When and how was the first one created? We have no idea...

And no one knows for sure now. We know the history of its invention only from myths, legends and traditions. This amulet is so ancient that we can count probably a dozen stories of its origin. Where did the Dreamcatcher even come from? Many believe that the Dream Catcher came to us from the lost civilization of the North American Indians. However, this statement, if not completely erroneous, is at least incomplete. The Dream Catcher, or the Trap for the spirits of dreams, came to us from the magical practices of not only the indigenous population of the New World, but also from the aborigines of the North and Eastern Siberia.
So, let's begin:

Dreamcatcher Story #1
Legend of the Lakota people

The first legend (the most famous) belongs to the Lakota tribe. Evil spirits attacked the tribe, people became unkind. And more and more dark thoughts remained in their heads. And then the elder of the tribe was given a vision - the shaman and teacher of wisdom Iktomi appeared to him, standing on the mountain, in the form of a spider. Iktomi took the elder's willow hoop, which had decorations made of horsehair and bird feathers, and wove a web, leaving a hole in the center. The willow circle symbolized life - from infancy to old age, because in old age you again become like a baby. Iktomi said that the perfect circle of the web will help the entire Lakota tribe - it will catch good thoughts and dreams in its network, and evil ones will evaporate through the hole.
In the morning, the elder gathered the tribe and spoke about his vision. And then a catcher appeared in every house, holding good thoughts.

Dreamcatcher Story #2
Ojibway legend

Spider Woman, Asabikashi, cared for her children, the people of the earth. She was the Goddess of the Universe, weaving the web of reality, creating it from the Center. One day she will pull the thread and rewind the whole world back to the center, to the very source.
But as time passed and the Indians began to settle throughout America, it became very difficult for Asabikashi to keep an eye on them. And then the wise goddess taught the women to weave magic cobwebs for small children, from willow twigs and tendons or threads from plants. The round shape of the Dream Catcher symbolized the daily journey of the sun across the sky, the number of places where the web connects to the hoop is eight, meaning the eight legs of the Grandmother Spider [According to some sources, there should be seven of them - for seven prophecies]. Bad dreams, sticky and viscous, got stuck in the cobweb, while good ones, light and airy, easily passed through the hole in the center, flowing down the feathers into the children’s heads and bringing only good dreams.

Dreamcatcher Story #3
Spider Rescue

The third story of the Dream Catcher largely repeats the second, only here the teacher is not Asabikashi, but an ordinary spider whom a woman saved from her son. This is where the belief that spiders should not be killed came from. And then the rescued spider gave the woman an amulet so that it would protect her from bad dreams and bad thoughts that strangers bring to her house.

Dreamcatcher Story #4
Lost sun.

The number of North American residents grew, their thoughts and desires began to darken. Day after day, the Sun watched their transformation from the sky, becoming more and more disappointed every day. And so, the day came when the Sun simply could not rise in the sky, did not even want to look over the horizon, so as not to see all the deeds of its beloved people. Then the shaman of one of the tribes climbed the mountain and turned to the strongest goddess - the spider. He begged her to help the tribes, take away evil thoughts and return the Sun to the sky. The spider was a wise goddess, so she agreed (But if I were in her place, I would have kept the Indians in the dark for a month so that they wouldn’t be dissuaded).
She built a special net house out of cobwebs right before dawn. And just before dawn, she was able to catch a piece of sunlight in her web. The goddess ordered all Indian tribes to make dream catchers from willow twigs with a web in the center, which every morning captured more and more sun rays, and one day they caught so many that they were able to pull the Sun into the sky.
The people did not begin to destroy the Dream Catchers. They were left so that they would pull out bad thoughts from people and remind them of what would happen if people became dark again.

Makosh - Slavic goddess universal destiny

She spins threads
rolls into a ball,
not simple threads - magical ones.
From those threads weaves
our life -
from the beginning - birth
and until the end,
until the final outcome - death.

This is how it was poetically described in the “Book of Kolyada” (1st century). ancient goddess Slavs Makosh.
She is the only goddess of the ancient Russian pantheon, whose idol stood in Kyiv on the top of a hill next to the statues of Perun and other deities, according to the Tale of Bygone Years.

Who is this Great Goddess?

Her name is traditionally considered to be formed from two words - Ma - the essence of “mother” and kosh - fate.
This is the Goddess of all human Fate, Great Mother, goddess of fertility.
The wife of the Great God Veles - one of the greatest Russian Gods, who sets the world created by Rod and Svarog in motion.

Mokosh (Makosh) is one of the most controversial goddesses of the Slavic pantheon, patronizing fate.
The goddess is compared to Greek goddesses fates of the Moiras and Germanic Norns.
Some consider Mokosh to be the most ancient Mother Goddess, while others associate her image with the Orthodox Saint Paraskeva.

