What does it mean spiritually when a spider crosses your path?

It is interesting how so much power, mystery, fear, and amazement can be inspired by one small creepy, crawling creature. I’m talking about those little (or big) things hanging from webs; yes, spiders. Spiders are truly incredible, and truly scary, giving us a mixed bag of emotion. So, what do they mean when they show up in your life? Are they a positive or a negative omen? 

Spiders are the perfect symbolism for dualism in the physical realm and show us the power of creativity and manifestation that is balanced by destruction. Spiders represent personal power, illusion, and energetic exchanges such as communication or relationships. Their presence can trigger survival energy and personal power, located in the root and solar plexus chakras. 

Depending on when and where you see a spider, how often it shows up, and the feelings you get after a spider visit, the message can have a different meaning to you. This article will go over the most common spider encounters and the spiritual message behind them. 

Spiders have a huge presence in our physical lives, as well as our spiritual lives, making them master energetic weavers between these two realms. All of us have had a wide variety of spider encounters, from bites, walking through webs, or dreaming about them at night. 

Because these creatures are venomous and aggressive, they are often associated with fear, death, survival, and give us the creepy crawlies. 

However, their aggressive and destructive behavior often overshadows the inspiring elements of a spider. They are creative creatures that can build an intricate and beautiful web with grace and ease. Spiders play an important role in their ecosystem, providing balance by eating other pests. While they seem aggressive, almost all spiders will avoid humans, and spider bites are actually quite rare. 

Spiritually, spiders show us the importance of birth, growth, death, and rebirth, spinning a web of evolution and spiritual transformation. They represent the beautiful and inspiring part of creativity, but also the need to clean out the cobwebs and keep moving forward. 

In the spirit realm, spiders are master timekeepers, tying energetic knots that weave together the past and future to help you manifest in the present moment. They can alert you when you are stuck in the past, or jumping forward in the future. 

Spiders teach you to reflect on your past spiritual lessons to help you plan for the future. With these two energies working together, you can build a foundation in the present moment. Just like a spider waiting patiently in its web, if you weave together these two energies, you can seamlessly capture opportunities that come your way in the present moment. 

This is how manifestation works. Spiders are expert manifesters and teach you how to manifest your own highest reality. 

Because of this, they rule over energy in the solar plexus chakra, which is related to power, self-expression, manifestation, confidence, and feeling capable. If you have imbalances in your solar plexus chakra, spiders may give you a lot of fear. 

Spiritual Meaning of a Spider Phobia

Fear of spiders can bring up your own imbalances around your lack of power, strength, or capability in this world. 

Just think about: spiders are so tiny compared to us, yet an encounter with a spider can feel like we are heading into a dangerous battle. 

In reality, spiders are just trying to survive. They do not have a grudge against you nor are they singling you out as prey. Yet, we can feel SO personally threatened and attacked by them. 

This is often because arachnids trigger this “fight or flight” energy that we evolved to have for survival purposes, which prepares us for battle. If your own sense of power is diminished, spiders can cause great fear. 

A fear of spiders is a great opportunity to balance your solar plexus chakra and do exercises to help you gain a sense of confidence, self-assurance, and capability. The best way to do this is to begin taking action on your goals, especially if fear is holding you back from moving you forward. 

Once you begin to manifest and create, your sense of accomplishment and personal power raises. As a response, your fear of spiders might diminish as well. 

Those who have a very intense spider phobia (arachnophobia) commonly feel like they have little control over their lives. This is tied to solar plexus chakra, but also the root chakra, which is our survival energy center. Working with a professional to help take back control of emotional or behavioral imbalances can be very healing for this phobia, as well as balancing these energy centers. 

Are Spiders a Bad Omen? 

For most of my life, I considered spiders showing up as a bad omen. It would think that there was negative energy around me, or something bad would happen. So, are spiders really a bad omen? 

