Spider wise
January 21, 2010
Photo by Stephanie Bennett, my brilliant niece.
At the end of July, I spent a weekend watching spiders.
The setting was a campsite — a circle of stones in a walnut forest — and a tent.
My guide for the weekend — spider — all eight legs of her.
When you watch anything closely you can find a lesson. Patterns emerge.
Although I know spider simply was going about her business, throughout the weekend of silent reflection my brain, wired to make connections, found wisdom in those webs:
– You don’t have to know where you are going.
– Weaving webs can take you to high places in the trees.
– Weaving is more often done close to the ground. If you don’t look at just the right angle you will miss seeing the low lying web, entirely. Keep looking.
– Webs created at dawn collect dazzling rain drops from last night’s storm.
– A single strand can tie us to all God has made.
Natives view spiders as signs of unconditional love, the infinite, and creativity. Today’s scientist admire the spider’s silk for its strength and elasticity. Another person on another day might observe the spider and draw lessons of productivity and perseverance. The lessons are as varied as the students learning them.
On this particular visit, for me, it was not about quiet industry, but about the sustaining power of quiet itself. It was an awakening to the quiet energy that comes of watching nature unfold. An energy that feeds the flame unleashed by the Holy Spirit.
February 5, 2010 at 4:44 pm
i love this…you rock!
February 5, 2010 at 10:32 pm
You are a good sister.
October 18, 2010 at 9:51 am
And here is the song:
At the dawn with Spider Woman
You can see her single strand
Connects us to what God has made
ties us to the living land
(You can see her single strand)
At the noon with Spider Woman
She walks across the changing land
Don’t ask her where she’s going
As she crosses grass and sand
(Walks across the changing land)
At the dusk with Spider Woman
She waits for the night to fall
She gathers all the broken pieces
Answers her mother’s call
(She waits for the night to fall)
In the night with Spider Woman
She weaves webs of crystal dreams
In the night with Spider Woman
Nothing here is what it seems
(Nothing here is what it seems)
Walking, waiting, weaving, walking, waiting, weaving…