The elements associated with Mokosh are earth and water. Both of them represent in the cult of Mokosh the giving birth and at the same time absorbing principles, uniquely united in ancient ideas about the Raw Earth, that is, earth and water as elements merging in unity.

It is no coincidence that people even have a stable reference to this “tandem”: Mother of Cheese, Earth. Like a mother she gives birth, but at the end earthly path- absorbs into itself.
And the mighty and great Mokosh rules all this.

Makosh - Heavenly Mother, Heavenly Law, Rule. The third face of God. The first face is the Father, the second is the Son, the third is the Mother. For the Mother is the Spirit of God who sets the World in motion. It is the Mother who gives life to the Son. And this means - the World changes, after the Father the Son appears, then the Son Himself becomes the Father and again gives birth to the Son.

The Goddess Mokosh, as the spinner of the Threads of human destinies, is in Heaven, where she binds a person with the fruits of his labors - good or evil, with hidden threads, and predetermines his final fate.

Makosh knows the secret of destinies, the secret of previous lives and new incarnations. It requires a person to follow the destined path.
It also gives freedom of choice between good and evil, where good is following the path of Rule, and evil is deviation from it.
Those who go aside, destroy themselves and their souls - Makosh punishes mercilessly.
They are reincarnated on earth again, but no longer as people.

Makosh, the eldest of the goddesses, is the spinner of fate. High in the heavenly palace she sits with her assistants Dolya and Nedolya, spinning the intricate threads of fate that connect a person with the fruits of his labors - good or evil. Pokuta is what connects the beginning and the end of every matter, cause and effect, what is done by the doer, creation and creator, intention and result.

Makosh knows the secret of destinies, the secret of previous lives and new incarnations; life and death are equally subject to her. This is the goddess of magic and sorcery, the mistress of the crossroads of the universe between worlds.

Mokosh is also in charge of the patronage of female fertility and motherhood, productivity, prosperity in the house, and all kinds of women's work- especially spinning and needlework, because she is the protector and patroness of housewives and wives.

If Makosh does not look kindly at the farm, then there is no need to expect a bountiful harvest, a good profit, or prosperity in the family in this house.

Makosh, as the Mistress of Living Nature, was celebrated every full moon.

Makosh is a woman, and therefore changeable - she can bring both joy and sorrow. She only shows mercy and rewards strong in spirit fighting for happiness. It provides a way out of the most hopeless situations, if a person does not despair, if he goes with all his strength, if he has not betrayed himself and his dream. And then Makosh sends the goddess of happiness and good luck to the person - Srecha. And then the man opens the door, takes a step and Srecha meets him.

But if a person has given up, lost faith, betrayed his dream, got tired and given up on everything - they say. The curve will take him out, then he will be bitterly disappointed. Makosh will turn away his face. And the outcast will be led through life by monstrous old women - Dashing One-Eyed, Crooked, Not Easy, Week, Nesrecha - to where they are already wailing over the graves of Karn and Jelly.

Makosh strictly monitors the observance of customs and rituals. She has mercy and rewards those who firmly stand for ancient customs. U Eastern Slavs wooden sculptures Mokoshes were placed on wells, sacrifices were made to her (fabrics, tows, threads, and sheep's wool were thrown into the well).

Messengers of Mokosh - bees, spiders, ants - insect workers.
Therefore, if you see a spider in your house, do not be afraid and remember - to kill a spider is to lose luck.
If a spider crawls into a house, it is carefully caught, taken outside and released.

A bumblebee or a bee flying into a window is also a harbinger of an upcoming event associated with Makosh. Catching the first bumblebee you see in spring has always been considered to be great luck for the whole year until next spring.

A caught bumblebee should be wrapped in a scarf or rag so that it hums for a while, then it is released.
The rag, which then smells of the subtle scent of pollen and honey, is a talisman kept in the house for good luck. This custom has survived to this day. It is still performed in villages.

In Christianity, the image of Mokosh merged with Paraskeva Friday, for Mokosh’s day is Friday (“Paraskeva” in Greek is “Friday”). Some women who revered Makosh “honored Friday more than Sunday.” The Church had a negative attitude towards mixing Christian and folk (pagan) rituals, therefore in Stoglav all beliefs regarding Friday were called “ungodly”.

Numerous images of Mokosh have been preserved in Russian embroidery. Makosh was often depicted between two moose cows - Rozhanitsa. She was also depicted as a female figurine with raised arms, in which there is the Horn of Veles (Horn of Plenty) and a Bird. Nearby may be depicted: Goddess-Protectors Share (on the right, with a raised right hand) and Nedolya (on the left, with her left hand raised), Sheaf of Ears (embodiment of the harvest), heavenly cow Zemun (mother of Veles, divine nurse), magic spinning wheel, etc.

