Insect Totems: Creepy, Crawly, Buzzy Wisdom
Tiffany Lazic
Our spirits soar when guided by the majesty of the Eagle or Hawk totem, urging us to rise above mundane concerns or inviting us to draw upon the wisdom of ancestors. A deep heart connection and feelings of kinship often arise toward the animals that walk this land with us, such as bear, wolf, or stag. At times we may feel as though we ourselves are part of their tribe, pack, or clan. Even the creatures of the sea can call to us when we find ourselves out of our depths. In times of confrontation, these teachers offer a variety of responses, from the dolphin’s intelligence and grace to the shark’s stealth and fearlessness. To be sure, there are those creatures of sky, land, and sea that may make us twitchy, but on the whole, we tend to be able to see something somewhat familiar in them. We embrace them, meditate on them, and even tattoo them on our bodies. Even in those cases when we may feel fear when faced with a particularly harsh or stern animal teacher, we don’t have a tendency to feel revulsion. That virulently strong emotion is most often reserved for the tiniest of teachers—those that have a greater chance of slipping past our gaze unnoticed. Ironically enough, it is these teachers that have been with us the longest and may have the most to teach us.
Insects have arguably been on earth longer than any other living creature. The American Association for the Advancement of Science suggests that insects have been around for 479 million years! Compared with dinosaurs, which roamed the earth from 65 to 230 million years ago, and modern humans, who are a mere 200,000 years young, insects helped to shape the world in which we live and created a precedent for activities that keep us alive, such as forming a social structure and farming.
Insects are the most species rich of all the earth’s creatures, numbering about 900,000 different species. Given that they are so very small, and new species are being discovered all the time, conservative estimates of the true number of insect species, according to the Smithsonian Institute, put the number at closer to 30 million. Further astounding numbers place insect biomass at approximately 300 pounds of insect for every human pound. From a population perspective, the current estimate of the total global human population is 7.4 billion. A single locust swarm has been estimated at 1 billion. The insect world offers a massively diverse and rich variety of potential for totem medicine.
General Insect Medicine
When it comes to examples of how to thrive in society, there is almost no other area in nature that offers better guidance than the insect world. Bees, ants, wasps, and termites have developed highly evolved social structures that include division of labor, cooperative brood care, and contribution from all members. Additionally, insects are the superheroes of the natural world, demonstrating remarkable feats of strength and endurance. Spittlebugs can jump 100 times their own length, and fleas can jump 150 times their own height! All insects have the potential to teach us how to access untold reserves within ourselves, but each individual species also provides its own specific message and teaching.
Challenging Insects We Resist
Shadow material tends to make us feel intensely uncomfortable, but to ignore our fear or anger or hurt is to negate a powerful source of wisdom. The insects with the highest “ick” factor are often our greatest Shadow teachers.
As in so many areas in our lives, here too with the array of insect teachers and totems we find the dark cast of the Shadow. The Shadow consists of those aspects of the self that are rejected or repressed. Unconsciously we fear that what lives in our Shadow will cause us to be rejected by others. Shadow material tends to make us feel intensely uncomfortable, but to ignore our fear or anger or hurt is to negate a powerful source of wisdom. The insects with the highest “ick” factor are often our greatest Shadow teachers.
Bedbugs
Bedbugs have gained much notoriety in recent years, though the bedtime blessing “Don’t let the bedbugs bite” has been a familiar refrain since the 1880s, and these tiny vampiric bugs have made nighttime a nightmare for thousands of years. As teachers, they invite us to look at negative patterns in our lives, especially disruptive rhythms that keep us from reaching our full potential.
Centipedes and Millipedes
I have a theory that, as humans, we are great with anything that has two legs, fine with four legs, on the fence about six legs, highly uncertain about eight legs, and decidedly repulsed by a hundred or a thousand legs. Centipedes and millipedes live in dark, musty places or crawl out of drains when we least expect it, and they move fast! As Shadow teachers, they alert us to the need for transformation, particularly if and when we are resistant to it. They can also guide us in being open to psychic development.
Cockroaches
One of the most well-known of the Shadow teachers, the cockroach is one of the insects we tend to dislike the most. Many people are familiar with the belief that only cockroaches could survive a nuclear war. They can live without food—and even without their heads!—for weeks. There is an association with filth and infestation that makes our skin crawl when pondering this hard-shelled teacher, but there is almost no better guide when it comes to teaching us how to survive in the face of extreme adversity and how to adapt ourselves to thrive in any circumstance.
Locusts and Grasshoppers
Having marched through history with tales of voracious, destructive plagues, locusts and grasshoppers have never been loved by farmers. The infamous Grasshopper Plague of 1874 covered Kansas so completely that it is said the sun was blocked from the sky. Crops, sheep’s wool, and even clothes off people’s backs were consumed, leaving the Kansan settlers in a state of destitution. Despite these devastating plagues, the grasshopper teaches us how to seize opportunities wherever they present themselves, always moving forward and leaving what is barren behind us.
Termites
Unlike the benign nuisance of ants, the presence of termites in a house can spell disaster. Termites will consume all cellulose-based plant material and not just wood, which opens up worlds of furniture, foundations, filtration systems, and more to their powerful jaws. Intensely social, they teach us the power of working in groups and honing dedication to bring a task to completion.
Industrious Insects We Admire
All insects are, in truth, incredibly hard-working, but there are certain ones that we tend to view with neutral respect. They don’t necessarily repulse us, but we also don’t tend to embrace them as beloved teachers.
