O/Dreamtime-Spirituality overview

RedEarth

I have an issue to discuss. This is in regard to the contradictions between Native American and Aboriginal teachings that I find with some of the cards.
For example, Spider, Moon (feminine in N/A) Sun (masculine in N/A).
My main concern at the moment is Spider, as I am used to thinking of Spider as being Grandmother Spider, who weaves the web of life, not as a seductress!
I see this card as being a provision of a safe place, or the need for a safe place, as indicated by Spider at the edge of the cave entrance waiting for the danger to pass.
(Maybe this should be discussed in a different thread ie Spider?)

Does anyone else have similar already-held views on some of the cards that almost if not totally change the meaning of the card?

RedEarth
 

Brolga

RedEarth,

My take on the differences in Sun and Moon is perhaps something to do with the polarity of the northern hemisphere and southern?

And Spider... yes it is almost as if the Koori Spider reflects a shadow side, or reversed aspect to Grandmother Spider? Yet through the sexual focus in the interpretation, is that a similar concept to weaving the web of life? I don't know enough about Grandmother Spider - share here RedEarth?

Edit - just moved my spider comments to the spider thread!

Blessings
 

amyel

Well, in N. America, a woman who is extremely sexual is often referred to as a "Black Widow" and there are often saying such as" "Step into my parlor" said the spider to the fly"....clearly a provacative thought, of one being "lured into" something, for some nefarious purpose.

But on the other side, I do appreciate what spiders do for the nauiral environment, and they are often seen as "good luck" in a household, according to old wives tales. So I try to let them co-exist peacefully in my home with me & the animals.

Except when they bite me on the forehead when I sleep, and then I spend time shooing them all outside. In *my* home, *I* am the big spider, and this is *my* web!!! :)
 

Brolga

Amyel - I had a spider bite me on the crown of the head, it was a relative of the funnelweb (and thought to be as deadly - Eastern Monkey Spider) It must have eaten recently and not had much venom but I was still very ill I had just moved house and it all was very symbolic too.... But out of character for me, I wept as child watching a cockroach die... is I captured this spider and left it to die in this jar. I still have it, embalmed now in metho. I cannot understand my uncharacteristic cruelty execpt to say maybe the spider venom in my brain had me in 'spider consciousness." It took weeks to die. I didn't care. These spiders are so primal.... very scary looking. The funnelweb is the deadliest spider in AUS (maybe even the world?) and this looks just like it, except it has a blacker body (from memory.)

I always seem to attract spider bites tho. Hmmm... more in my younger days, I think the kids scare them away now! I leave all spiders to coexist here, none are deadly this far north!

I have heard the term Black Widow I think that is universal now?

Donni
 

raeanne

Brolga,
I was bit by a spider when I was about 7 or 8 years old. We never found out what kind of spider it was. I was outside playing and didn't notice anything until later in the day when my leg started hurting. The spider had bit me on my right knee. A red streak started moving up my leg. I remember having a poltice put on my leg and lots of blankets and a heating pad to try to draw the poison out. The red streak got to my groin and then faded. I worked as a camp counselor in the 60s and 70s and the only good spider we had was a granddaddy log-legs. These spiders ate lots of mesquitos and were always allowed inside the tents. I'm not afraid of spiders but I do see them as sneaky and I don't trust them.
 

amyel

This is sort of opposite of your original question, RE, i.e. different interpretations of a card, but I was fascinated to read about Crow in the oracle, as the interpretation of this bird is the same as it is in NA, amongst all native tribes! I hadn't heard about crow in Dreamtime mythology before and was fascinated to read it is the same story!

Has anyone else seen this with other cards?
 

RedEarth

amyel said:
This is sort of opposite of your original question, RE, i.e. different interpretations of a card, but I was fascinated to read about Crow in the oracle, as the interpretation of this bird is the same as it is in NA, amongst all native tribes! I hadn't heard about crow in Dreamtime mythology before and was fascinated to read it is the same story!

Has anyone else seen this with other cards?

The last part of the Dolphin dreaming is the same as another animal that I can't rememebr in Greek mythology! I will try and remeber, but the first time I read it I knew I had read it somewhere before in relation to another animal (it could even be dolphin)
Sorry, not much help I know!
One thing I keep thinking now though is'What is MY dreaming/myth/legend..what is my take on things' especially since my Spider dilemma. I don't mean I am changing stories, but like with Spider, where there was a seemimgly contradiction, I decided to go back to basics and think what does it represent to me, what is my story.
Which really is what we all do without realising, isn't it!

Sharon xx