"...One day, just under New Year In the bitter cold, a poor old woman approached the mill. The mill stood in a grove near a stream, and no one saw where it came from. And this was not a simple old woman, but a sorceress named Mokosh. She could turn into a bird, a snake, or a red maiden, and she could also do good and evil. Woe to him who offends her! Mokosh lived among the swamps on the edge of the swamp, where the Sun descended in the fall.
There, at Mokosha’s, the Sun spent all the long winter nights. The sorceress took care of the weakened winter Sun, treated it with healing herbs and spells, and by spring it again became strong and powerful...” (Croatian fairy tale “Sun-Matchmaker and Neva-Bride”).

Russia is ruled by Makosh, the Great Mother of the World, the main Goddess of this land.
She is neither lower nor higher than Svarog. Great Mother. And - Mother of all Gods...
Loving, all-forgiving and... merciless in her justice.

They also consider the first full moon of May, or the last one of April (but this is less common) to be Mokosh time.

And when trouble comes, click: “Mother”... All the gods are like one family.
Everyone is equal before Makosh, everyone is her children.

There is another sun on our earth... and the Sun has many names... not one, several gods - hypostases of the Sun... Is it difficult? It’s okay, get used to it... The lace of grass, the songs of rivers, the fury of life... It’s easy... But it’s not primitive...

Although over the centuries the importance of Mokosha has been “downplayed,” she is one of the main great Goddesses of the Slavic pantheon.

Its attributes are, first of all, a spindle with tows, personifying the threads of the destinies of all things, and sometimes two horns with destinies, marked with a swastika.

Gradually moving into the category of “small”, domestic, female Deities, Makosh, nevertheless, remains the Great Goddess of the Lot, like the ancient Germanic and Scandinavian Norns (Urd, Verdandi, Skuld - three aspects of time, i.e. past, present, future, respectively old, mature and young), weaving destinies at the three roots of the Ash Tree - Yggdrasil, and clearing the source of Urd.

Mokosh also has two assistants - Dolya and Nedolya, respectively, weaving good and evil destinies and intertwining one with the other under the supervision of the eldest Mokosha.

Therefore, Mokosh was especially worshiped, for in the hands of Mokosh is human life and its thread, which she is free to cut

Makosh is a Goddess who possesses and pours out her special Power- the power to create your own destiny.

She is with you, for example, when you do your job and do it as well as you understand and as best you can. And if Mokosh likes it, she “tailors” the circumstances of your life to you, bestowing special success in business, and, turning to you with Doli’s face, a special feeling of happiness and good luck.

Well, and, naturally, on the contrary - taking away luck, success, abilities and opportunities, if you acted in some way against her will.

Like a true Mother - teaching, encouraging and punishing - she takes care of her child.

If she appears to you in one form or another, if this happens often, and you don’t understand why and why, then it’s better to ask her herself at the moment of her appearance.

Mokoshi symbols

Mokoshin metal is silver, stone is rock crystal and the so-called “moonstone”.
Mokoshi's beast is a cat. The symbol of this goddess is yarn, a ball of wool, a spindle, and they were brought to the collection.
Mokoshi’s idols could be made from “female woods,” primarily from aspen.
The idol of Mokoshi could often also be horned or have a cornucopia in his hands.
Mokoshi's servants are spiders, so it is considered a good omen if a cobweb flies into your face.
Also associated with Mokosh is a rope talisman tied on the right wrist.

Spider Totem
Key concept - Creation, weaving the threads of fate. Unlike other insects, the body of spiders is divided not into three, but into two parts and has the shape of a figure eight. The figure eight laid on its side is a symbol of infinity, an image
the spinning wheel of life. The task of spiritual improvement is to maintain a fixed point between two turns of the Wheel.
The spider helps maintain balance between past and future, physical and spiritual, feminine and masculine. The spider says that each of our actions weaves a new thread into the fabric of the future. The spider stimulates our creative sense. The spider sitting in the center of the web is an image of a man standing at the center of his own world. Because of all these features, the spider has become associated in mythical lore and myth with the three main forms of magic.
The first is the magic and energy of creativity. The second is the practical embodiment of creative power associated with feminine energies creation. The third is the spiral energy that connects the past with the future. The spider is the keeper of knowledge about ancient languages. The spider has long been associated with death and rebirth. This is explained by the fact that the females of some spiders kill and eat the males after copulation. People who are associated with the spider as a totem should maintain a balance of opposite principles in all areas of their lives. Spiders have an amazing combination of fragility and strength, and both of these qualities help them survive. This is an important lesson for all those who work with the spider as a totem.

