Speaking Spirit ~ Mantis

One of the first messages our Great Spirit would speak to us is that it is in all things created. From the spiraling galaxies to the unfolding solar system to the earth. From the earth to all things upon and within it; from the wind and water, the trees and rocks, to all that moves of its own gifted energy. No matter how great, no matter how small, each has its own special design and place within the exchange and support of life and one another.

One of the second messages our Great Spirit would speak to us is that there is life in all things. Even those things we 2-leggeds create, for we share a part of our own life-force when we do so (cars, homes, art, etc.). We breathe meaning and energy into these things, and our breath originates with the Spirit of all life. However, the breath we use for these human-made creations, comes out of that portion allotted to our individual life-force. While these things may give us happiness, ease, and meaning by what they perform, provide, and symbolize; Spirit would tell us, they can only give back by virtue and limitation of their own energy, unable to generate of their own gifted accord. This is why it is the wisest of things for us to invest our energy and spirit in relationship with creation's own creations. These are capable of giving back to and generating life force for us, rather than taking it from or out of us. Interestingly enough, if we did so, those things that we create out of ourselves would serve life much more effectively and harmoniously.

However, even those things, created and given the energy by us, have the origination in their materials from the source of Spirit (lumber, metal, fuels, etc.). Because of this, they still may deliver a message from Spirit with what is presently influencing and affecting us in our everyday lives, by the nature of what occurs with them. For instance, let us say that your car's battery is running low on power. Of course, we all know that this eventually happens, but what determines when it happens? Usually, you will find that it occurs at a time when you are, also, running low on energy and power. Perhaps, constantly moving and not taking the time to recharge as you need to be. Another example, let's say that a water pipe in your house springs a leak. Water is not only associated with the spirit of life, but also with emotions. Water is critical to our survival and can represent vital life and spirit force energy. The pipe would represent the avenue of this flow that is serving us in a properly functional way to assist our life. A leak would indicate a weakness or too much pressure in our avenue, either from wear and tear or present climatic conditions. So, we would need to look at those avenues we are presently using as a functional way to assist ourselves spiritually and emotionally. The leak would indicate we are needing new avenues or need to be aware of stressful conditions existing in the avenues we are choosing, and need to be immediately tended to, since we would be leaking vital life force energy. I realize all of this may sound odd, but just try it out. You will soon see that the human-made things are a reflection of what we are creating within our own lives. Not only because we have given them an allotment of our own energy, but also, because after all is said and done, even the smallest or fewest of cells originating from the source within it, will still speak from spirit. If we listen. Now, back to creation's own creations, and this time, we will be investing our interest in that which is among the smallest, but still one that gives back in exchange and support of our life and spirit, and, most importantly, our world. We are going to hear about one of our reader's exchanges with a Praying Mantis.

Many people find it easy to be uncomfortable with our smaller spirit messengers, the insects. Even our discomfort delivers a revealing message to us, though. The specific nature of the insect will shed light on those qualities we may be uncomfortable "handling" within ourselves. It will, also, point out the nature of the fear we dread may jump out at us. Insects, because they process out the by-products of thought for us (as opposed to energy or mass), always deal in matters involving our thinking; mental attitudes, abilities, capacities. 

In this particular instance, fortunately, we find that Judi is on a spiritual path and willing to embrace this small one, who is not so small at all, in the scheme of things. We shall let Judi tell us in her own words. 

The time of year was late spring and as I opened my front door, I noticed on the window to the kitchen that there was a praying mantis. I looked, didn't give it much thought, and then continued on my way out. When I came back hours later, he was still there. I thought this strange, so touched him on his back, where his wings would be, I suppose, to see if he was still alive, and he was. The next day he was still there. This went on for days, and each day I would touch and pet him, and he let me! It became so that I looked forward to seeing and petting him . At the time this happened, it was a time of many changes for me. 

I was becoming more and more open, and focusing on opening up my abilities. I also met a few new people that were very significant in my life. After about two weeks of seeing him everyday, talking to him and petting him, one night we had a terrible rain. I went down to look for him. It was at night and I didn't see him. So the next morning, when the sun was shining, I went outside again to look for him. He was gone and I have never seen him again.

Before discussing the meaning of the Praying Mantis, let us consider the location of its appearance and how Judi noticed it. It was on the kitchen window of her home. The home is a human-made structure that esoterically symbolizes everything about us personally, in every compartment (room) of our life and beingness, and the energy we have or are giving to it. So, right away, we know this messenger of speaking spirit is addressing the very life Judi has chosen to shelter herself in and to build for herself. 

She had opened the front door of her home, on her way out, and then saw the Mantis on a kitchen window. The act of opening the front door indicates that the message and what it brings will involve an exchange with the outside world (or a world outside of what she has known) which will affect her personal life. She had opened the door to this, and because it was the front one, indicates she did so in a direct manner. This reaffirms what Judi told us, she was becoming more open and meeting significant people. These people would be presenting new thoughts and mental attitudes. 

