Spider’s Lessons

I hadn’t traveled but 100′ down the firelane, this morning, when I happened across 2 spider’s webs, hanging along the edge of the trail, now revealed by a slightly less than early morning sun. This reminded me of my intention to carry a camera, this morning.
Heading the short distance to the truck, it was once again made obvious to me of the suggestion for the camera on this trip, my actually putting it in the truck, only to disregard it upon exiting at the trailhead, as something bulky I didn’t want to carry. So, spirit suggested the camera for this expedition, intention brought it to the trailhead, yet mind decided to leave it behind. Okay, so spirit needs to override mind, when the suggestion is made.
Anyway, returning to the trail, I was aware that already the webs were drifting back into obscurity, and the rainbow hue they initially expressed was gone. This being more of a reminder to listen to and follow through with the guidance I am given, when such is offered to me.
Following along the old fire road, I was offered additional opportunities to examine and photograph many revealed intricate masterpieces of what for the Spider might be the mundane daily regimen. Drifting high and low, in community and solo, Spider held his ground and often centered himself in “bullseyes for bugs” of all sizes. I was even offered the opportunity to visit what I call the parachute style web, and the breathing effect of these webs inflating and relaxing in the ground drifting breeze.
Among these photo-ops, were a number of Spiders’ snares at the sides of, and even centered on the trail I was traveling. I was certainly most grateful for Sun’s illumination of the trail webs and even their supports, lest I tear either from their placement via face plant or body shot. Indeed, thought I could see most of Spider’s industriously plotted entrapments, the support systems of these were still more elusive. It took constant observance on my part to be aware of the support strands, in order that I be able to duck under them, or avoid them altogether.
Even so, on occasion, I did observe Spider bailing out of his center spot, and heading along one of these strands, as though he expected me to tear through his tapestry and was avoiding an interaction with me, as much as I was steering away from him.
I wondered, how many people might be so wrapped up in heading around a discovered web, they might never pause to observe Spider travelling, even pausing, discreetly, on one of his tenuous long supports.
In traveling this path, I became aware that had I headed out prior to sunrise, or even an hour later than I did, I may have never witnessed so many spider creations, and the careful placement of these, outside of colliding with them. In fact, I was made aware that someone had already traveled this same trail, just this morning, by noticing that many of the lower support strands were missing, along one side (the trail side) of these webs engineered in the trail, or along it’s edge. Even so, I witnessed the occasional large hole, in some of the tapestries further off the trail, obviously caused by a bird mistakenly traveling through yon web, when the morning sun had not yet revealed them.
As I continued on down the main trail, I was welcomed to venture off on a somewhat more obscure trail, which had presented itself to me, on another occasion. On that “other occasion”, I was welcomed but a short distance onto this side trail, though I don’t remember why my travel that day was limited there. This morning, as I followed the invitation, I immediately was presented with the need to duck  under and/or step around a few of spiders’ webs. I realized that though I had been invited to follow this trail, it would better be explored in different lighting, due to the abundance of unseen snares I would obviously encounter. Looking further along this trail, I had to know that, given my observations this morning of so many of spiders’ traps, there would be many more unintentionally awaiting me. Though I was invited, now was not the time to travel here. Perhaps, different lighting, or even a different season, would be a more appropriate time to venture down this path. I retreated to the main path.
Again continuing along the greater path, I traveled as far as I was invited for the day. On heading back, I soon came across a stick in the path, with a slight crook in one end. Missing bark, on both ends of this stick, suggested it might be a discarded walking stick, or simply representing itself as such, in order that I pick it up. I complied.
Walking along, with my new found treasure, I considered that a person could use a stick to serve as a means for walking along some of these trails, without physically encountering spiders’ webs, clearing the way ahead of travel, by a mere wave of this tool. While this may serve as a means of providing unobstructed travel along whatever trail I may choose to explore, it would not be the way of “invitation only”. And, even on a path that I’ve been invited to travel, using something to “clear the way” suggests that perhaps I am not ready for that path, or, at least, that this is not the right time.
In this morning’s adventure, it would seem that Spider and Mother Nature are teaching us a number of things, among them being;
RESPECT – Spider labors, industriously, to create these webs we are awed by, in order to have a means to catch insects he relies on, for his food. While purely accidental encounters with these of Spider’s labors (as witnessed by the holes of birds flying through them) are bound to happen, we must know that we are welcomed along life’s trails, providing that we respect all of whom and what we encounter.
AWARENESS – To plod forward in life, paying no mind to our effect on others, only creates a negative karma for ourselves and brings negative energy into others’ lives, leaving them to deal with it. Rather, heightening our own awareness of our effect on other beings, and awareness of signs given can create harmony and positive influence, in this chaotic life of now.
TOOLS – Very often, it is the simplest thing that leads us to discovery. By picking up that stick, that semblance of a cane, I was led to understand that it could be used to battle my way down a path I am not ready for (or which is not ready for me) or to simply use it as a guide to discover that I need to respect Spider and timing.
– By the way, I left the walking stick near the note someone had left. Since I didn’t have a pen with which to sign the note, I considered leaving the stick as a way of saying, “I was here”.  But, that’s another story.
TIMING – Through awareness, we can discover paths that we need to, or should travel. Through awareness, we can learn not to miss our being “welcomed” in one direction, or another, or miss opportunities due to our timing of readiness being off. More importantly, and more likely, we can learn that though certain paths are meant for us, this might not be the right time for us to move in that direction. This possibly due to our not being ready, or the path not being ready for us, in terms of events not quite being lined up. we need to be aware of when the timing FEELS right