A while ago I wanted to write a post about spiders, but just never got around to actually doing it. Well, this is now it! I no longer have a maid and for the past 2 weeks, I confess (sorry environment) I have been tumble drying our clothes instead of hanging them on the line in the drying yard by my kitchen. As the weather was nice and hot today, I decided to hang some things up on the line and discovered to my horror, that due to neglect, most of the area and the clothes-line was covered in cobwebs. As I am really trying to look on the bright side of life at the moment I thought I could just close the door, leave things as they are and hey presto no need to buy decorations for Halloween! Yip, I have the whole creepy, scary thing going on in my yard. Jokes aside it was rather gross and made my skin crawl, so I took the hosepipe, said a few ‘I’m sorry spiders” prayers and washed and scraped the lot away. While I nuked the spider home, I found myself thinking about the same issue I wanted to write about a while ago regarding spiders. At the time, I was going to entitle the post “Who killed my karma?” as my karma has been up to sh!t lately and I could not help wondering if my going on a spider rampage had anything to do with it. Spiders are not my favourite thing. Actually, I am sure they are not most people’s favourite thing (unless you are a greasy haired, fairly creepy, forty year old bloke still living with your mom in a cramped flat and keep the hairy creatures for a hobby). I think it is simple biology. Somewhere in our genes there exists cellular memory where we remember that spiders can kill us. The fact that they are usually hairy and creepy looking, just adds to the fear factor. Even though I am not a fan of spiders I have never really been afraid of them and have always had a ‘live and let live’ policy. I am not a Buddhist but I believe in Karma and try and practice ahimsa/non-violence as a way of life. This used to work for me. Now, well, it is a bit more tricky.
When I was teaching yoga I had a very strong philosophy of not hurting or killing anything. I moved many a spider from rooms in the house to save them from an awful fate. At one stage I had a giant Rain Spider (ok, this was before I learnt that they could bite), affectionately named Henry, that lived in my room for two weeks until we could catch and release him. I teased those who were afraid of them(sorry, Rich) and could not relate to others who would stamp on a spider without a second thought. At the time, many spiders would come into the downstairs area/yoga studio room in the house. I was forever finding and removing the creatures, thankfully most of the time before class. I am not sure why but they were obviously attracted to the energy or just fancied the environment – after all yoga when you have 8 legs must be rather fun. Occasionally the little blighters would make an appearance during class, causing absolute hysterics amongst the students until I could remove them. I was always peaceful, fearless and in control, while internally talking to the creature and reassuring it, it would be ok (while occasionally threatening it that if it made a sudden move, it would be a gonner). I really believed in that approach. I think my students viewed my ability with spiders to be both impressive and repulsive at the same time. I recall one day when a really big Rain Spider showed up at the start of class. He had his yoga mat and everything (No, just kidding and checking you are paying attention). I had this old Italian woman in the class who was quite a character and she spotted the spider at the same time as I did. The rest of the class was shrieking and taking cover, while the mad Italian mama launched herself, rolled yoga mat in hand, towards the spider ready to squash it. Needless to say, I launched forth, shouting, “No, not in here, it is bad karma”. When I think back to times like these I am surprised more people didn’t view me as a total nutcase! (It is all about who you surround yourself with, you see!) Anyway, much to her disgust, I rescued the creature and that was that.
Those were the good old days but now you see, I have two young children. Everything in my world has shifted and I am not so keen of having potentially harmful spiders wandering around my garden, where my daughter plays. A few months ago, while pottering around I came across a few scary looking ones and killed them. Then I found another and another (from Ghandhi to Hitler!) Daddy long-legs and fly-spiders don’t bite and are allowed to live but the rest I am afraid have to go. Just the other day, Amy was playing with a bucket from the garden and was putting it on her head, when I caught a glimpse of a tiny spider on it. On closer inspection, I saw it had four red dots on its round body and although it was a baby, it was in fact a button spider! They are very dangerous and so my spider rampage continued and was sent to meet its maker. Before I kill a spider I always say a little prayer and apologise, mainly because it just feels wrong and I am sure the karma is really bad. So, as much as I want to protect my children and am trying to find a balance between being neurotic and blasé, I still don’t like killing an innocent creature. As a young child, I had the feeling that if I kill a spider I will return one day to the world in a form that is smaller than a spider and the giant, hairy, scary thing will devour me as a form of revenge! I guess I can’t shake that feeling!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
LOL ok…so I gotta go with you on this one. I too have moved many a spider and I have also killed many of them. Depends on where they are and what kind they are. I loved your story about it though…I can see the woman with her rolled up mat going after it!
At first I thought I would not be able to read this post – just the word spider makes my skin crawl. But it was hilarious!!! I think a happy medium is the answer. As you say – you can’t have anything endangering your child hanging about – as it is in nature – a mama anything will kill whatever comes across it’s path that may harm their young. Say a little prayer and then say bye bye!!
My spider karma is just fine so far because I am too scared of the thing to even take a step near it – stupid!!!
ps this post also makes me think of that saying ‘My karma ran over my dogma’ LOL
Oh god even that awful cartoon one you cruelly put up the top has me hyperventilating. Cant do them. If they are outside in the front I leave them now but dont come in my house. I am afreaid I have bad spider karma. or at least my husband does cos its his job whilst I cry in a corner . saying that the last time I caught him saving it and pitting it over my neighbors fence like 1 metre away from my back door! hes all into the karma too..me.. I am the old woman with the rolled up yoga mat and the squeal. great post! and I am delighted when I visit soon it will be spider free