Woven Whispers of The Spider Queen

Posted by entheogenic paths on Oct 31, 2024

The name 'Arachne' originates from Greek mythology, where she symbolizes the magic and hidden depth of the ancient and dark arts. In the ancient Greek myth, Arachne was a mortal woman and a talented weaver, but her pride in her skills angered the goddess Athena. When she dared to challenge Athena in a weaving contest, Athena cursed her, transforming her into a spider destined to weave forever the lives of humankind. Today, Arachne is considered the mother of all spider creatures (Arachnida), and her influence is deeply rooted in mythology and esoteric rituals.

However, the meaning of Arachne extends beyond the literal. In various occult teachings, Arachne represents the hidden aspects of creation, as described in Kenneth Grant's writings. In the Draconian and Typhonian tradition, she is viewed as the goddess of depths, the Queen of Space, and the one who weaves a hidden web between different dimensions. This web, extending across the void, is not an ordinary one; it binds the existing planes through faint threads of light seen in dreams as a network of tunnels and vortices. As the Mother of Creation, or the Great Mother, if you will, Arachne often appears as a radiant yet fearsome female figure. She is depicted as a woman with reptilian features or a half-woman, half-spider creature whose hair consists of snakes resembling those of Medusa, but Arachne’s are made from shadows themselves. Sometimes, she appears as a monstrous black spider. Her followers claim that Arachne may grant a third eye to those who seek hidden wisdom by biting their forehead or inject venom into their aura, a venom that helps them transition into another world.

The spider, like aspects of Arachne, symbolizes growth and destruction, mystery and revelation, venom and healing. In Hindu tradition, the spider symbolizes Maya, the great illusion, and at the same time reminds us of our control over our destiny and the choices we make. As we weave our lives, we essentially create and direct our future, just as the spider creates its web. Thus, the spider symbol emphasizes the importance of our choices and reminds us to value our life path in the present, with a long-term view toward the future.

Arachne's feminine energy, which carries the secrets of the moon and the powers of creation and destruction, resonates through the symbolic creatures associated with her: the spider, the snake, and the scorpion. Their presence expresses the perpetual process of building and destruction, renewal, and new beginnings, as well as the grace and ferocity in creation and fate. This cycle is connected to the spider's eight legs, its eight eyes, and the symbolism of the number 8 as infinity. At the center of the web lies a vortex that swallows everything – the center of creation and destruction. At this point, all cycles of time and evolution connect, and the creator becomes aware of their choices. This idea evokes an understanding that what we create here and now shapes our path into the future.

When practitioners explore the initiation process by focusing on the deepest mysteries of their hidden knowledge, sometimes the knowledge becomes raw and wild due to its ancient nature. Through this sinister alchemy, the practitioner prepares to descend into the goddess's womb and be the child within the egg, sparking a long and profound process of inner evolution. The deepest aspects of such initiation are rooted in the practitioner's soul. They ignite a black flame that devours the essence of the practitioners and simultaneously opens the womb of the Arachnean goddess. The adept must light the way through the darkness of their soul, which must be explored to transcend and expand consciousness, focus, and channel sacred sexuality, strange symbols, and divine masks, revealed when the adept breaks down and purifies their soul.

In some ancient tribes, the spider was considered a powerful symbol of protection from storms and thunder. The spider as a totem is deeply connected to how the universe unfolds, with its movement represented by time and space. It is also associated with the concept of the witch-mother, the teacher, the healer, and the shamanic guardian of ancient esoteric wisdom, passed down from ancestors to daughters and sons through generations. The Arachnean goddess of the universe is an integral part of this process.

In India, the spider is associated with the concept of Maya and the veils of illusion. The term 'Maya' originates from the Sanskrit root 'ma,' which means without form or boundary and describes the illusory nature of appearances and the dissolution of all illusions’ veils in the world's routine. The spider's connection with Maya brings us to understand that not all things are as they seem and urges us to learn to see with the mind’s eye, the spider’s eye, to learn how to 'see' and 'analyze' all elements and states from this depth that Arachne brings.

On a practical level, a ritual to connect with Arachne may include loudly stating intentions and asking questions that prompt practitioners to look deep within themselves, to examine how autonomous they are, and what they are willing to sacrifice to grow. Meditation with Arachne, the Spider Goddess in the Draconian/Typhonian tradition, includes using visualization techniques, working with symbolic seals, and establishing a personal connection with the goddess through focused meditation.

Say the following phrases aloud before meditation and reflect on them:

- How often do I create opportunities to be authentic?

- Do I feed into a stream of delusional mass psychosis?

Creating a space to express yourself in true autonomy is powerful and dangerous. This form polishes a permanent fixture in the body. Your voice is a unique signature from which power can be drawn.

Preparation for Meditation
Sacred Space/Altar: It is recommended to create an appropriate space for working with Arachne, including drawing her sigil and using black and silver candles that represent her energy.
Energetic Cleansing: It’s important to cleanse the space of any external influence with suitable incense.

Core Processes:
Web Meditation: A guided visualization where practitioners imagine a silver spider weaving webs around their etheric body, inviting them to enter an inner cave, representing the path to deep consciousness and the goddess's womb.
Dream Work with Arachne: Combining guided imagery with preparation for a dream to meet Arachne in the depths of consciousness during sleep. Dream plants are recommended to enhance dreaming.
Meditation with Arachne as the qlippa woman or Lilith: This meditation focuses on Arachne's dark aspect as a feminine force that tempts, creates, and leads one to reconsider their spiritual choices.

In spider meditations, you can visualize connecting to the cosmic spider's web, as practitioners weave their fate within this web. Or work mentally with the spider's venom, which, despite symbolizing danger, serves as a tool for inner change, healing, and transformation of consciousness in such meditation.

Through these or other suggestions you can create yourself, connecting with Arachne as the Spider Goddess allows practitioners to explore the meaning of creation, connection, and trapping consciousness within complex and focused webs of reality. Many believers claim that Arachne is present in the process, bringing waves of calm and power reminiscent of her struggle with chaos and enabling creation from the shadows.

On a personal level, I experience the spider's venom, like the power of Lilith, as a dual energy – dangerous and purifying. Just as the qlippoth block the divine light, so too can the spider's venom penetrate and transform, offering an opportunity to release attachments that no longer serve my true essence.

Lilith, as a spiritual force, is not merely an archetype of darkness or defiance. She is a guide who encourages embracing those parts we've grown up learning to reject. She invites me into a realm of otherness, one that exists beyond defined social identities or gender roles. This self, ‘the other’ or my double, exists outside social order, reminding me that power resides in what the world may call weakness or rebellion.

Through meditations with Lilith and contemplation on the spider, I begin to see these themes as a significant part of the inner liberation process. The spider webs become a stage where I meet hidden parts of myself.

In Lilith's presence, this chaos becomes a healing force, exposing the freedom to live beyond the need to conform. The entanglements of social norms dissolve, replaced by a call to live authentically and embody the inner truth. Such moments of reflection highlight Lilith and Arachne as guides for radical self-acceptance, calling to challenge assumptions and step beyond the framework society has built.

In weaving these words, I am reminded of life as a form of art, where every thread is an invitation to recognize and express our deepest parts. Working with Lilith and Arachne has shown me that sometimes, to live fully, we must challenge what society considers right and step into a space of radical authenticity. By embracing our dark and wild parts, we find not only self-acceptance but also creative power that fuels personal growth and true self-expression.

So tonight,

When the voices of spirits
creep through closed windows,
smile lightly and lift your gaze,
the spider queen will already find you among the shadows.

Happy Samhain!