We recently posted a story about an orange centipede as an animal messenger. Today, we ran across this post about a caterpillar on Threads of Spiderwoman, and asked Lauren if we could repost it. At one time, I didn’t look at little critters like ants, centipedes, caterpillars or anything similar as messengers. Then I realized this was a kind of human arrogance on my part. If a creature as small as a hummingbird can be a messenger, why not a centipede? If an inanimate object like a feather can hold synchronistic meaning, why not a caterpillar? After all, caterpillars, like frogs, begin life as one thing and end life as something else. They’re about transformation. It’s not their size that matters. It’s their message.
After I read Lauren’s story, I asked what caterpillars represented for her. That’s the last part of the story.
+++
This morning I went to my mother’s house to prepare her breakfast, and beside the door, on a “cat rug”, was a strange looking fat green thing, curled into a little spiral. At first I thought it was a bit of plastic the cat had dragged home, but then it moved! Keep in mind that I live in Southern Arizona, where it is currently about 102 degrees, and there are very few leafy trees. I’ve never seen a caterpillar like this here, although obviously they are around.
I put it on a potted plant, the only thing I could find it might like to eat, although, sadly, the poor thing looks none too well for its encounter with a cat.
Can’t get over the fact that just yesterday I was writing about, and reading about, “The Chrysalis Effect” in my previous post!
PS: It was suggested that I consider what this synchronicity might mean symbolically to me. I think caterpillars represent, to me, what we are as a global humanity, adolescent, trying to mature, to transform. We’re presently, like a caterpillar on a leaf, mindlessly gobbling up our world, eating up everything in sight. The hopeful thought is that there is an impulse, a greater force, within our collective instinct that will lead us into, and eventually through, the Chrysalis, the “imaginal” stage. So that we might become, at last, “winged, whole”. Pollinators…….
+++
Another possible explanation, on a personal level, is that Lauren’s life is about to undergo a significant transformation. Another synchro of hers that we posted concerned a black butterfly, and butterfly (or moth) is what the caterpillar becomes.
I like callerpiddas (Noah's translation). Good post and comments.
!!
O(@),(@),(@),(@),(@),(@),>
Maybe caterpillars are an indicator species, like frogs, about the planet's health.
My neighbor says that we are seeing an abundance of caterpillars this year, and according to the Farmer's Almanac it's a good indicator of a colder than normal winter on the way. Not looking forward to that transformation!
Star – I like your interp!
White feathers, purple caterpillars, thick midges, white bunnies: it's miraculous, just as Butternut said.
No one can remember the midges being quite as thick as they have been this year. Climate change? Some say that it is a sign of a healthier Lake Erie. It's all a miracle!
Whalechaser, is it the purple caterpillar that eats the tomatoes? One of our close neighbors has a hanging tomato plant on her front balcony! On a different sunbject just momentarily….and I vow to you Guys this is untarnished truth…I have an " Egyptian Sanctuary" in my home that was built as a FL sunroom, but I have used it only for spiritual purposes and never for anything else. Anyway, I was in there reading earlier, left the room. The room has a sculpted green wall-to-wall carpet, and there was nothing on the carpet. I went back in there a few moments ago, and laying on the carpet in front of my green velvet chair, was a snow-white feather! I was stunned. Picked it up…surely enough, it is a beautiful white feather. The weird thing is that there is absolutely NOTHING in this house that could create a white feather, and it hadn't been in the room earlier. No one is home but me and my canine companion, and she hasn't been outside to bring in a white feather. I have it laying here by the computer but am going to place it on my altar in the sanctuary. I feel blessed by it's enigmatic inexplicable appearance. One other very odd thing today: my husband phoned me earlier and asked me if I'd seen the white rabbit hopping around in the front yard. White rabbit? No, I told him. He said there is a tame white rabbit nibbling in the shrubbery. He and our neighbors were watching it, and the neighbors' dogs didn't bother it, nor was it afraid of the dogs. Then my oldest son, who lives next door, called to asked me if I'd seen the white rabbit that is grazing in our yards! We see wild, dark brown, small marsh rabbits over in the sand dunes, but no snow-white tame bunnies. Certainly it must have escaped from an owner, but nonetheless, I feel like Alice today, with my white feather and white rabbit! cj
You can view everything in the world as a miracle – or nothing in the world as a miracle – Albert Einstein.
That is a Tomato Hornworm and if there is a tomato, pepper or eggplant bush anywhere in the area he will devastate it. They are pretty though aren't they? They change into all sorts of brown-toned butterflies that can blend beautifully with wood fences or tree trunks. I think might like them more if they ate the stuff that we don't eat!
Synchronistically, when my husband and I stepped out of our SUV yesterday, our youngest granddaughter, (who lives next door), came running out her door holding a glass in her hand. Cheyenne is ten years old. She said, "Look, Grandma, what I found on my bedspread!" In the bottom of the glass was, of all things, a PURPLE caterpillar! It was curled into a spiral, and I thought it might be dead. But I gingerly touched it with my finger, and it uncurled itself and stretched out its full length in the bottom of the glass. I've never seen a purple caterpillar in my life! It was actually quite lovely. Anyway, I told my little grand that the caterpillar was bringing her good luck, (true or not, it seemed the right thing to say), and suggested she put it very gently over in one of the green shrubs where it would thrive and be safe. She did that. Now here we are on the blog talking about these tiny critters of transformation! Wonderful. cj
Perhaps the caterpillar was delivering a message to the cat. Or maybe the cat had a message to pass on to the caterpillar.
Lee
Tossing It Out
A caterpillar to me would signify a transformation from one stage to another. It's interesting how we can have personal messengers, which can be unique to us as individuals.
It's a very attractive caterpillar for one thing and yes, I can go along with the message. The jumper I'm wearing today is the exact same colour as that caterpillar. Perhaps it's bringing me a message too?
Blessings, Star
I think everything can be messengers to us, and I do want to say how much I appreciate you turning me on to other bloggers who are similar in mindset to me. I'm off to Spiderwoman's page to learn more about her!