Spirit Lodge - Totem Animals - Page 105

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Bear Medicine	Birth Totems	Coyote Medicine	Dragon Ranks	Dragonfly Medicine	Eagle Medicine	Four Animal Helpers	Grey Wolf Medicine	Hawk
Heron Medicine	Horse	Magpie	Raccoon	Salmon Medicine	Spider Medicine	Swan Medicine	Thunder Being Medicine	Totem Loss Disc

MOTH MEDICINE
By Cinnamonmoon

*The Secret Language Of Signs/Denise Lynn:
Moth will beat themselves against a light until they die. Do you have perseverance beyond
reason? Do you keep working at something without ever achieving your desired results? Look at
the situation from a different perspective and know that you can attain those results without
striving so hard. Moths eat holes in clothes in dark closets. Is something being eaten away
without your awareness?

*Ted Andrews in Animal-Speak recommends one study Butterfly Medicine to understand the
stages of growth and development of Moth.
*Animal-Wise/Ted Andrews:
Keynote: Sexual activity, fertility, increased relationships.

When moths persist in flying around you, a letter will shortly be coming your way bringing
important news. The size of the moth often determines the size of the letter and the importance of
the news. This and many other superstitions exist around moths and their closest relatives, the
butterflies. The actual difference between moths and butterflies is not always clear and are
relatively minor. Butterflies re diurnal, and most moths are nocturnal and because of this, they
rely on different senses. The moth cannot rely on its sight, but has a highly developed sense of
smell, which it uses at night. Most butterflies have clubbed antennae, and most moth antennae
are feathery and threadlike. Like their cousins the butterflies, moths also go through
metamorphosis. Moths spin cocoons while butterflies create a naked chrysalis. The cocoon is a
more sheltered, outer covering. This can often indicate a need to be more sheltered in our
creative transforming activities and relationships when the moth is the messenger.

There are many thousands of moths throughout the world and they each have their own unique
abilities and qualities. If you can identify the specific species of moth, it will be easier to become
more clear in interpreting the meaning. All moths have unique defenses. Some are able to emit
sounds that confuse the echolocation of bats. Some are bad tasting. Several make clicking noises
to warn their predators, while others flash bright colors to startle off predators. Unlike butterflies,
most moths are active at night. During the day, they find a place to hide and sleep. Around dusk
they begin to awaken and look for food. As they feed, they come fully awake and they spend the
night feeding and flying about. The male spends most of each night looking for a female to mate
with. As dawn approaches, they seek out a safe place to sleep until night comes again, and the
search for food and mating can be continued.

The female moth raises her abdomen to protrude a pair of glands and released from them a scent
known as pheromone. She flaps her wings to send the scent out into the air to attract males. For
many years, scientists were unable to prove that such a scent existed. It is found in such tiny
amounts that scientists had to collect the secretions of a half million moths in order to amass and
amount as small as twelve milligrams. Moths are able to find each other by following a scent
trail over great distances. Because they are active at night, they need this scent to find a mate.

Moth totems and messengers usually indicate an awakening sense of smell. It will be the
fragrance of the opposite sex that will most attract and discourage. Trusting in one's own outer
and inner sense of smell will be important in relationships--sexual or otherwise.

*Mary Summer Rain/On Dreams:
Moth constitutes a destructive belief; one that will appear to lead into the "light" yet will result in
eventual harm.

*Encyclopedia of Signs, Omens, and Superstitions by Zolar:
In Yorkshire, white moths flying at night are believed to be the souls of the departed; hence, it is
unlucky to kill them. contrariwise, should a black moth fly into your house, it is said someone in
the house will die. Some traditions hold that death will occur within one month, while others
extend it to a year. Among some country folk, a moth entering a house indicates an important
letter will arrive the next day.

*Spirits of the Earth/Bobby Lake-Thom:
Moths are messengers from the spirit world, telling us that a ghost is around. I realize that moths
are attracted by light and fire, but once again one must study the behavior of the moth to
determine if it has gone out of its way and normal pattern to communicate a message. For
example, if it lands on your shoulder, ear, or head and keeps following you, it is a messenger
from a ghost. A good ghost will give you a warm feeling; a bad ghost will feel cold and eerie,
and perhaps pester you. To get rid of it, use the smudge purification ritual and ask the good
spirits to take it away.

Minna:
Hello.
Moths ~ all about. I know it's spring, but they feel special to me right now. They have come to
drop their robes in different parts of my house - mostly the hallway. They have gone on, but left
their bodies with their wings gently and beautifully spread and there is such a feeling of peace
round these little gifts. Others have left with their wings softly wrapped around themselves. This
also leaves a peaceful feeling. Sort of a self-nurturing. The open-winged giftings feel like a giveaway,
and the wrapped-winged giftings feel nurturing. And I had forgotten ~ when we first were
building there were these huge moths who liked to rest near the porch ceiling and on the
fireplace hearth. They must have been almost two inches with their wings spread, and they had
long kind of horns that crossed when they were at rest. The horns or pincers or whatever they
were, were almost an inch long. I never learned what those were. I found these two things about
moth medicine. It seems they have come to bless me, and I thought about them for MizzMo, and
there are probably others of us for whom this gift is being shared. Note: I looked for a copyright
and couldn't find mention of any.

Here's what I found: “Moth: Transformation, movement into shadows, finding the light.” And …
“The Moth: Moths live in all but polar regions. The wings, bodies, and legs of the moth are
covered with numerous touch hairs that come off if it is handled. Because of this the moth is
highly sensitive to touch. They can feel, smell, taste and determine temperatures with their
feathery antennae. The tiny pegs upon them serve as receptors. This gives the moth the ability to
perceive everything with clarity. Those with this totem usually have strong psychic and healing
abilities. They must be careful not to pick up other people’s problems and carry them around in
their own energy field. If this happens confusion and irritability can set in. The process of
metamorphosis is part of the magic the moth holds. The egg stage symbolizes the birth of an
idea. The larvae stage indicates the laying of a foundation. The chrysalis stage represents the
process of creating, and the winged stage allows it to take flight and explore new territory.

“One of the most interesting characteristics of the moth is how it wraps its wings around itself.
When resting, they either fold their wings, wrap them around their body, or hold them extended
by their sides. This suggests a basic nurturing quality and those with this medicine often find
themselves in some sort of care giving role. The hearing ability of the moth is acute. They are
capable of detecting ultra sound because their hearing organs are found on their legs. These
enable them to sense vibrations emitted around them. Paying attention to what is being said and
what isn't being said is part of the teachings the moth holds. Observing the body language of
others is helpful. When the moth appears in our life it is asking us to pay attention to issues of
sensitivity. Are you overly sensitive or insensitive to those around you? Are you involved in a
situation that needs to be reevaluated? Are you honoring the integrity of all concerned? The
transformative qualities of the moth are numerous. It shows us how to develop and refine our
psychic gifts. The moth is an optimist and an opportunist. It can teach us how to release
unwanted influences and fly into the discovery of our personal joy.”