Moth!

It was very late in the evening, but before calling it a day, I was diligent to wash some fresh lettuces that had been gifted to me by a friend. As I was taking the trimmings out to the garage fridge (I save those for another friend who has chickens), out of the corner of my eye, I saw something fly by. For just a moment, I wondered if it might have been a bat, but it was a very large moth!  

The moth was about the size of my fist, and not only did I get to enjoy seeing it, it decided to enjoy walking on me. It walked on my arm, then down my body and onto my leg. It was as though I was being rewarded for my kitchen work. I was very honored, and a bit amazed by the experience, and as I escorted it out into the front yard, I thanked it for the visit, and I wished it a good life.

Waved Sphinx moth going for a ride on the back of my leg!

I have thoroughly enjoyed learning the way Native peoples instinctively knew to look to nature for life meaning. This is commonly called "animal medicine" and is related to the practice of your having awareness of totem animals that are significant throughout your life, as well as specific messages at a given time. Several wonderful books are in my personal library, including Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small, by Ted Andrews, and Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals, by Jamie Sams, David Carson and Angela C. Werneke.

Additionally, you can learn the meaning of specific animals by doing a Google search. Try putting in the name of the creature you have seen in nature along with the words "medicine totem." It is wonderful to recognize the way the divine is always guiding and supporting us, and nature has become a significant part of that communication in my life. 

A few days after my moth encounter, my brother-in-law spotted an Imperial Moth on a garden rock he had painted for my sister, Janis. The rock is her fairy door, and Larry—an artist, writer, and photographer— took this amazing photo.

Imperial moth photo taken on the garden fairy door, both by Larry Britton.

This excerpt is from my recent search for moth medicine totem:

Philosophically speaking, night creatures do not fumble in the dark, and neither do humans. We use our dreams, our awareness, and our deeper, inner knowing to navigate through the darkest hours of our lives.

Faith is another tool we use to move through shadowy times of uncertainty, and the moth also shares this aspect. The moth never questions provision. She has complete faith that all of her needs will be met each night.

While we may not have the privilege of seeing such a large moth every night, each time we see a moth, or even think about them, or about nature in general, we, too, can have complete faith that all of our needs will be met. 

Thank you, Mother Nature, for being such a beautiful reminder to us all...