Spider Spiritual Meaning and Unusual Dream Symbolism You Want To Know

Home » Paganism » Spider Spiritual Meaning and Unusual Dream Symbolism You Want To Know

Spider spiritual meaning dives beneath the surface of fear and webs to reveal a captivating world of symbolism. Despite their sometimes black, mysterious appearance, spiders hold secrets that can enlighten our lives.

Often misunderstood as sinister, these creatures act as our animal symbolism allies. Through their delicate webs, they maintain balance by keeping pesky pests away. They’re not just creatures of the night but guides, protectors, and symbols of hidden truths waiting to be explored.

She asks me to kill the spider. Instead, I get the most peaceful weapons I can find.

I take a cup and a napkin. I catch the spider, put it outside and allow it to walk away.

If I am ever caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, just being alive and not bothering anyone,

I hope I am greeted with the same kind of mercy.

Rudy Francisco – Helium


Animal symbolism is a deeply personal spiritual practice that cannot be fully described in a blog post. Any explanation in a book or blog post pales to your personal experience. However, my hope is by reading this information, you’ll understand each animal’s spiritual journey, which will help your interpretation.

Please note that I make every effort to ensure this information is correct and accurate through my own experiences and referencing sources throughout AND at the bottom of this article.

Posts on this site may contain affiliate links that allow me to earn a small commission from your purchases (at no extra cost to you!)

Spider Spiritual Meaning

The spiritual meaning of the spider differs depending on the geographic location or culture and can vary on who you ask. However, as you start reading, you’ll notice some common themes.

Here are 8 (see what I did there?) spiritual reasons you might be seeing spiders!

Interconnectedness and Communication

The spiritual meaning of spiders often represents harmony and a sense of oneness. Spiders weave their webs, connecting and communicating with one another.

Thus, the spiritual symbolism of spiders reflects connecting to others, creating better communication, and, more importantly, changing or growing in some way.

Spiders are often symbols of weaving. Spiritually, this has a double significance: first, it can be seen as a metaphor for life. If you allow yourself to go with life’s flow, you can see how circumstances lead you from one thing to another. Similar to a thread of silk floating in the air, leading spiders from their spinnerets to wherever they land.

Secondly, it emphasizes the connection between all things and brings to mind the Norse mythology of the Norns, who reside in the Well of Fate beneath a large ash tree called Yggdrasill. The Norns influence human lives by twisting, bending, and weaving threads of fate and destiny.

Spider symbolism reminds us we’re all part of something greater than ourselves, no matter how hard we try to stand alone. Everything is connected on some level, so working together and living in harmony is crucial.

Overcoming Negativity

The spiritual symbolism of spiders reminds you to avoid becoming trapped in your own web of negativity. It reminds you to focus on self-awareness. Are you spinning webs of negativity or projecting a defeatist mindset?

Webs are all about traps and catching things that would run away if they had a chance! So, spiritually speaking, the meaning of a spider can show you how to master your own inner state and prevent negative emotions from taking over.

Because of the mind-body connection, your thoughts really can affect your health. By telling yourself more encouraging things, you’re telling your brain to produce chemicals that can:

* Lower your blood pressure.

* Reduce your risk for heart disease.

* Make your immune system stronger so you can resist infection and disease.

* Lower your stress level and make you feel less anxious.

* Help you avoid stomach problems, insomnia, and back pain.

* Make you feel happier and more optimistic about the future.

University of Michigan – Dealing with Negative Thoughts

I often turn to music when I’m angry, overwhelmed, or stressed. I deeply believe music helps empower us, and I love to include it in my spiritual practice. Use anything that lifts your spirits, encourages you, or has happy, nostalgic memories.

Working to overcome a negative mindset will help influence your life and future decisions. It can also help you become impervious to the negative influence of others around you.

Note: I’m not referring to depression or mental illness. Please see a professional who can help you best with your specific needs.

Overcoming Negativity

Adaptation

A spider’s web does not always stay the same; it adapts itself according to the environment and often changes with the wind. This spider spiritual meaning shows how we too should be willing to adapt and change when needed, rather than remaining static and stuck in life.

It is essential to be adaptable in life and your spiritual practice. Since change is inevitable, you must be flexible in order to thrive.

Here are a few ways to boost your adaptability –

  • Be open-minded – there’s more than one way to accomplish goals and challenges. You may learn a better way to do things by keeping an open mind!
  • Never stop learning – I firmly believe the library is one of the most magical places on earth. Any subject you’d like to know more about can be learned FOR FREE from the library. Depending on the topic, there are also YouTube, Skillshare, or Facebook groups from people interested in the same topics as you!
  • Try new things – Drop your guard and allow yourself to try something you’re not particularly talented at. It’s okay to fail or make mistakes because that’s how we become better! Growth is often achieved by a little risk-taking.

