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Lauren David is a Chilean-American freelance writer. She writes about gardening, food, health and wellness, and sustainability. She has been published in Allrecipes, Greatist, The Healthy, The Kitchn and more.
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May 19, 2023
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Are spiders appearing in your home or in your dreams? These eight-legged critters symbolize balance, curiosity, and personal growth. Continue reading to understand more about spider symbolism and what messages they may be communicating—whether they appear in your everyday life or in your dreams.
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What do spiders symbolize?
Spiders may elicit fear in many people, but these creatures actually represent positive messages. As animal communicator, psychic medium, and clairvoyant Nancy Mello, tells mindbodygreen, “The spider symbolizes curiosity, wonder, and growth.”
And according to animal symbolism coach and podcast host Maggie Wilson, “The spider symbolizes creativity in the weaving of fate [and] spider teaches you to maintain balance. It can be between past and future, physical, and spiritual.”
While many of us may be frightened by these eight-legged arthropods, they often appear with a message for us. “Seeing a spider in your home can be creepy at best, or if it’s a poisonous one, downright terrifying, says Kathy Harmon-Luber, author of Suffering to Thriving: Your Toolkit for Navigating Your Healing Journey, adding, “Yet if spiders show up in your life repeatedly—or if you’re dreaming of them—take a moment to consider Spider as an oracle with a possibly deep, personally relevant message for your life.”
Keywords associated with spiders:
- Balance
- Creativity
- Curiosity
- Growth
- Patience
- Rebirth
- Self-Awareness
- Self-Sufficiency
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7 spiritual meanings behind the spider
If you’re starting to see spiders more frequently, these are some spiritual meanings that spiders may be trying to communicate with you.
When we tap into our creativity, we’re more open to the incredible possibilities available to us. “Because the spider is constantly creating new webs, it’s also been associated with the lunar symbol of waxing and waning,” Wilson explains, noting that the spider continually teaches us that creativity can be limitless.
Spider can remind us that everything in life is cyclical and the idea of beginnings and endings can sometimes be blurred. “Spider can represent our own life cycle,” says Mello. “Everything connects back to the beginning, and there is no ending—only when the spider decides it is done.”
Spiders are often associated with the webs they produce, which can also relate to the message they’re delivering us. As Mello explains, “Spiders weave a web, [and] just like our life may symbolize a web, we are always growing.”
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According to Wilson, “The spider is associated with death and rebirth.” She explains that some female spiders kill the male after mating, for instance.
Spiders are savvy, and they may be delivering a message of awareness, according to Mello. As she explains, “Spiders spiritually can show us that our self-awareness is growing. It can be an internal self-awareness, an external self-awareness, or both.”
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Spiders are incredible and resourceful beings who are able to weave their own homes that double as a way to catch prey. “Spider has everything within her body to weave her beautiful web,” says Harmon-Luber, adding, “In other words, she creates her own entire little world by accessing her internal resources.”
Last but not least, spiders represent the idea that everything is connected. As Mello explains, “Spiders can symbolize all inter-connected in something bigger than ourselves, made by their web,” adding, “People think of being ‘caught in a web,’ but I see it as meaning that sometimes we get caught up in feelings and people that do not serve us, which helps us grow.”
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What to do if you keep seeing them
In spiritual groups, it’s believed that when we start noticing specific critters or animals, or they seem to come into our lives inexplicably, it’s a way to transmit messages. Spider may be communicating that you need to be patient and observant, for instance.
“Observe how patient a spider is with whatever it is doing,” Mello suggests. “Allow yourself to see where you need to be patient, or maybe where you need to complete something you haven’t yet completed.”
Another message Spider may be wanting to share with you is to allow yourself to connect with the side of you that you hide and don’t normally want to acknowledge.
Or as Wilson puts it, “It’s time to go into the dark areas—don’t be afraid to go into the shadow yourself and peek into the tiny corners where something might be hiding within.”
She suggests asking yourself where you might be hiding from your shadow. Connecting with your shadow side can also allow you to be more creative and true to yourself, so Wilson suggests creating from your shadow side and then sharing your creations with the world.
If a spider appears in your dream
Dreaming is an opportunity to connect with your subconscious and receive messages, and when we’re receptive and pay attention, dreams can offer important clues and information to what’s going on in your world under the surface.
Colors, emotions, and symbols are also all critical components in deciphering your dream and understanding possible interpretations. “Pay attention to how you feel in the dream, what the spider is doing, and how you’re reacting to the spider,” Wilson suggests.
Spider symbolism in dreams can provide messages about changes you may need to create in your waking life, though according to Wilson, spiders dreams are generally a lucky sign. “It can mean your wish or dream is going to be fulfilled,” she says.
One interpretation of spider dreams is that you need to let something go, for example. “When a spider appears in your dream, it means you are growing, but may be struggling with either letting go of a person or feeling, or you have finished with something but maybe not ready to accept it,” Mello adds.
If you’re dreaming more specifically about a spider web, reflect on what spider symbolism may be trying to convey. “If you’re repeatedly dreaming of Spider in a web, or just the web alone, ask yourself, Where in my life am I feeling trapped or stuck?” Harmon-Luber says.
“The web is a symbol of balance, and spiders are a vitally needed contributor to ecological balance.” she says, adding that dreaming of a spider’s web could indicate a need for balance in our personal lives, such as work-life balance or an inner need for balance and reconnection with nature.
Check out this full guide to spider dreams for more information.
FAQs:
What is the spiritual connection with spiders?
Spider has a variety of spiritual meanings. Spider symbolism includes creativity, rebirth, being self-aware and we’re all connected.
What does a spider web mean spiritually?
A spider web represents balance and harmony. Seeing a spider’s web may be a reminder that you may need more balance in certain aspects of your life.
Are spiders a good omen?
Spiders represent many possibilities with their symbolism. Although spiders often frighten people, their messages are positive. Spiders may symbolize balance, creativity, curiosity, personal growth and self-awareness.
The takeaway
From animals to insects, there’s no shortage of spiritual symbols to deliver information and messages our way. Seeing spiders frequently, despite a clean house, may just be trying to communicate a need for more balance, patience, and self-sufficiency in your life.