Spider Lilith, Spider Goddess Sitra Ahra.
Note - the translation is not correct.

One of Lilith's many secret aspects is Spider Lilith, also known as Akkawbishia Lilith. This aspect is the zoomorphic manifestation of the Mother of All Demons and the embodiment of many of the most frightening attributes and powers attributed within the Qliphothic Qabalah to Lilith and her Black Sphere Gamaliel.

Spider Lilith is an esoteric development of the six-armed aspect of Ama Lilith, which is the most exalted and powerful personification of the goddess Qliphoth. Lilith, in her zoomorphic manifestation as the spider goddess, is associated with the darkest and most illegal sacrament of Gamaliel and controls black magic associated with the highest form of vampirism, the creation and sending of nightmares, esoteric and spiritual strangulation (through binding), climbing the hidden web that holds and connects all Qliphotic Sephira, the most improved form of shapeshifting and lycanthropy, with the revival of the shells of the dead, the receipt of Zachalilim Famulus and esoteric techniques for the manipulation and control of astral currents.

The female spider, according to tradition, is associated with a noose, an improved form of rope and knot magic, trapping the living and killing through hanging and strangulation. Among the invisible shadows serving her, there is also a special group consisting of murder victims, murderers and suicides who died from a noose or on the gallows. This spider aspect of Lilith is also invoked through certain dark rites, the purpose of which is to sever and suffocate the support of the enemy's vital forces and thus, very slowly and in painful forms, take his life, transferring it directly into the eternally hungry and gaping jaws of the Qliphoth.

Naamah, "Young Lilith" or Mistress of Nahemoth, is, according to tradition, the goddess of weaving. Therefore, it will be interesting to note that "Most Ancient Lilith" raises the attributes and powers of Naamah to a more abstract and higher level, while at the same time taking the form of the Arachnid / Akkawbishia Lilith, in her spider form of the most experienced and skilled weaver.

The spider in many old traditions acts as the main totemic animal of the moon and her goddess, and like many of these ancient traditions, spiders in Qliphothic cults are also the sacred animals of Spider Lilith, and there is a strict taboo to harm or kill them. In cases where dead spiders are required for some of the rituals of the Spider Lilith (for example, for invoking her spider demons), the magician should always ask for this and, having received Her blessing, find an already dead spider for use in ritual work.

When the moon is in its crescent phase, and especially during the three nights before the Dark Moon, the moon's faded rays may [ an experienced magician] used as a tool to communicate and manifest the dark silk of the Spider's web, giving the power to bind and draw power from the living and the dead. Since important symbolism is included in the work, black silk threads are also used in many of the rituals of the Spider Lilith and can, in the hands of a dedicated adept and the favor of Lilith herself, be used to create magical loops necessary for certain dark works, and woven entangling gates into Her astral web inside the Qliphoth, which can only be entered by taking the form of her Spider Spawn (i.e. becoming a Were-Spider).

In the secret paths of the sphere of Gamaliel, which is ruled by the aspect of the Spider Lilith, all dark paths, networks and threads are controlled by spider demons called “Zachalilim”. This arachnid Lilim (the offspring of Lilith), corresponding to the hidden knowledge of dark cults created by certain “fallen grains”, sprouts the most spectacular roots of the Mandrake inside the dark earth... These special “grains” are used by the fertile spider goddess to fertilize her own eggs, which later give birth to her the frightening and powerful Zachalilim, inhabiting within himself parts of the boundless power of his mother.

Like the spiders of the animal kingdom, Lilith and her spider Lilim also trap their victims in the dark web that is constantly woven through all the clips on the Tree of Death. Victims caught by the threads of death are initially mummified by its ghostly network and are later slowly purged of all vital fluids until only a dried out shell remains. This empty and solid shell (which is the repository of the shadow of death) is enlivened by the Dark Mother, through the infusion of her Qliphothic “shadow stuff” (into this shell), and the shadow becomes a new addition of energy, strengthening her vampiric legions.

The basis of Spider Lilith's plan is naturally located within the Black Moon/Gamaliel, but her networks and threads are from hidden paths between all the spheres of the Tree of Black Light/Tree of Death. It can also be understood as the dark beating heart that pumps the life force stolen from the worlds of the Sephiroth into all the black holes of the Qliphoth. These mysteries are also made available to a special and secret form of "climbing the tree" through the use of the arcane strands of the spider goddess web, which become visible to the magician after initial training with the forces of Zachalilim. Only through the blessing of the Spider/Akkawbishia Lilith and true initiation into her forbidden spider magic, “crossing the abyss within the abyss,” becomes it possible, weaving the black threads of Mindless Light, to build a bridge across the throne of Choronzon.