Spiders are usually linked with Halloween because of their reminder of death, darkness, and shadows. Their dusty webs are symbolic of energy that is stagnant and ignored. They bite, have creepy legs, and suck blood. These are all reasons we associate them as being a “bad omen.”

However, most spiders show up to teach your spiritual lessons and give you clarity into your own energetic “web.” Depending on how you react to the spider can be clues as to what needs to be balanced and in what energy center. In this way, they are neither a bad nor good omen; they are teachers and guides. 

With that said, it is true that some types of spiders can show up during periods of darkness, depression, and grief. These are energetic spiders, which can be confused with actual spiders appearing in our reality. Energetic spiders appear in dreams, visions, and are often dark brown or grey. 

If you feel you have energetic spiders that are coming in on depression, grief, or anxiety, you can visit an intuitive healer, or seek professional help to assist you in processing these heavier emotions.

What Does It Mean When Spiders Appear All Around You? 

When spiders show up in your life to teach you a spiritual lesson, they can show up in synchronistic ways. People report finding spiders randomly throughout their day, or spiders appearing all around them. 

Depending on your spider encounter, you can get a lot of spiritual insight from these visitations. If you feel spiritually activated by their presence, or you sense they are showing up in synchronistic ways, then these creatures are sent as a guide or to teach you a spiritual lesson. 

Spider Crawling On You

Spiders crawling on you represents people in your space that are intruding on your energetic or physical boundaries. They might be sending negative energy your way and disrupting your peace of mind. 

A spider, which represents power and self-expression, can crawl on you to warn you that people are overstepping their welcome and suppressing this energy within you. Think about potentially harmful people in your life, and consider removing them from your sphere of influence. 

If spiders keep crawling on you as a recurring encounter, this is a sign that you are highly empathic and sensitive to other people’s energy. The spider may be showing up as a guide to help you manage these abilities. 

Spider Landing on You Meaning

Spiders landing on you represents the way that you respond to challenges in your life. There are two ways we respond to challenges: reactive and proactive. 

Reactive energy is more governed by the logical mind and tied to anxiety, whereas proactive energy is governed by intuition and tied to manifestation. 

If a spider lands on you and you feel very fearful, scared, and scream, this is a sign that you are creating your reality in a very reactive way. By this, it means that your creative energy is being dominated by solving other people’s problems, or your own problems that are created by external forces. 

If a spider lands on you and you instead gently brush it off or let it crawl off of you on its own, this is a sign that you are very proactive with your creativity, leading to manifestation. You don’t get distracted by other people’s problems, and you outsource external problems to those better equipped to handle them. This gives you more energy to create from a place of passion and purpose. 

In reality, spiders won’t bite you if they aren’t agitated, and reacting very strongly to a spider landing on you will more likely lead to a spider bite than to let it leave on its own. 

If spiders land on you frequently, this is a sign that you are called to be a master manifester, and are highly creative. 

Spider on Your Head Meaning

A spider landing on your head is a sign that you are overthinking a problem and using too much logic instead of intuition. A spider on your head is encouraging you to use more creativity and get some distance from the problem to see a higher perspective. 

Spider In Your Hair Meaning

Similarly to a spider on your head, a spider in your hair is all about wisdom. Hair is tied to intuition and wisdom, and spiders are all about power, creativity, and self-expression. 

If a spider gets stuck in your hair, it means that a situation is causing you great confusion, and you should tap into your inner wisdom and “knowingness” to solve the problem. 

A spider in your hair can also mean that someone is trying to confuse you or send you down the wrong path. Be wary of scammers or people pretending to be someone they are not. 

Spider Crossing Your Path

A spider crossing your path could be a spider walking past you, but most likely it is a spider walking across a web or resting in a spider web that is blocking your path. 

A spider crossing your path in either of these ways is a positive omen, and should not be ignored. This is a sign that you are being led towards your purpose, which is programmed in your energetic space. Your subconscious thoughts, behaviors, and actions are leading you towards a goal or manifestation that you have been desiring, either consciously or subconsciously. 

