Spider Tattoo Meaning
Spider Tattoo Meaning
(at-a-glance):
- Thouroughness
- Connectivity
- Secretivness
- Thoughtfulness
- Practicality
- Magic
- Creation & Creativity
- Simplicity
- Luck
- Motherhood
- Progess
Spiders (and therefore spider tattoo meaning) share their symbolism with the webs they weave. Countless ancient cultures hailed the spiderweb as a connective matrixfrom which all of creation emerged. As the web mimics the interconnectivity of life/nature – the spider, then, is the creatrix.
For example, in India the spider is a weaver of reality and is a symbol of cosmic order. In this light, the web of reality is spun from the womb of the spider and so, the spider is also a representation of the Upanishads (spiritual wisdom) because the spider is both the creator and the inhabitant of wisdom. Spider tattoo meaning can also be connected to the Hindu concept of Maya (illusion) too as spiders weave crazy webs affecting perception.
The spider is often considered a solar creature and is associated with the sun because of its radiating legs & radiating webs. In this respect, the spider is also symbolic of: Life, vitality, health, radiating energy.
In Islam, white spiders are considered good luck symbols. Black spiders…not-so-much. 
Alternatively, the spider is also thought of as a lunar creature and is linked with moon symbolism too: Passivity, intuition, mysticism, shadows, cycles, time.
Mythological deities associated with the spider:
- Neith (Egyptian – the great weaver goddess)
- Anansi (African – spider god who tutored humans how to weave)
- Grandmother Spider (Native American Indian of Southwestern tribes - nature spirit connected to creation & wisdom)
- Arachne (Greek goddess turned into a spider after she bested the jealous Athena in weaving skills)
Furthermore, the spider has eight legs which is symbolic of infinity, cycles, time, progression and harmonic balance (more on meaning of number eight here).
For more information on spider tattoo meaning follow these links:
Symbolic Spider Meaning (full article)
Good Luck Animals (including spiders as lucky omens)
