totems
Spiders are very delicate creatures that play an important role in the myths and lore of many peoples as the teacher of balance between the past and future, the physical and spiritual.
To the Native Americans, Spider is Grandmother, the link to the past and future. In India it’s associated with Maya, the weaver of illusions.
With its gentle strength, Spider spins together the threads of life with intricate webs.
Spider knows that the past affects the future and vise versa. It calls us to make use of our creativity and weave our dreams into our destiny.
For many Native Americans, “spider woman” stories are important creation mythologies. One of the common feature of those are wisdom symbolized with spiders’ webs (for example, she taught the human how to weave). Also generally accepted are the ideas that her “thread” connects the human world and the world of spirits or the “above world” and the “below world”. Spider Woman also weaves the “relationship” of the Web of Life and all beings.
via Animal Totem Spider.
Now, I am also being told that this is Tim’s spider so I will give credit where due. Tim’s photos and wacky comments can be found here on Facebook.