A magician devoted to the powers of the Black Light should attempt to approach these mysteries after serious and confident contact has been established with the most visible aspects of the Faceless Goddess; and through the most known and intimate manifestations of the Qliphothic goddess the keys of the gates to her most hidden aspects may be obtained.

Among the most important manifested keys that are presented to those who are wise, brave or too foolish to approach the fearful essence of Akkawbishia Lilith and her Zachalilim are its formula and its esoteric sigil.

The Spider Formula is used during all contemplative, meditative, invocational, evocational and astral rites, as well as for all other forms of spiritual practices, the purpose of which is the connection between the magician and the spider goddess Sitra Ahra. The real meaning of this formula must be understood with the heart and not with the mind. Therefore, it makes no sense to focus and dwell on various frequent [sigils, formulas]. A true follower of Lilith is already brave enough to see and understand the entire formula as one sound sigil, which has already been used by other adepts to open the locked gates to the forbidden revelations of the Spider Lilith and for her blessings, enlightenments and destructive powers.

Arachnidia Lilith Shemamithilil Akkawbishia Zachalayla!

If the Spiderwoman's formula is the key to the Black Light of the spider goddess, then her sigil may represent the gateway to her nightmarish essence. The Sigil of Spider Lilith is located on many paths, aligned with other sigils and symbols used in our tradition to establish a connection with Ama Lilith, and it can be for those blessed with the gift of vision, an opening picture to discover the immeasurable power and spirit of Spider Lilith.

The sigil is the gateway to the goddess and her kingdom and acts as a central point in many works done in the name of the Spider or, alternatively, to communicate with her powers. The sigil can be used in many different situations. For example, it can be drawn with moon blood or holy ink on the surface of a mirror, on parchment, on the wall of a temple, on the linen of a silk garment, or directed downstream while working with a consecrated yantra.

Spider Totem

As a symbolic image, the Spider forms the basis of a significant number of mythological folklore subjects in a variety of both continuous and isolated cultural traditions.The interpretation of this animal as a symbol is simultaneously (to varying degrees) influenced by several characteristic features of its appearance and behavior:

Making webs and weaving snares, a form of catching net;

Destructive to living beings;

Freedom of movement and communication with the air;

Features of the Spider's diet (sucking "blood") and the method of catching prey.

The generation of threads of a new substance “from itself” and the formation of an ordered structure from it is an extremely important aspect that determines the meaning of the Spider as a symbol of creation. In this meaning, the Spider naturally manifests itself in the role of a creature involved in the foundations of the universe.IN different traditions he himself is a cosmic creator, demiurge or supreme deity (Cosmic Spider, Great Spider, Great Spinner), who create the fabric of the world, accompanies the creator gods as an adviser and assistant, or tirelessly performs the work established by the cosmic order and necessary for its maintenance.

Thanks to the shape of the radial web it creates, the Spider is associated with the symbolism of the center (cosmic, Universe), centripetal movement and radiation, spiral (or concentric circles) as an image of expansion and development. Sitting in the center of the diverging rays, the Spider is often considered a solar creature, likened to the sun and is its symbol.

Being the creator of the Cosmos, the Spider can simultaneously act as the creator of life. In the image of the Spider, the Great Father or Great Mother weaves into the pattern of existence all people (all living things), connected to him or her by an umbilical cord thread.

The ability and constant readiness to kill makes the Spider a symbol of death, destruction, finitude and the transient nature of all phenomena of the world of phenomena, the forces ruling over this world and all-consuming time. In this capacity, the Spider is considered as a lunar creature or the personification of the Moon itself, and is associated with its constant transformations.

Giving and taking life, the Spider acts as a symbol of its frailty and vulnerability in the face of death, the embodiment of the Great Mother in her terrible form. This aspect in the symbolism of the Spider is associated with ideas about its aggressiveness, cruelty, greed and deceit, as well as the universal poisonousness of all Spiders. This last circumstance has led to the fact that the Spider often serves as an emblematic symbol for poison, for example, poisoned drink.

Taking into account both interpretations, the Spider personifies the cause of the development and death of all phenomenal forms. This circumstance determines the symbolic duality of the Spider as an image of the alternation of forces of creation and destruction, evolutionary and involutionary cycles of the development spiral that ensure the stability of the world. In this regard, Schneider says that the symbolism of the Spider points to “that “continuous sacrifice” which is a form of continuous transmutation of man throughout his entire life. life path. Even death itself simply unwinds the thread of the old life in order to begin to spin a new one.”

As the source and center of rotation of the wheel of life, and at the same time, the potential source of death, the Spider serves as a symbol connecting the transitory with the eternal.In his image one can also find an echo of the Gnostic picture of a world created from evil and driven by good motives.

The ambiguity of the perception of the Spider is also manifested in the consideration of his role as a creator: according to some views, he wove reality (the Supreme Reality), according to others, he is just a cover of illusion, hiding this reality...

