Part of the Sky Above Earth Below Oracle Deck I created in 2014. Mixed Media

Spider (Talent, Weaving)
Spider weaves a delicate web. Spiders are eight-legged insects with two body segments and no antennae. Spiders live on every continent, with the exception of Antarctica, and have adapted to every biome. The silk created by spiders is produced with special glands and has the ability to stretch quite far before breaking or losing its shape; this explains spider’s link to weaving. Not all spiders create the same kind of web. Some webs are neatly arranged, while others represent a more tangled cobweb appearance. Spiders are predators, using their webs to catch prey, though some species may use silk lassos, or simply run their prey down. This may have connected spider to the trait of talent. Male spiders engage in complex courtship rituals to avoid sexual cannibalism by the often larger females. Some female spiders die after laying their eggs, other abandon their eggs, and others will care for their young. Most spiders are solitary creatures, though a few have shown limited social behaviour.

The old belief that spider wove the alphabet to give to humans may still be seen in even more modern stories such as ‘Charlotte's Web’. The goddess Neith, of Ancient Egypt, was a spinner and weaver of destiny and was associated with the spider. In Greek myth Athena created the spider. Athena, being a weaver herself, was challenged by the mortal Arachne to a weaving contest. In all versions of the story, win or lose, Arachne is turned into a spider by Athena so that she can continue to weave and spin. In African mythology Anansi, sometimes a creator god and sometimes a trickster god, was depicted as a spider. Lakota tradition sees the spider as a trickster spirit as well; whereas the Hopi saw the spider as ‘grandmother’ who laced her web with dew and cast it into the sky to create the stars. Dreamcatchers may have had their origin as an analog to a spider's web; catching nightmares and letting good dreams pass through. Spiders feature in literature ranging from ‘Lord of the Rings’, to children’s nursery rhymes. The general shape of a spider resembles the number eight. Its shape and its eight legs may have linked spider to the symbol of infinity, a sideways eight.

When spider weaves its way into your card it may be time to look at your idea of talent. Are you weaving your dreams into reality? Are you feeling caught in the web of life? How can you use your unique talents to ‘hunt down’ what you seek? Spider isn’t closely connected to any particular element or biome; though a study of the star, earth, and wood cards may be helpful.

Stars and Constellations
Finesse, Karma, Web of Life, Architect, Oneness