Patience

Have you ever watched a spider weave a web? This intricate process requires an unrivaled amount of patience and must be completed to survive and catch their prey.

Step-by-step they create a beautiful but deadly masterpiece. This creative process includes patterns of Sacred Geometry and reminds you to connect with the natural ebbs and flows of life.

The spider spiritual meaning prompts you to remember your life path and spiritual journey are created by you! By intentionally constructing the steps you take, will lead you to the life you truly desire. Remain patient but determined!

Protection

All spiders are predators and will fight to protect themselves and their homes. The spider is fierce, clearly shown in its technique in capturing, killing, and consuming its prey.

The spider spiritual meaning may indicate it’s time to stand up for yourself and quit allowing others to walk all over you. It may take some courage and tenacity to protect yourself, but you are more than capable!

Here are a few ways to stand up for yourself when you find it challenging –

  • Be honest and authentic – It can sometimes be hard to say what we truly think, but people are not mind readers. If you don’t tell them, they won’t know! Avoid being defensive, but remain firm in your truth. You might even try backing up your opinion with a few examples! Gathering the confidence to confront something or someone who is upsetting you can be daunting. However, addressing the situation directly will strengthen you and reduce the influence it has over your daily life. 
  • Understand that no one has the right to invalidate you – Don’t allow the opinions of others to negate or devalue how you feel about yourself. This is one I struggle with myself, but remember that everyone is at a different place or phase in their life. Your goals or opinions are your own to understand, and other people may not be at a point in life to grasp how you feel or goals you set. That’s okay, move on without feeling the need to explain yourself to them.
  • Take time to discover what’s troubling you most – You may have learned somewhere in your life, that having hopes and dreams is bad or that your ambitions aren’t as significant as someone else’s. This concept could be so deeply ingrained that you aren’t even aware of it. But, subconsciously, you may be prioritizing everyone else’s aspirations but your own. Going with the flow to avoid causing tension or disruption just brings long term anxiety or unhappiness. Take time to discover what you really want, and what may be giving you anxiety.

No is a complete sentence and so often we forget that.
When we don’t want to do something we can simply smile and say no.


We don’t have to explain ourselves, we can just say “No”.
Early on my journey I found developing the ability to say no expanded my ability to say yes and really mean it.

My early attempts at saying no were often far from graceful but with practice even my no came from a place of love. Love yourself enough to be able to say yes or no.

 Susan Gregg

Creativity and Manifestation

Spiders embody the energy of creativity and innovation as resourceful web designers and creators. They are clever, deliberate, and uncompromising.

Spider spiritual meaning represents power, inspiration, strength, and the importance of creativity in our lives.

Spiders demonstrate the endless potential we have through creation and manifestation. Personal growth, imagination, and creative power are all represented by spiders. Their spiritual influence activates self-confidence and potential.

Spiders keep their webs in excellent condition by tearing them down and reconstructing them regularly to maximize their effectiveness. Any destruction or harm done to the web is swiftly repaired and mended.

Our spiritual energy operates in the same way; situations, people, or our own mental struggles may knock us off track. When we align with our life purpose and connect with our magical and spiritual sides, we create and manifest everything we need to succeed!

These creative themes of self-expression also align with the protection aspects above. Remember to set your ideas and goals in motion and take the initiative to make them happen!

Creativity and Manifestation

Shadow Self

Spiders often provoke feelings of fear, dread, or anxiety. However, spiders have both dark and luminous aspects to their spiritual symbolism. This only furthers the spider’s spiritual meaning connection to you because we all possess both characteristics.

Spiders play a significant role in our physical and spiritual lives, making them excellent weavers of spiritual energy. 

Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung was the creator of the extraverted and introverted personality types. His ideas later inspired Katharine Cook Briggs, who created the 16 Myers-Briggs personality types based on Carl Jung’s concepts.

Carl Jung believed that our shadow self is an aspect of our personality we keep hidden because we think it is evil or wrong. These aspects can range from envy, sexual desires, anger, or anything we deny ourselves. Since we regularly suppress our shadow traits, we may not even be aware or conscious of them.

Jung believed that if we’re to be fully functional and enlightened spiritual beings, we need to authentically see our darker aspects. This is often referred to as shadow work.

The shadow is that hidden, repressed, for the most part inferior and guilt-laden personality whose ultimate ramifications reach back into the realm of our animal ancestors and so comprise the whole historical aspect of the unconscious

Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961)

The spider spiritual meaning may indicate you need to incorporate more shadow work into your spirituality to become balanced and aligned with your higher self.

