A few years ago, I spent a couple of weeks at the Jersey shore.

I was there with my two daughters, my friend Louise, her two daughters and - surrounded by all that female power - my young son Jack.

Three nights in a row, Jack woke up from the same recurring nightmare.

He was being chased by spiders.

I didn’t know how to comfort my sweet boy, so on the third morning, I suggested we look up the spiritual meaning of spider-infused dreams.

Noticing a few different interpretations of what spider images could mean, I skipped the scarier explanations, and read aloud the following:

“In some traditions, spiders are seen as a powerful symbol of creativity, luck, and even strong feminine power.”

He started to laugh and pointed out the all-female cast of our little beach house.

All of a sudden, what had been scary, became our joke of the week.

He still uses this joke.

I come back to this example often to illustrate just how impactful a simple change of perspective can be.

I wanted to share it as I invite you to search for our new animal messenger this month: the spider.

In addition to being connected with femininity, spiders have also symbolized patience and persistence due to their careful process in creating their web.

Like so much else, this image carries multiple meanings - positive and negative.

In Japan, spiders are said to be a connector between this world and the world beyond, bringing well-being.

In France, it is said, “araignée du soir, espoir, araignée du matin, chagrin.” In other words, you see a spider in the morning, it’s a sign of sadness. But in evening? A sign of hope.

So, what does this mean for you, aside from reminding you that spiders may look scary but aren’t necessarily bad?

I hope that Jack’s story is a reminder that you can choose from which perspective you want to view just about anything.

And that a little humor is an antidote to diffuse a negative feeling.

And that with Halloween approaching, I hope you can smile and tune in every time you see a spider.

With fierce love,
Alison