Be that as it may, the Spider's involvement in creation, divine secrets and spinning threads human lives closely connects it with the concepts of fate and predestination, witchcraft and the gift of prediction. In this regard, the Spider at the everyday level is often seen as the giver or herald of good luck, wealth or natural blessings (rain).A spider descending from above on a web is a common symbol (emblem) of divine gifts.

The Spider’s ability to move in all directions, including in the air, connection with the sky and heavenly gods allows us to consider him as an intermediary between different worlds (both vertically and horizontally), as well as human and divine realities. Thanks to this, in many traditions the Spider serves as a guide of the soul on its posthumous journey, an adviser when the hero searches for a path to heaven or the other world, a messenger of God, etc.

The fact that the Spider does not eat its prey entirely, but sucks the life juices out of it, puts it in special relationship with the concept of the soul: in different situations he appears either as a conductor of the soul or its temporary refuge (form), or appears involved in its abduction, damage or death.

By emphasizing the vertical movement of the Spider up the thread, it acts as a symbol of individual development and liberation.In this capacity he appears, for example, in the Upanishads, where the sacred syllable “Aum” serves as his thread (a means and support in spiritual self-realization).

A characteristic motive, partly related to the mediating roleSpider, is the rescue of the hero in a shelter, the entrance of which is blocked by the Spider with his snares.Similar stories are told about David, Moses, the Holy Family, Muhammad, etc. The connection of all such stories with objects bearing maternal symbolism (caves, hollows, underground reservoirs) may indicate the great antiquity of these ideas and their formation in the era of matriarchy.

The combination of several characteristics - creator, soothsayer, guide of souls and mediator between worlds - make the Spider’s role as a culture hero and cunning (trickster) natural. Thanks to the Spider or imitating him, people learn the art of weaving, which is often considered as the very first craft, born out of the necessity of creating the world. As a predominantly lunar creature, the Spider is associated with fantasy, imagination and intuition. Intelligence, skill, involvement in the secrets of the universe and magic make the Spider also a symbol of high degrees of initiation.

Very common motives are the transformation (for some misdemeanor or violation) of a master weaver into a Spider (who retained the ability to craft) or the werewolf of a Spider into a person or other creature, most often into a bird.

The Spider hanging on a thread is a symbol of someone punished for his pride.(before the deity).The swinging of the web introduces the Spider hanging on it into the circle of symbols of sexuality, usually feminine and often aggressive. In addition, the Spider on a cobweb thread is seen as an image of dependence (on the wind) and vulnerability.

The mass consciousness is dominated by a feeling of fear and rejection of an arthropod creature capable of paralyzing with its poison.

Often the declared connection of the Spider with the labyrinth is purely secondary, although it can arise indirectly (through the symbolism of the center or finding the path) in works of literature and fine art.

Karakurt and, in particular, its female - the “black widow”, acting as an image of a female destroyer, a devourer of men, have an independent symbolic meaning.

The spider takes responsibility for everything that happens around him. We ourselves weave the web of our destiny. The victims who fell into his network did not understand this and became confused in reality.

The Spider teaches that everyone is responsible for their own life. It is important not to lose yourself in the world of feelings. It's helpful to write down your progress so you don't forget what specific steps and actions led you to success. The spider also symbolizes development, the alphabet, and teaches you to see beyond your horizon.

Spider - The Great Mother in her terrible form as the weaver of fate is sometimes depicted as a spider. All lunar goddesses are spinners and weavers of fate, and the Cosmic Spider, the Great Spider, or Great Spinner, is the Creator who spins the thread of life from his own substance, attaches to himself by means of the umbilical cord all men and weaves them into the web of patterns of the world.

The spider in the center of the web symbolizes the center of the world, the Sun surrounded by rays extending from it in all directions; The moon, representing the cycles of life and death, weaving the web of time.

Among the American Indians, the spider is wind and thunder, protection from evil.

For the Egyptians, the spider is an attribute of Neith as the weaver of the world.

Among the Greeks, the spider is an attribute of Athena as the weaver of the world, as well as Persephone, Harmony and the Fates (Moira) as the spinners of destinies; the appearance of Arachne.

For Indians and Buddhists, the spider is the weaver of the web of illusion of Maya, and also the Creator as a spinner of thread from his own substance.

Among the peoples on some islands of Oceania, the Old Spider is considered the creator of the Universe.

For the Romans, Spider meant insight, good fate.

Many peoples of the world consider the spider to be one of the creators of this world, who wove the frame of the Universe from its body. Moreover, as a rule, it is not a spider, but an arachnid. For example, Mother of the Sun or Grandma Spider. Apparently, this is why they call the second half of September, the time of the spider rut, when cobwebs fly through the air - Indian summer, in memory of the Great-Grandmother of the World, Rozhanitsa, the Slavic goddess - the spider Mokosh.

