The Moth As A Symbol Of Death

There is a lot of folklore on both sides of my family.  Since my mother lived longer and was an immigrant when she married my father,  she brought with her the tales and superstitions of her childhood in Mexico. One of them was that every time she saw a moth within the vicinity,  she would be say: Oh no a moth. I hope no one is going to die. She was a religious woman though more so later in life and she disliked anything to do with superstition or the occult. Yet she never questioned the folklore she grew up with. As young girls growing up in suburban America the stories always seemed out of place in our culture and surroundings,  yet the funny part was that right after our mother would announce her suspicions after seeing the dreaded omen, we would hear of bad news that a relative was sick or worse.  Perhaps it was all coincidence or one could say that she brought it on by focusing on the subject.  But the truth was that she hated anything to with death and she did her best to shrug it off.  But nevertheless it was spooky to witness bad news shortly later.

So what does this have to with people witnessing sightings such as mothman and other unexplainable entitities?  Because the moth has been seen as a symbol of death in other cultures. Black witch moths are native to certain regions of Mexico and they are known to fly at night and are known to be seen in sick rooms.  This sighting of mothman took place when it was dark and the entity reminded the viewers of a large black moth.  No one knows why or where this entity came from.  In studying the spirit world many shaman traditions speak of entities known as elemental spirits.  These spirits are known to take place in the natural world and known as non human but with distinctive qualities that are related to the animal plant or insect species. As my host Anthony said in his blog, they may exist in alternate realities or other dimensions and that could be the reason why we can't find them after a rare sighting.  This may also count for other symbols of death such Angels, and grim reaper type spirits.  They are seen rarely and at certain times in life but their origins are a mystery.  Yet those who have claimed to have seen these visitors never wavered in their accounts. This also goes for the timely sightings of different animals and insects who are known to be messengers of sad news. They are just innocent beings living their daily lives. Yet the connection they have with humans brings them into our lives during times of stress or deep sadness.  (Happy times too but that is a subject for another blog.  ).

By studying these symbols and why they affect us so much is to study our own inner nature and times of transition and transformation. Change can be scary but often it can freeing and for the better. Myths and stories of other beings stay with us for centuries and the more we preserve them,  the more we understand the cycles of life.

I would love to hear your experiences and thoughts on the air or by commenting below.

Black Witch Moth illustratration by sister Jude for Deviant Art.