Bugs and Symbolism in Spellcraft

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Today’s prompt is brought to you by one of the Discord servers that I am a member of.  Just as a side note that I usually include with these discord questions… The reason I do not link these Discord servers is because each server has their own rules about if you’re allowed to share them publicly and how, and it’s a pain in the ass to look it up for each one so I just don’t share them.

On to the question… “What bug associations do you hold?”

caterpillar

Like the use of crystals, and the use of herbs and plants, there are often times when bugs are used in magic.  Not just in predictions and omens, but also occasionally in spellwork and the like. This is not something that I personally do all that often, as I feel much the same about using bugs in my spellcraft as I do about using animals.  That is to say… they cannot give their consent to be used in this manner, which means it’s unfair use and disrespectful of me to do so.  That said, I do have certain associations with different bugs.  I’ve listed those below…

Ants – hard work, strength, community
Aphids – sneaky, hidden, persistence
Bees – collaborative work, success, the sun
Butterflies – rebirth, hope, renewal
Caterpillars – growth, slow organic change (usually positive)
Cicadas – deeply personal transformation, vocalization, inner truth
Cockroach – sloth, resilience, hardiness
Cricket – good luck, happiness
Dragonflies – sudden or abrupt change (not always positive)
Firefly – inner light shining bright, authenticity
Flies – filth, decay, guilt
Gnats – hunger, annoyance, persistence
Ladybugs – wishes, good luck
Locust – deceit, greed, bad luck
Mosquito – blood, medical field, usury, vampirism (energy or otherwise)
Moth – addictions, temptations, the moon, the subconscious
Praying Mantis – independence, betrayal
Pill Bugs – passive defense, being guarded
Silverfish – greed, gluttony
Spiders (most) – meticulousness, organization
Termites – perniciousness
Ticks – tenaciousness, burrowing energy
Wasps – anger, backbiting, over the top protection, warning

Keep in mind that these are my personal associations with each of the bugs listed above.  I have no idea what the “official” metaphysical associations and symbolism is for each of them, although I would imagine that I’m on the right track with most.

With that said, obviously these are not all of the uses, associations, and symbolism that these bugs can possess.  I tried to wrack my brain for as many different types of bugs as I could think of without doing an internet search for bugs, which would be sure to set off my arachnophobia like nobody’s business.

Weekly Creativity Prompt – Near and Dear – The Aces

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Prompt: First, pull the Aces out of a deck of your choice. Then consider… Do you have someone in your life that fits with the theme of one of the cards? Do you have people in your life that would fit with each of them? Share the connection you see between each Ace card and the person in your life it represents. 

Insight Tarot

Ace of Pentacles – The bakery could run on its own these days, and he could spend his time in an office while others do the work.  And yet, every morning he gets up at 3AM, and is in the bakery by 4 in the morning to start the first batches of bread for the day.  This is his quiet time, where he can bake loaves of bread, buttery croissants, and sweet scones… And feel content in the fact that he’s feeding the world, and that every bit of food he brings into existence is going to feed someone, whether it’s the customers that come in to buy his breads and confections or the needy that receive what’s left at the end of each day.

Ace of Swords – If you’re stuck in a rut? This is the woman to talk to.  She’s full of ideas and happy to share with anyone that needs a little bit of encouragement.  Sit down with her and let her fill your head with the possibilities of what you could do. Brainstorm about where you’re going, and talk long into the night as you bounce ideas off each other.  She will inspire you, and give you a peek into the possibilities at your fingertips, helping you to find your way to unstuck so that you can follow those potential ideas into a new path.

Ace of Cups – He smiles without provocation, his laugh is infectious, and he cries at the drop of a hat. With his heart on his sleeve, every touching commercial causes his heart to pitterpat and his eyes to shine with tears, a happy ending will do the same, and an audio book as well.  Music creates souring emotions that he rides like a surfer rides waves, immersed in the emotions of the music as they carry him away.  He feels with every shred of his being, and loves with all his heart.  He feels pain deeply… but then, he feels everything deeply.

Ace of Wands – Her house is filled with Rubbermaid tubs, cardboard boxes, and shoe-boxes, knitting bags, totes, and skeins of yarn, scraps of fabric and wicker baskets filled with this and that.  Paints and paintbrushes, candle molds, boxes of wax, and little baubles.  Beads and pearls and epoxy mixes and everything in between.  She knows how to do everything, learning skill after skill, starting project after project… and yet none of them are ever finished before her attention is caught by the next new thing to learn, discover, and explore.

DECK USED:  INSIGHT TAROT

Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

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Today’s meditation was subverted for a nap.  Apparently I needed the sleep more than I realized, as I was going to be doing a guided meditation and as soon as I settled in place… I dozed right off to sleep.   I will try to meditate again before bed.

Heaven & Earth Tarot - Nine of SwordsToday’s draw is the Nine of Swords, which is traditionally a representation of anxiety, insomnia, and struggling with one’s inner voice and worries.

I’ve always loved this card in a wide variety of decks.  It’s one that I relate to greatly.   What stands out the strongest in the imagery of this card today is the astronomical symbols on the blanket covering the woman in the image.  Or rather, it’s the style of artwork that allows for some of those symbols to be so crisp and precise, and others to be blurred or indistinct.

I understand that this was an artistic choice, and one that was probably not intended to convey a message.  And yet, to me… it does.  It speaks of allowing yourself not to worry so much about the little things.   It’s about that phrase “don’t sweat the small stuff” because perhaps these details are so small that many wouldn’t even notice them… and perhaps so unimportant that some wouldn’t pay attention.  And yet to the artist?  These detail are very important and a conscious choice was made not to make them so minutely detailed that they took up the focus of the image as a whole.

There’s always lots and lots of things to worry about in life, but we need to make sure we don’t get so focused on the small stuff that we forget to look at the big picture and allow ourselves to get a good night’s sleep at night.  Let go of some of the small stuff and all those micromanaging inclinations… take a breath and relax.

DECK USED:  HEAVEN & EARTH TAROT

LionHart’s Elements Tarot Challenge Prompt
Question: What am I asked to do about elements within myself that don’t support my plans?

Mundane Magick Tarot

 Reading Summary: Go on your merry way (The Fool) after the things that light your fire (Pupil of Lighters), and don’t allow your responsibility to others (Forecaster of Coins) to overwhelmed you (Ten of Lighters).

Take Away:  This isn’t about ignoring those elements within myself that hold me back, but rather allowing my enthusiasm to overpower them and weigh that enthusiasm as having far more weight than the responsibilities that try to drag me down.   In other words… beware the burnout that can happen when you let those that depend on you become a burden instead of an asset.

DECK USED:  MUNDANE MAGICK TAROT

#DiscordTarotolicJan2021 Challenge Prompt
Question: What do I need to focus on for self-care during this new moon?

Future Vision Gem TarotReading Summary: Down moods and depression happens (Three of Swords). Use your strengths to rise above (Strength) and remember it’s only temporary (Wheel of Fortune).

Take Away: The whisper of my negative inner narrative has been flirting at the edges of my subconscious for about a week now.  The cards are a warning of the whispers that are trying to slip in and mess with my head.  They are a reminder than I am strong and I have tools at my disposal to help curb the coming depression into something more manageable.  They are also a reminder that these struggles are not permanent. They are temporary, and they will pass.

Depression often feels like it will never end, that you will never feel better and that this is feeling of depression is your existence for always.  Keeping in mind that it is temporary is an important part of making it through these times and to the other side.

DECK USED:  FUTURE VISION GEM TAROT