Ants
Though we may not love to see an army of ants in our homes, these insects aren’t particularly destructive. Ants are renowned for their incredible strength. The leafcutter ant can carry an object in its jaws that is fifty times its body weight. Not only are ants teachers in matters of focus and community, but they also encourage us to tap previously unknown stores of fortitude.
Cicadas
The buzzing hum that fills the air on hot summer days without an obvious source is the sound of male cicadas calling to the females. Their song sings to us of respecting our own natural rhythms and being open to hearing hidden truths.
Wasps
Wasps have a reputation for having a nasty temper, particularly the yellow jackets, and as such they can teach us about standing up for ourselves. But they are also master builders and have much to teach us about effective construction and productivity.
Inspiring Insects We Love
Many insects beguile us with their beauty. Glowing with captivating colors or awe-inspiring designs, these insects bring to mind the magic of the faery world. For many, these are the Light teachers, and we tend to be happy to work with them.
Bees
As master communicators, bees reflect the importance of conveying accurate information. They teach us to seek new avenues of knowledge, especially those that open us to experiencing the sweetness of life. In particular, the physics-defying bumblebee shows us how to be our wonderful, impossible selves, regardless of what others may think.
Butterflies
Probably the most universally loved insect, the butterfly is best known as a symbol of transformation, in reference to the change from caterpillar to butterfly that occurs within the safety of the cocoon. Many people also feel that butterflies indicate the presence of deceased loved ones and spirit guides. The monarch butterfly encourages endurance, reflective of its migration from Canada and the northern United States to central Mexico, an incredible trip made twice a year.
Crickets
Crickets have long been loved in China as bringers of good fortune. An especially loud cricket indicates prosperity. For almost a thousand years, they were also loved for their “song” to such an extent that crickets were housed in specially designed cages to be kept as pets. Also nocturnal omnivores, katydids present a similar message.
Dragonflies and Damselflies
Dragonflies and damselflies are often confused with each other. Dragonflies have broad bodies with forewings and hindwings that are different shapes. Damselflies have narrow bodies, looking almost like an iridescent stick with wings. Both, however, are totems that help us break through illusion, to see the truth and open us to swift change.
Fireflies
There is almost nothing as magical as a summer firefly light show. With its playful meadow dance, the firefly awakens the child within, sparking joy and curiosity in order for us to pursue our passion. As the most highly efficient light producers, they teach us how to work with focus and efficacy.
Moths
Though the often drab moth tends to play second fiddle to the colorful butterfly, its nocturnal nature guides us to seek the light in the dark. Rather than transforming dark into light, the moth helps us find the gifts in whatever challenges or scares us.
Insects with a Story
Considering that insects predate humans by millions of years and are an inextricable part of the human experience, it is to be expected that many of them crop up in myths and folklore across the world.
Mantises
Mantises, related to termites and cockroaches, were considered to have supernatural powers by ancient peoples. An early Chinese reference praised the mantis’s courage and fearlessness. Perhaps the best known mantis is the praying mantis, which teaches us how to embrace stillness and open ourselves to divine intervention.
Dung Beetles
It’s a little harder to see a divine connection with the maligned dung beetle, yet the scarab (or kheper, as it was called by the Egyptians) was the most popular protective amulet in ancient Egypt. Used extensively by pharaohs, the scarab symbolized the sun god Ra and the movement of the sun across the sky, resurrecting itself each and every day.
Ladybugs
Contrary to the rather depressing nursery rhyme that bears its name, the humble ladybird (or ladybug) carries the distinction in British folklore of having the ability to carry away illness and trouble. It bestows abundance and grants wishes.
Honorary Insects
Even though arachnids are not of the insect family, we have a tendency to view them as such. As “honorary” insects, these totems tend to be Shadow teachers, guiding us to reclaim empowerment from whatever we would prefer to avoid.
Mites
Tiny mites are said to be the most successful of the invertebrates. Incredibly diverse and ranging from small to microscopic, they thrive everywhere. Mites teach us to be respectful of people and things that are very small. Persistence has the ability to overthrow a giant.
Scorpions
The potent and sometimes terrifying scorpion has the distinction of being the only insect found in the zodiac (Scorpio). Best known in mythology as Orion’s rival, Scorpio was created by Gaia to fulfill the task of bringing down the boastful Orion. Vigilance and defense are the lessons of the scorpion.
Spiders
The spider is another master architect, creating masterpieces with thread. Perseverance, creativity, and weaving have long been associated with spiders, but there is also the element of respecting interconnections and honoring communication. There is no part of a web that is not intricately connected to another. To twang one strand is to send a message throughout the whole complex. In many ways, bees and spiders work to similar ends.
The next time one of these tiny teachers finds its way to you, resist the impulse to swat it away. As with any other totem, listen to its wisdom and hear its message for you at that moment in your life. This is not to say that every bug need stop you in its tracks. But as with other totems, if an insect makes a significant or unusual appearance in your day, it is very likely that Spirit has shown up in miniscule form to enlighten you.
Tiffany Lazic is a Registered Psychotherapist and Spiritual Director with a private practice in individual, couples, and group therapy. As the owner of the Hive and Grove Centre for Holistic Wellness, she created two self-development programs focused on teaching inner alchemy and intuitive tools from around the world and is a staff facilitator in the Transformational Arts College of Spiritual and Holistic Training’s Spiritual Directorship and Esoteric Studies Programs. She is an international presenter and retreat facilitator and the founder of Kitchener’s Red Tent Temple, and she serves on the Council of the Sisterhood of Avalon. Tiffany is the author of The Great Work: Self-Knowledge and Healing Through the Wheel of the Year. Visit her at www.hiveandgrove.ca.
Illustrator: Jennifer Hewitson