What Does It Mean To Find a Spider In Your House? 

Spiders in the house are common, and it is likely that everyone has found a spider lurking in the corners at night. But, if spiders show up all the time, or you feel there is a spiritual message behind them, then read on. 

Spiders in the house are associated with the domestic realm or 1st/root chakra. This energy center governs survival energy, physical health, and domestic matters such as relationships and security such as finances.

This is also the energy center where we feel the “fight or flight” response when our survival is threatened. So, spiders in the house can seem exceptionally alarming because this response is exaggerated by the condensed energy in the root chakra. 

If you keep finding spiders in your home and feel fear, insecurity, self-consciousness, or you are having survival stress, this is a sign that your root chakra needs to be balanced and grounded. Spiders in the home teach you to strengthen your personal power in the place where you need it most, the home. 

A spider teaches you that if you don’t feel safe and secure in your home, then the rest of the world will feel threatening. Energetically establishing the home as a safe landing pad where you feel at peace and where you can express your authentic self is the foundation for successful spiritual wellness. 

You can incorporate grounding essential oils to your DIY cleaning products which will make the area feel more centered, as well as repel spiders. These include lemon, peppermint, lavender, sandalwood, and citronella. Here is a great DIY cleaning spray recipe with vinegar, and the video below is one with water and peppermint oil. 

Spider In Your Bed

Finding a spider in your bed is really frightening, and something that isn’t very common because, well, you’re likely sleeping when it happens. But if you wake up to find a spider in your bed, you may be wondering what the spiritual meaning is behind this encounter. 

Spiders are strongly associated with the astral and intuitive realm, which is why they are so scary and mysterious. These energies are where a lot of our subconscious energy is, including our shadow. 

Spiders in the astral realm help you weave together your intuition from your dream into your logical conscious understanding. They help you interpret your dreams, and increase your “knowingness” about their deeper message when you wake up. 

If you feel inspired by astral energy activated by spiders, it is a good idea to keep a dream journal and use the animal spirit guide of a spider to help you go deep into your dream interpretations.

However, spiders in the bed are also scary and can cause a lot of alarm when you wake up. If you wake up from a nightmare and see a spider in your bed, it could be a sign that you are working through deep shadow lessons such as depression, anxiety, or feeling insecure and powerless. 

Spider In Your Bathroom

Spiders in the bathroom are likely searching for a water source, which spiritually represents your emotions. This area is tied to your 2nd/sacral chakra, where we store our emotional intelligence and emotional expression. 

Bathrooms also represent toxins or negative energy that need to be cleansed from your space. They can show up spiritually when we are going through a deep energetic cleanse. 

As such, finding a spider in the bathroom can give you clues as to what is stuck in your emotional energy center, and what needs to be balanced or removed from your space. 

There was a time when I kept finding spiders near my toilet. This was during a period when I was in a depression. A few times I woke up at 3 am to use the bathroom, and a spider would scurry past my foot. After the third time, I knew there was a meaning behind it. 

I was holding a deep limiting belief about feeling incapable, which was preventing my growth. I let it take hold of me and paralyze my action towards my higher goals. This was causing depression and suppressed emotions. 

The spider showed up to help me see this clearly so that it moved from my subconscious to my conscious mind. Once I became aware of it, I could finally take the necessary steps to heal. 

Spiders commonly show up in the bathroom when you are facing high anxiety or fear about something. They help you become conscious of what is causing the fear and take steps to move past it. 

Meaning of a Spider Bite

Spider bites are actually rare, considering how common they are to find around the house. But, most people have been bit by a spider at least once, and it is not pleasant. If you got a spider bite and feel as though it is a spiritual message, read on. 

Spider bites can mean a range of things, and like all spiritual signs, it is so dependent on your own energetic programming. With that said, spider bites likely occur when we are not paying attention, or not being cautious with our actions. Or, more likely, they occur while you are asleep. 