Spiritual Transformation

Spider symbolism teaches us about the spiritual significance of creation, development, mortality, and reawakening by weaving a web of spiritual transformation and growth. Spiders represent both the charming and inspiring aspects of development.

Part of spiritual transformation and growth includes letting go of aspects that no longer serve you. Spider spiritual meaning reminds us of the necessity to clear the cobwebs, evolve, and move forward.

This spiritual growth and transformation will enable you to best manifest your goals and become your best self.

The powerful symbol of the spider has long been associated with secrecy, strength, and progress. We must design our life the same way that a spider spins a web.

The spider spiritual meaning reminds us that our choices affect and create our lives. When the spider shows itself to us, it’s a reminder to contemplate carefully before making any big decisions. Spider symbolism focuses our attention on our life choices while also simultaneously reminding us that our thoughts and actions can create the life we truly desire.

Spiritual Transformation

Did You Know?

Spiders are found on all continents (except Antarctica, although spider fragments have been reported there) and at elevations as high as 5,000 metres (16,400 feet) in the Himalayas.

Many more species occur in the tropics than in temperate regions. Though most spiders are terrestrial, one Eurasian species is aquatic and lives in slow-moving fresh water.

There are a few species that live along shores or on the surface of fresh or salt water.

Britannica – Spider arachnid

Types of Spiders Spiritual Meaning

The spider spiritual meanings listed above represent an overview of anyone frequently seeing spiders. However, if you continue seeing a specific spider color, it may have additional symbolism similar to crystals or candle color meanings. Keep your eyes open for particular spider colors, just as you would when observing butterflies.

Brown Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Security
  • Strong spiritual foundation
  • Balance
  • Healing
  • Removal of toxic energy

Black Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Revealing secrets
  • Shadow work
  • Unconscious energy
  • Magic
  • Mystery
  • Death
  • Removal of barriers
  • Protection
Black Widow Spider Spiritual Meaning

Grey Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Self-reflection
  • Astral or Moon magic
  • Tranquility
  • Inspiration

Similar to Grey witches, grey spiders are reminding you to keep your spirituality and life in balance. You must embrace both positive and negative aspects and energy.

Orange Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Authenticity
  • Creativity
  • Happiness
  • Positivity
Orange Spider Spiritual Meaning

Red Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Passion
  • Health
  • Courage
  • Lust
  • Protection
  • Power

White Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Peace
  • Creativity
  • Renewal
  • Simplicity
  • Soul alignment
  • Prosperity
White Spider Spiritual Meaning

Purple Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Spiritual transformation
  • Intuition
  • Enlightenment
  • The unconscious

Yellow Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • New beginnings
  • Spiritual awakening
  • Prosperity
  • Self-confidence
  • Hope
  • Optimism
Yellow Spider Spiritual Meaning

Blue Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Communication
  • Wisdom
  • Loyalty
  • Spirituality
  • Forgiveness
  • Serenity

Green Spider Spiritual Meaning

  • Nature
  • Growth
  • Financial abundance
  • Fertility
  • Good luck
Green Spider Spiritual Meaning

Spider Spiritual Meaning in Mythology and Folklore

Greek Mythology tells a story about a woman named Arachne (meaning spider in Greek) who was a talented weaver.

Arachne challenged Athena (goddess of war, knowledge, and crafting by hand) to a weaving competition.

Athena created a tapestry portraying the gods as glorious heroes, but Arachne created a beautiful tapestry illustrating the gods abusing their powers as well as their love affairs. Athena was outraged at Arachne’s perfect handiwork and insulted by her chosen imagery. 

She tore Arachne’s tapestry to shreds, and Arachne, in her despair, hanged herself. Out of empathy and remorse, Athena relaxed the rope. The rope uncoiled and turned into a spider web, and Arachne was transformed into a spider.

Spider Dream Meaning

Research has shown that spiders are the most common nightmare symbol in folklore and from different cultures worldwide. Dreams about spiders are reported as frequently as nightmares about falling or flying.

It could be an important message from your subconscious mind trying to tell you something!

People who dream about spiders often expect something terrible (like news of a terminal illness, for example). However, people in touch with their spirituality know that if they see a spider in their dreams, something beautiful may happen.

Your feelings towards spiders represent confidence within yourself. The spider is also known as one of the oldest creatures out there, and this may indicate you’ve taken lessons from the past and integrated them into your life for a better future.

The problem with dreaming about spiders is that there are so many different interpretations based on what they’re doing and their unique characteristics. That makes it hard to know what your dreams might be trying to tell you.

Did the spider look friendly? Was it crawling on you? Were you scared? The answers to these questions are essential for determining if the spider symbolism has positive or negative connotations.

