The Reiki Cafe 

Namaste,

During a Reiki session today for someone, I had a strong visual image of a large black spider over the particular area that I was treating. It gave me an uncomfortable feeling and I wonder if anyone has any thoughts or insight that they would care to share?

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Helen,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- Spider interpretation can be equally simple and complex

- if taken as an archetype, She is the Weaver and Destroyer of the Universe

- of course, one may do a macro or micro interpretaton as seems apt

- which role she might have been fulfilling at the time of the Reiki session will relate to whom the spider was relating

- did the recipient say anthing about a spider, spontaneously - or about any other unfamiliar sensation

- hope this helps - perhaps more to say with more info

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Firekeeper,

Namaste :)

Thanks for your reply. She did not mention seeing a spider or feeling anything other than relaxation and more heat than usual. I did not mention it either since I felt slightly uncomfortable about it and certainly did not want to convey that feeling to her. The area that I saw the 'spider' was directly above the primary malignant tumour that she is suffering from. I wondered if this could have been my subconscious interpretation of the tumour, even though I have seen nothing like this before.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

helen,

/*\ Namaste :-}}

- as an archetype the Spider is with all of us in one way or another by way of the Collective Unconscious

- I am not surprised that She "made herself known" in the presence of a malignancy

- yes, just as well not to pass along one's own discomforts to others during such sessions

>:-}}

Reiki All Around,

All Blessings,

Firekeeper

Firekeeper,

Namaste :)

Thank you for your help,

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Rainbow,
Just a feeling here but have you thought that the spider was her totem? You can find the definition for this through a search under Spider totem or you can read Animal Speak to get more info. Just a feeling here but I don't feel that the spider was a bad thing. I know spiders can send the creeps though us but open yourself to the totem possibilty and you may find something more here.

Love and light,
Tracey

I dont have much experience with animal spirit symbols in the Context of Reiki, however I do in my practice of shamanic healing. The wonderful thing about symbols( including animal symbolism) is that they mean many different things to many different people. Trust your intuition, In MY own practice when I see bugs in a specific area of clients body/Energy field it indicates some sort of Illness and unbalance but thats just ME!!! ( Because I HATE BUGS! so it makes sense to me ) when I have doubt about the meaning of an intuitive impression or symbol I meditate or do some journey work and ask my guides to help me make sense of it. So if I was in your situation I would ask my Reiki Guides for help on understanding the message that the spider symbol was trying to convey and keep alert for their response.

From Beyond the Rainbow

RD
RMT.

Hi There RD,
When I speak of animaltotems I am speaking of the shaman reference. I don't use Reiki alone when I work. I find that when I combine all my knowledge and experience the client can only benefit that much more :)

In my knowledge of totems, each totem has many aspects that may or may not apply in totality to the person. Whatever that person needs at the moment is the characteristic of the totem that is strongest. Has this been your expereince as well? I do not have a background in shamanism but can see animal totems and read up on those I have seen for clients. I am always honored when an animal totem (or totems) shows itself to me :)

Regarding spider, the type of spider should be taken into consideration. Look it up and see what that spider's environment is, what does it eat, what is it's predator, etc.

in Love and Light,
Tracey

The interesting about the Totems is that reading about what the are suppose to mean in a book can be missing a whole lot, like you said, there is a chance that not everything that a totem teaches applies to everyone, further more I've found that most of the time when I work with spirit animals their lessons have little or nothing to do with what a book says they mean as a symbol and more to do with me as an individual and things I must learn/work on. Sometimes that also applies to my clients, the totems may be there to help with a clients healing or share something of value for healing and growth.

The Important point to remember, is that even though shamanic tradition and symbolism across the world shares many common elements the lessons and experiences of a shaman( or Reiki healer in this case) are extremely personal, hence the need to understand what the spider means in to the healer (and perhaps the client). Weather is shamanism or Reiki, I have found that intuitive messages and symbols are deeply personal in nature and the best way to deal with them is to learn how your own intuition works, perhaps as healer one receives information that is best understood from your clients perspective or the other way around and even then each individual will be given information in the way thats best suited for them ( for example visual impressions, sounds, feelings etc) all of this is what in my opinion makes healing and intuitive work so profoundly personal and powerful.

Once again Ranting from Beyond the Rainbow

RD
RMT

Hi RD,

Namaste :)

Thanks for your reply.

My intuition and instinct are leading me to believe that the spider was a visual representation of the malignant tumour that i was working on. It had a distinctly 'uneasy' feel to it and if it makes any sense quite an 'agressive look to it'

From this perspective i don't think it was a totem animal. I often see a wolf wandering around when I am working with this person and I see this animal as a totem. It feels completely natural for it to be there :) The spider however did not.

Thanks again for your input :)

Gentle Blessings
Helen

Hi Dakota,

Namaste :)

Thanks for your reply.

It may have been, but it dodn't feel like it. There is often a wolf that wanders around when I am working with this person and that has a completely different feel to it. I'm not scared of spiders but this just didn't feel right to me which is why I never mentioned it at the end of the session.

Gentle Blessings
Helen

May i just say something?
I love spiders, but that's just me. I find any liveform facinating, but im paticulary fond of spiders. So I'm standing up for the spider by saying there's only beauty and love in every spider in the universe, and they don't deserve the 'bad image' that they have.
There, I've said it. Sorry, I know I'm off the topic.

Love and lots of Light.
Louis

Ha! Love your "two cents worth", lizardking. You Go, Guy!!!

Otoharo!

I love spiders, too. We have many varieties in this area. Because I didlike having webs all over the house. I have told all spiders they are welcome here but please do not put webs where I can see them. So far, so good. However, in Texas out house spiders, we called Daddy Long Legs is not here. Nor the very long legged ones in Georgia.

finality