This is the message from a spider bite: the things that you aren’t paying attention to or that are hidden in your subconscious can sneak up like a bite. We can ignore the things that make us afraid or feel shame; however, ignoring them doesn’t make the pain go away. If anything, ignoring it allows it to linger on, slowly paralyzing and wrapping a web of despair around you. 

Seeing spiders everywhere then getting a spider bite is a message to heal the traumas that are hiding under the surface. These can be in your own life, or they can be further back from past lives or from your ancestors. Facing your fears and working through subconscious emotions can be just what you need to move your spiritual life forward. 

Depending on where the spider bites you can give you clues into its hidden spiritual meaning. Below is a list of the most common places to get a spider bite, and the spiritual significance. 

If you get a spider bite, check out this article to determine when you should call your doctor, and what is the best way to treat it. 

Spider Web Spiritual Meaning and Symbolism

One of the stand-out features of a spider, symbolically and spiritually, is the spider web. Spider webs represent creativity, manifestation, and intuitive knowledge. 

In our own lives, we have a web of energy that attracts what we want. If we are quick, opportunities that get stuck in this web can lead to success, contentment, and abundance. However, leaving the web alone will gather dust and turn into a useless, dirty cobweb. 

Spiders keep their webs in tip-top shape, constantly taking it down and rebuilding it so that they have the greatest chance at success. If there is damage to the web, they quickly patch it up. 

Our energy is very reflective of how a spider weaves a web. We get holes in our aura, negativity energy thrown at us from others, and illnesses that throw us off balance. However, when we are aligned and energetically balanced, we begin attracting everything we need to move us to our soul’s purpose. 

A spider web teaches us about healthy energetic maintenance and constantly working towards your spiritual evolution. They show us the dangers of letting our energy become mismanaged and controlled by others. A spider web can appear when you are ready to clean out the cobwebs and set a new web to funnel in your vortex of manifestation. 

Spider Webs As a Symbol of Illusion

On a more mysterious note, spider webs can also represent illusions. Spider webs are so effective because they are clear, so their prey cannot see the trap that they are about to fly into. We can get caught in a web of deceit, lies, and dishonesty from others. This can be on an individual level, or on a global level. 

Spider webs can represent conspiracies, or feeling like you are being misled by negative forces. 

If you feel this way after seeing or walking through a spider web, it is best to focus on meditation and getting aligned with your own core truth. This is the best way to see through deceit and traps. 

Spiders Appearing In Your Dreams

Spiders in dreams are extremely complex, and it would be too in-depth to address it in full here in this article. Most of us have had spiders appearing in our dreams, giving us feelings of fear of survival, stress, and unease. 

In short, spiders in dreams represent creativity, new ideas, and give you clarity on what you are holding in your energetic space. Just like a spider web, our energy is like a web that captures and holds onto certain creative ideas, or negativity. Spiders have also been interpreted as a female figure or feminine energy in dreams. 

It is more complicated to interpret or analyze spiders in dreams because, just like their yin and yang energy, they can bring powerful spiritual messages leading to empowerment or negative energetic disruptions leading to fear and withdrawal. 

Paying attention to your emotions when you wake up will give you clarity as to what is happening on an energetic level and why spiders are appearing in your dreams. 

If you wake up feeling renewed, creative, and spiritually activated after a spider dream, it is likely that a spider is an animal spirit guide or a message from spirit about your manifesting potential. 

If you feel fear, it is likely that the spider is an energetic force that you are holding in your space related to depression and fear of survival. They mainly rest in the solar plexus energy center, which is all about self-expression, identity, willpower, manifestation, capability, and self-confidence.  

Different Colored Spiders And Their Meanings

If you have been finding a lot of spiders and want to know if the color of the spider has a meaning, just know that the spiritual realm loves to communicate in colors. Colors are vibrations, just like energy flowing in and out of this world. 