Hopefully, this will help you understand all about spiders in dreams and symbolism so that next time you see one in your dream, you’ll know exactly what it means!

Spider Dream Meaning

If the Spider is Crawling on You

Dreaming of a spider crawling on you represents the spiritual meaning of overcoming negativity listed above and could mean someone is interfering with your happiness.

A spider crawling on you alerts you to individuals breaking boundaries and blocking your spiritual energy. This may indicate you need to set better boundaries with those around you to protect your physical and spiritual health.

It also signifies your inner negative tendencies (wanting to be in control, envy, etc.) might be starting to show themselves.

Don’t let these challenges trap you in a negative mindset! Bring your attention to self-awareness and what actions you can take to move forward in a healthy way to create the highest positive impact on your life.

If spiders keep crawling on you regularly, it means you’re highly intuitive and receptive to other people’s energies. The spider could be appearing to assist you in mastering these qualities.

If the Spider Causes Fear or Anxiety

A spider dream that causes fear or anxiety represents the spiritual meaning of survival or protection which can manifest in various ways.

Protection can symbolize setting boundaries to preserve your mental health. Perhaps anger, guilt, or envy has been bottled up inside you for so long it feels like impending doom. It may also represent that you feel trapped and restricted by something or someone.

If this is the case, consider if you want them in your life. They are using and draining energy from you, invest your time and power with others who will appreciate what you offer!

An alternate meaning can represent selfishness and possessiveness, and you need to evaluate your own actions. There may be some issues within yourself that need taming down before they spiral out of control.

You could be suppressing some emotions or struggling to remove anxiety from your life. Some pieces of your life may appear out of alignment with your highest self, or those around you are dismissing your dreams and goals.

Protection can also represent physically and spiritually safekeeping your home and sacred space. When was the last time you checked your smoke detector batteries or changed out the air filter? Cleanse out any stagnant energy with a deep clean of your home and follow it up with a spiritual cleanse using smoke, sound (happy music or a singing bowl), crystals of your choice, stovetop potpourri (include herbs with magical properties that suit your intentions like lavender), or your favorite method!

If the Spider is Caught in Your Hair

A spider caught in your hair symbolizes patience and wisdom. Spiders are all about dominance, creation, and the subconscious, while hair is associated with intuition and knowledge.

You may be experiencing a difficult challenge or obstacle in your life that you can’t seem to overcome. A spider in your hair appears to remind you to master your patience and wisdom to resolve your current difficulties.

Avoid quick or short-term solutions because these won’t lead to long-term success or happiness. Use your wit and intuition to guide you, and you’ll find the way out or the right path for you!

If the Spider is Caught in Your Hair

If the Spider is Weaving a Web

A spider dream about weaving an intricate web symbolizes creativity, manifestation, intuition, spiritual transformation, and successful goals and intentions.

A spider weaving a web reminds you that you’re highly creative, even if you don’t believe it to be true! You can create the life you want and manifest your dreams.

A spider weaving a web indicates that your success is inevitable, and you’ll be rewarded for your efforts and tenacity! This can show up in various ways, including a raise, award, or promotion in your career, better relationships through communication and boundary work, or spiritual evolution!

Are Seeing Spiders Bad Luck? 

Spiders are generally thought to be a bad omen or symbolic of negative energy, due to their creepy-crawly nature and connection with the dark.

However, animal symbolism is never bad luck, even with spiders! It is simply communication from the Universe, angels, ancestors, and our spirit guides helping to nudge us in the right direction and teach us lessons!

As stated above, there are 8 common reasons that spiders appear to you through synchronicity: connection, overcoming negativity, adaptation, patience, protection, creativity, shadow work, and spiritual transformation.

Read through the explanations above to determine which lesson spiders are trying to teach you!

Spider Spiritual Meaning in Numerology

In Numerology, eight holds a vital significance and symbolism to the eight-legged spider and represents abundance, motivation, and prosperity. It’s a very encouraging and uplifting message!

Additionally, a spider’s body and the number 8 also resemble the symbol for infinity. The spider represents the complete life cycle, symbolizing evolution, seasonal cycles, and the flow of time.

I hope you found this article on spider spiritual meaning and symbolism helpful! Lots of love to you and remember as always…

Sources

Levi, Lorna R., Levi, Herbert W. and Culin, Joseph. “Spider.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 1 Jun. 2020, https://www.britannica.com/animal/spider-arachnid.

Healthwise Staff. Dealing With Negative Thoughts. The University of Michigan Health. August 31, 2020. https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/abl0335

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Arachne.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2021, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Arachne.

Similar Posts