Spider Woman!

Meet my new acquaintance – Spider Woman…

I had to move some curios off the kitchen window sill the other day in order to pull the shade down to try to insulate against the cold air radiating in, now that winter has finally arrived and the temps have dropped into the teens and single digits.

A day after I moved the crystals and Billy Bear to the counter, leaving a little cluster-like enclave, my husband warned me that there was a spider in amongst the crystals. A day later I noticed her peeking out between the crystals and the bear, and this little green leaf hanging in mid air. She obviously had made her abode. So I’ve been watching her. Her web is a meshy consistency, not intricate in any way. And it spreads out pretty far onto the counter – how she attached it there I have no idea. It also attaches to the thin leaves of the “spider plant” that overhang it, rooting in a glass. I have inadvertently disturbed her web many times. Now I’m not the Arachnid type, but I’m thinking she has something to teach me here… I mean she’s building her home right in my space – just moving right in. So I’m noticing.

Most of the time she is safely hidden on Billy Bear’s lap - tucked down behind the crystals. At other times, mostly in the morning and evening, she comes out and just hangs in her web – no movement, nothing, just still, sitting in silence – just suspended in the webbing. As I watch her I wonder: Do spiders think? – or maybe these creatures have been spared the constantly weaving mind. So in my new mode of ‘walk the Earth in Silence’ – communing and listening, I’ve been just watching, just noticing, kind of like a child with innocent curiosity. What is she doing, why is she just sitting there type thing - has she been eating anything, when does she create her web – cause I haven’t seen any activity. I decided to talk to her, to commune with her. :) I said, hello little spider, in my best two year old voice – but nothing. I tried to get up close and personal eyeballing her, but then thought, the poor thing, how would I like it if a giant eyeball started peering into my world… Sorry little spider. I backed off a bit, but was still quite curious about whether I could connect with her, and so kept talking to her.

I asked her if there was really “Being” in there, you know, that same inner Beingness that we humans feel, if we’re paying attention; that Awareness/Consciousness that we have been told permeates and *is* everything? Well… I was curious, so I asked. :) Nothing. Then I asked her, can you hear me? And I kid you not - she vibrated her whole little body as if in response. Whoa – I stood straight up, eyes wide open in astounding wonderment. Well imagine that! Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus! Alleluia – Being hears me! And responds! Being to Being. Heart giggles arose like helium inflated balloons in this Heart. And do not even *think* about calling the little men in white coats. I am perfectly happy the way I am – communing with my new Being buddy. Although a warm, fuzzy creature might have been a better match. But maybe newbies at inter-Being communication have to start with creepy crawly creatures. :)

Anyway, I have a sneaking suspicion that she has come into my space to warn me that I’m going to have to be like spider woman this year. Yeah, I can see it now, me in a spandex suit. This 5’4” 20+ pound overweight “mature” woman – debatable I know - would look like the Pillsbury Dough Boy in spandex – leaping tall buildings in a single bound. Not a pretty sight. What I mean is, I’m going to have to be more adaptable, able to create an abode in any environment, paying attention to *how* and where I create it, willing to rebuild and recreate when needed. And – I’m going to have to pay attention to that Space that holds and nurtures me, that supports me in the chaos, strengthening the inner abode as well. And - I’m going to have to remember to remain suspended in the web of Being, still and silent – untouched by the seeming chaos of life.

Maybe even expanding my “webwork” into unknown territory. Me and Billy Bear that is :)

~*~

Post Script Note: This morning (Jan. 4) we found spider in the kitchen sink building another web in the corner. We got her out of the sink, hoping she'd go back to her web, but for some reason she seems to have abandoned it. So we transported her to our front bay window with lots of big plants where she can spin her webs to her heart's content...