Judi does not tell us whether she noticed the Mantis, initially, from her perspective inside or outside the house, but we do know it was on the kitchen window. A window always tells us that there is an "opening of opportunity" available. The kitchen is the place we keep and prepare our nourishment, often referred to as the heart of a home because it is the location where we provide the very sustenance to keep ourselves and families alive. It is the room where we utilize the extremes of heat and cold (so indicates the full range of emotions). It is the most domestically oriented room of our home, and therefore, refers to the domestic part of Judi's life. It is, traditionally, the room most associated with the female role. 

All of the above tells me, whether married or unmarried, some of these changes and people Judi mentioned, involved her thoughts and attitudes in connection to domestic issues and her domestic role. Whether wife and mother or not, it is involving those issues of the female role, but also what will pertain to issues of her own nourishment. As she continued her exchanges with the Mantis, she would have gone outside to have done so, meaning she would have stepped outside herself or her comfort zone to continue it. 

We have not space here for a full review of the Praying Mantis (or of all the ways it applies to this related exchange), so I recommend that you read up on this insect who even captured attention 400 years ago to inspire a form of Kung Fu, and to whom Tai Chi is also very connected. This tells us that when Praying Mantis shows up, Spirit is telling us to be still and to utilize the power of stillness in the goals we are setting. To blend into our surroundings that we might not be noticed or set upon while trying to do so. This would mean prayer and meditation, yes, but always indicates the necessity for us to bring this into the body as well (Tai Chi being an excellent form for this). To learn how to direct and accumulate the chi within us, while we are waiting for the proper moment to make our move. 

Since this Mantis was on the kitchen window, I must refer to a domestic reference here. When in captivity (domesticated), a female Mantis will bite off the head of the male during mating (this is a rare occurrence in natural habitat). Interestingly enough, the male finishes the mating even so, before he actually dies (the main nerve being in the body rather than the head). This tells me that some of the mental and spiritual changes for Judi, involve her mental and spiritual disconnection with a domestic partner, situation, or attitude while indicating something more was outside her window (and she was on her way out). Yet, this situation would not be finished right away, and she would find herself in a time of waiting. It could also indicate that there was something or someone with whom she wished to consume the mental or spiritual connection with, as well. Because it was on the kitchen window, it tells me not only would it affect a domestic situation, but tells me someone else she met influenced her feelings also in this regard. If you will notice, Judi refers to the Mantis as he, so she projected it representing a male energy (the female Mantis is the larger of the two). 

Now, Judi was drawn to this speaking spirit, caring for it, petting it on its back where the wings would unfold (the Mantis' wings fold in like a pocket-knife does). The back is the area where the support is of the life force, and in this instance, where it has the wings of its flight. Which tell us, she was actually making contact with and touching the possibilities. 

The Mantis, because of its structural power of being able to go from stillness to rapid movement (the only predator insect fast enough to catch flies and mosquitoes), and its triangular head, and compound eyes; it always indicates a significant spiritual opening to higher mind and learning, and the need to discipline and bring it into the body of the spirit. It also usually indicates contact with beings of higher mind (and yes, this can also mean from other worlds), so these new people Judi would have been meeting would be teaching her of these things, as well as connecting her to higher mind itself.

Late spring is the timing of this exchange, a time of new births and new possibilities. The Mantis mates during the summer and lays its eggs in the fall, dying only a few weeks after. In some cases, the eggs can hatch during the winter, but for the most part, as winter ends and spring begins. This tells me that a new birth for her with the potential, not only for new abilities, but also for a new life, particularly in the female role. We would look for a significant movement towards that from three to six months after this exchange (the time taken for the eggs to be laid), but not really coming into being until a year later (when the eggs would hatch). We would then expect to see the continual manifestation of this to have significance three years after, and then once more, 6 years after. 

The Mantis stayed with Judi for about two weeks, and because it was late spring, would indicate a significant meeting or opening happened a few weeks prior to this, when the birth really began. She then says, after this time, a "terrible" rain came. She even went out at night to check, but could not see him. This tells me that an emotional episode (that she felt was particularly trying) did or would occur during a time of feeling very low and in the dark, but would serve as a cleansing. From this cleansing, she did or would make a decision mentally, for the next day the sun was shining, and the speaking spirit was gone. 

The challenge to this for Judi, is represented in the Mantis' own vision. The Mantis has incredible range and depth of vision, however, oddly enough, it also has a blind spot in its vision that affects its recognition of those who would prey upon it. So, in this extraordinary focus that the Mantis would bring her (and indicates prophetic qualities, as well), it also could leave her with a blind spot when it came to those whose energies might be feeding on her own. This only emphasizes why prayer, meditation, and learning the power of the stillness are such important parts of our development, especially when Mantis shows up. 

To let you know once more, how real the speaking spirit is, while I thought about Judi's exchange, I was watering my flowers. Out of the peonies, out of the wild flower and sage, Praying Mantis moved out of their camouflage and into plain view, one to my left and one to my right. Each demonstrated the rocking motions that I recognized as when, in medicine ways, we are being breathed in and out by the spirit of our grandmother earth. To the Mantis, this would be a time of synchronizing to the best advantage with the wind and taking flight. So, thank you Judi, for sharing your exchange with us. I have, no doubt, you are soon to take this flight you so caringly touched the possibility of some time ago. With it, and all the new gifts it brings, there is someone waiting for you, who is doing the same thing.

Speaking spirit told me so.

Blessings...
Theresia

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