The Spider Mother Goddess was the personification of exclusively positive creative forces and personified the cosmic law that established order and justice throughout the Universe. At that time, the world was one and there was no need to divide it into different components.

One of the supreme goddesses of the Hopi Indians, the creator and guardian of all forms of life on Earth, including humans, is Spider Woman. Hopi Indian legend says that the spider woman created the world from a song. Accordingly, her clan is one of the central ones in the Hopi tradition. It is he who is entrusted with storing ancient texts, according to legend received from previous civilizations that inhabited the Earth before global catastrophes.

Canyon de Chelly is home to a natural Hopi temple - a huge rock dedicated to the Spider Woman and the ruins of their ancient city. In the place where the rock is located, the canyon widens and right in the center there is a huge double rock - a natural monument to the Spider-Woman. In India, such a rock would also be revered as a shrine, but it would be more likely to be perceived as a Shiva lingam. To the left, at a distance from Spider-Woman, there is another high rock that looks like a warrior in a helmet - this is a spirit guarding a sacred place.

According to Hopi cosmology, initially only the creator Taiowa existed, he was in infinite space without time, form and life. He first created his assistant (nephew) Sotuknang and entrusted him with the implementation of his universal plan (Tuvagachi). Then Sotuknang created 9 worlds from earth, water and air. The first two were intended for them with the Creator, and the remaining 7 were for future life.

On next stage The creation of life and man took place in the first world, called Tokpela (Infinite Space). For this purpose, Sotuknang created the first Goddess Kokyangwiiti, Spider Woman. In this context, the image of a spider is associated with the creation of a web, as a mandala of universal harmony.
In turn, Spider-Woman created two auxiliary deities - guardians of the biosphere. The first of them, Poganghoya, was supposed to keep an eye on ecological balance. The second, Palongavhoya (Echo), controlled the dense and subtle vibrations of the biosphere, or, in modern language, monitored the information balance. Together they supported the rotation of the earth's axis.

After Poganghoya and Palongavhoya finished preparing the Earth for life, Spider-Woman created plants, birds and animals and all other creatures that inhabit the biosphere. It was the man's turn. In the image and likeness of Sotuknang, she created four men of different skin colors (yellow, red, white and black), then she created wives for them. Having gone through three phases of Creation, they saw their Creator in the form of the Sun, who breathed life into them.

However, the first people did not yet know how to speak, and in order to give them speech, wisdom and strength, she called Sotuknang, who gave people with different colors skin different languages and the power to reproduce. He came to Spider-Woman and taught her how to save righteous people, until they were corrupted or killed.

According to the Hopi, we now live on the 4th Earth, the three previous ones were destroyed, as humanity forgot about its mission and became mired in the pursuit of pleasure, the struggle for power and nationalism. The prophecies speak of the coming at the end of times of the half-god-half-man White Brother. And, if by this moment there remains on Earth a certain critical mass of righteous people who remember their destiny to fulfill the Creator’s plan, the course of history can be reversed and a harmonious and happy community of people can be created.

They will find their way thanks to the help of Spider Woman and magical vision through the highest center at the top of the head. About a spiritually advanced person in whom this center is active, the Hopi say that “the Door at the top of his head is open.” The highest level of shamanic gift, which only a select few can receive upon initiation, is the opening of this center. Naturally, such contact is available only to very high-level initiates who have undergone higher levels initiation.

For the Hopi, it is these abilities - to be in contact with higher spirits, to serve the plans of Creation, to sense the future - that are the highest shamanic gift. As for parapsychological and healing abilities, they are given a rather secondary role; they are never considered as the main goal of the initiation process.

The essence of initiation was very closely connected with the process of creation and the role of man in the micro- and macrocosm by introducing the individual to global cosmogonic processes, going beyond animal nature, the meaningless struggle for survival, and procreation. Naturally, after initiation, a person continued to take care of his bodily and social functions, but all this took a back seat compared to his role in helping to fulfill the Creator’s plans. Accordingly, acquired after initiation magical abilities served first and foremost this higher purpose. The ancient meaning of initiation was to preserve this sacred knowledge of the deep meaning human existence, and not in obtaining some kind of magical superpowers, gaining power over people and the forces of nature.

The basis of initiation rites is the Hopi idea that the true parents of a person are Divine beings, and human parents are only an instrument for the manifestation of their power. From this point of view, the mother is Mother Earth and Mother Grain. Man is created from the flesh of the first and is suckled by the second. And their father also had two faces. On the one hand, it was the creator Taiova himself, on the other, the Sun is the solar God.