Different Types of Spiders

The type of spider you encounter can also give you a deeper understanding of the spiritual message. Each spider has a different energetic signature and is influenced by different energies in the physical and spiritual realm. 

A Spider as Your Animal Spirit Guide, Power Animal, Spirit Animal, or Totem

If you keep finding spiders everywhere and feel spiritually activated by their energy, spiders are likely appearing to you as your spirit animal, power animal, animal totem, or animal spirit guide. If a spider is your animal spirit guide, it is likely that they will also show up in dreams, visions, or in synchronistic ways. 

Spiders can show up periodically to help you move past lessons related to creative expression, manifestation, and knowing your place in the world. Many people who are wanting to awaken their intuition, and aren’t afraid of exploring the dark areas of their soul, will subconsciously call on the energy of the spider. 

Those who are drawn to more shadowy or mystical forms of spirituality may call on the spider to reveal what is hidden behind the mysteries of esoteric knowledge. These are people who want to see past illusion and search for the truth hidden behind the lies that govern our society. 

The energy of a spider can help you weave the past, present, and future together into a reality that is aligned with your soul’s purpose. They can help you tap into your infinite well of creativity, higher knowledge, and psychic powers. 

As a shadow animal spirit guide, they can show up when you need to strengthen your sense of self-worth. Those who attract a spider can heal people with their creativity, open-mindedness, and ability towards divination and psychic knowledge. 

Is It Bad Luck To Kill a Spider? 

With all of this talk about spiders and energy, you may be wondering what you should do if you find a spider. Do you kill it? Does this have negative consequences? What is the best way to handle a spider when you see it? 

Like everything that has life-force energy, you should give some sort of consideration towards the action you are taking towards another living being. This type of consideration can boost your sense of belonging to this earth, compassion, and raise your overall vibration. 

When you have a deep aversion to whatever you feel threatened by, it is especially important to pay attention to your actions. As humans, we can easily dominate our environment without caring to learn from our surroundings. 

While I know this sounds very hippy, letting spiders live can be a huge spiritual lesson at energetically understanding and accepting that everything has a sacred place in our world. 

If possible, it is best to leave a spider alone, especially if it poses no threat to you. Spiders that stay in webs are the least likely to harm you, so should be left alone. Hunting spiders can cause more of a threat, so if you see one, try to capture it and let it outside. Keep your home clean, and use essential oils on surfaces (doors, window seals, countertops, etc.) that have heavy spider foot traffic. 

If you do kill a spider, is it bad luck? I don’t believe it is, and I have killed my fair share of spiders in my life. But, I do believe in karma, and every spider harmed is a part of you that is harmed as well. If you kill a spider without cause or consideration, this goes beyond the act of killing the spider, and more into the energetics of living in harmony with all. 

Living in disharmony can cause imbalances that lead to disharmony, fear, lack of self-worth, feeling threatened, and feeling powerless. 

Summary

Spiders are amazing creatures, and my appreciation for them has grown over the course of my spiritual journey. While they can be scary and creepy, this provides the essential training ground needed to know your own power and face your fears. 

This is just one interpretation of the meaning of a spider; however, you have your own unique intuitive language and spiritual communication. Like everything on this site and on the internet, use your own intuition when deciding what symbolism resonates with you, and disregard the rest. Remember, you are your greatest source of spiritual guidance. Sit still and listen to what a spider means to you and your spiritual journey. 

In summary, here are the basic keywords that can describe the energy and spiritual lessons of a spider:  

• Creativity
• Manifestation
• Visionary
• Energetic programming
• Inspired Action
• New opportunities
• Self-power, self-worth, and self-expression
• Attachment
• Illusion
• Fear
• The cycle of birth and death
• Balance: yin and yang, masculine and feminine, fast and slow, manifester and generator 
• Root/solar plexus chakra: Survival and one’s own power
• Psychic gifts