The difficulties of the earthly path were associated with the need to harden people through trials in order to reduce the chances of repeating the mistakes of previous worlds, where everything was too easy and simple. Every time people thought they had reached the coveted land, Spider Woman told them: “It is too easy and pleasant to live here, and you will soon take the path of evil again.” The Divine Spider Woman will one day lead people to new world, highlighting and attracting those who are pure and wise. Together with them, she will wisely govern the new earth in accordance with the cosmic laws of creation and justice.

The Great Mother - the spider - is associated with the image of a spider only due to the narrowness of three-dimensional concepts. Rather, it is an archetypal image, with a touch of legends and hoaxes. In fact, this is one of the forms of the Supreme Mind, standing at the origins of the creation of our Universe. IN in a subtle way it appears in the form of a huge shining drop of silver or mercury, absolutely alive and mobile, which, upon closer examination, consists of myriads of the same properties and structure, but only small drops. In the depths of this large “living drop” a bright pattern is visible - a hologram of a right-handed (solar) swastika.

Multifaceted Vedic symbol fertility, sunlight, the unity of the passage of time and the inviolability of space - the swastika resembles a spider, and the pattern on the body of the cross is a symbol of fertility. Like the name of the spider, the swastika has long been covered with dirt, which is difficult to wash off. With the rejection of a symbol comes oblivion, and only ancient knowledge will preserve it forever. The spider in it is (a sign of happiness, harmony, the Solar Mother of all living things. The constellation Ar-Ah-Na refers to the Mother Spider and is marked with a right-handed swastika (ancient Indian sign "Svashti").

What could be perceived as “legs-tentacles of a spider”, in a subtle sense, in reality represents myriads of luminous threads connecting the Mother Spider with ALL Universes in all “corners” of the Universe. The spectacle is mesmerizing - she herself is a bright silver-mercury ball, surrounded by a halo of shining golden-white threads. Cosmic dandelion... and Creator of all that exists!

There are many similarities between the traditions of North American Indians, Tibet and India. IN Indian mythology The spider woman corresponds to the goddess Tara, Guan Shi Yin, who maintains the balance of the biosphere. The Mandala of Tara and Guan Shi Yin is an archetype of female maternal energy that helps to find the path and overcome obstacles in wandering through the worlds of Samsara (subtle worlds associated with earthly reality). In this case, the web acts as a mandala of harmony.

In ancient sacred Hopi drawings, the image of the Spider Mother accompanies the labyrinth. As if from the serene face of the Mother Spider, a labyrinth of her thoughts diverges, which shows the tension of thought, since the network comes from her head, and not from the womb. She resembles the deity Kerra, the Thinker, who is directly related to Spider-Woman.

A labyrinth is a complex symbol that appears in different cultures. The most famous example is the Greek myth of Theseus, who had to enter a giant stone labyrinth and kill a terrible bull-headed man called the Minotaur. When Theseus went into the labyrinth, his ally, Ariadne, gave him a thread, thanks to which he found his way back after killing the monster.

Many cultures associate spiders with the Goddess, perhaps because in most places weaving is considered a sacred feminine activity. Just as a spider weaves a web with its laconic design, the Goddess creates intricate weaves and beautiful paintings physical world. Spiders and weaving also became the prototypes of the Scandinavian Norns and the Greek Moiras - in both cases, these are three sisters who spin the thread of human life and cut it at the right moment. Creating fabric from plants is a sacred act because it transforms one thing into something completely different, giving rise to a higher organization and new qualities. Because spiders draw thread directly from their own body, they act as an image of the Goddess creating worlds from herself.

This confronts seekers interesting questions, since the layout of the Hopi labyrinth completely repeats the famous Cretan labyrinth. If you try to follow the pattern with your finger (as if you were a person entering a labyrinth), you will find that it first goes to the third level, then returns to the first, and finally begins to move towards the center. This movement is similar to the coils of a coiled snake, also reminiscent of evolution moving in a spiral. We move forward only to be thrown back and begin the slow march towards truth again.

On the one hand, the labyrinth symbolizes creation, which begins with the Goddess in the center and then gradually moves towards the exit. On the other hand, here you can see a soul entering the labyrinth in search of sacred truths. Can we connect with the Foremother and remain ourselves? This question becomes more and more important as more and more people seek new (or old) ways of living in this world. There is no simple answer to this... But we must understand that there is no monster living in the labyrinth, and an angry monster from the depths of the unconscious is not waiting for us to destroy our personality. Instead, the calm face of the Creator awaits us at the end of the path!

*Drawing of Mother – a spider with a picture of a labyrinth.
Tracing paper from ancient jewelry of the Hopi Indians.

The entire cycle “Listen to the Revelations of the Spirit...”.