What Does It Mean To See A Praying Mantis?

Praying mantises are strange-looking animals with weird movements.

So what does it mean to see a praying mantis?

Does it send you any spiritual messages?

A praying mantis can have different meanings based on the situation it visits you, how often you see it, and how you feel after the encounter.

This article will show you how to interpret spiritual signals from this insect and tell if it’s your spirit guide. Let’s read on to discover.

What Does It Mean To See A Praying Mantis?

This creature represents good fortune, focus, and power. It also symbolizes the forces from other realms giving you a message to follow your instincts.

Here are the three most popular cases where the mantises may come to you. Each situation has specific symbolism.

A praying mantis landing on you

The insect lands on you when you find yourself at the crossroads in your life and have to make a significant decision.

This situation requires you to take big risks, such as choosing a school program, getting a new job, relocating, etc.

It’s a good idea to sit on a meditation mat and practice some deep self-reflection to figure out what your long-term emotional and financial priorities are.

If possible, make a five-year plan and start preparing yourself for the new version you want to become.

The appearance of a mantis on you indicates that your mission is bigger than an external reality. You have a power inside that needs to be awakened.

This path may require you to temporarily sacrifice the pleasures of a materialistic lifestyle to explore the huge meaning of your life.

However, it does not imply that you must live in poverty and avoid all material pleasures.

This situation means that finding oneself without such distractions for a while may be beneficial in helping you see a clearer path ahead.

Once you identify your route, the universe can give you whatever you need to accomplish your goals.

Because praying mantises seem attracted to strong vibrations in their surroundings, they may settle on you to tell you that your vibration is growing.

It could be a good time to focus on your spiritual development by seeking out an intuitive therapist, mentor, and group or enrolling in spiritual classes.

During this period, a meditation session, such as a Vipassana retreat, may arouse your interest.

A dead praying mantis

The dead praying mantis is a sign with numerous spiritual implications, particularly if you see them often.

First, it may suggest that you are too captivated with trivial issues and are not giving enough time for your spiritual development.

Your normal high energy has decreased, slowing your manifestation down or even stopping entirely.

A new stressful event in your life may be leading you to wander from your path. It’s a good idea to avoid dramas.

Another explanation for encountering a dead mantis is that you are wasting a lot of time thinking and self-reflection and not enough time acting.

Because you take too much time to imagine your reality, your physical life is starting to decay.

It’s crucial to pay more attention to the power you’re sending to your spiritual development when you have this experience.

Besides, try to set up a healthy schedule if you have ignored it for too long. If you’ve had enough, it’s time to quit your yoga mat and start working for your objectives.

If this scenario keeps repeating and you are worried about your relationship, it could be a warning that you and your spouse have a mental disconnect.

The disconnection tears you two apart. One of you might be pulling away from the other to pursue spiritual perfection.

The dead insect also delivers a message of openness and honesty about each other’s spiritual desires.

There is no guiding star to lead you through your life’s struggles. You can’t find a thread to weave your routes towards a shared and enlightened future unless you cultivate personal enlightenment in each other.

In dream

If you’ve ever had a dream about this bug and are wondering why it appears in your dream, we’ve got some answers for you below:

Killing the mantis

Although it sounds scary, dreaming about killing this insect isn’t a terrible omen.

The dream reflects your willingness to confront your challenges and your fear of the future.

This scenario also indicates that you are on your path to uncovering your inner essence and achieving your goals.

The insect attacked you

A dream about a praying mantis assaulting you can be a challenge from the universe to measure how far you’ve advanced spiritually.

The insect attacked your partner

A mantis attacking your partner in your dream may indicate that you have relationship problems. You and your lover have a spiritual disconnection, which you must attempt to fix.

A friendly bug

Dreaming of a friendly mantis is a sign of good fortune. It implies that you have control over your emotions and inner spirit.

The mantid can see into the future. It can also identify danger and disguise itself with colors, so the dream may indicate that you should be careful and alert.

Perhaps you should disguise yourself. Someone in your network could be planning against you or have hidden intentions.

Related: What Does It Mean To See A Yellow Butterfly?

Symbolism Of A Praying Mantis In Different Cultures

People from different cultures regard these creatures differently. Discover deeper what it means to see the mantis; let’s check their symbolism.

Native American

The praying mantid is the state insect of Connecticut. It eats harmful insects like moths, aphids, grasshoppers, and caterpillars.

To Native Americans, all bugs, including crickets and praying mantises, are precious because they knew and thought that these species existed before humanity when the earth formed.

According to Native legends and stories, Grandmother Spider created the earth.

Hence, you can see these creatures in paintings, jewelry, artworks, inscriptions, and headdresses.

Indigenous people think that praying mantises represent wealth, great luck, and even success and big families.

Because these animals resemble ‘praying human hands,’ people also consider them Great Spirit emblems and use them in medicine, ceremonies, and healing.

The mantises came out of nowhere. Hence, the Native Americans also see them as symbols of regeneration and rebirth.

They even put these bugs in the mouths of dying people to help them go to the other side easier.

The tribes use these creatures for an interesting purpose: weather and harvest forecast.

Eastern

People don’t always think much about insects like praying mantises, yet they truly help support the planet and its habitat.

Praying mantises can assist in pollination and organic waste composting and recycling.

The female mantis, which tries to kill her partner after mating, is the Asmat of New Guinea as a sign of headhunting and ancestral traditions.

The Zuni tribes think that insects such as praying mantises are also knowledgeable, precious, and powerful.

The praying mantid also jumps on a cicada in real life. According to Chinese legend, the mantis would even extend its feelers to block a cart, and people regard it as a symbol of greed and determination.

In Japan, this insect, kamakiri, symbolizes bravery and a sign of autumn. When put in the seasonal context, it portrays the autumn grasses, crickets, and chrysanthemums.

This species is also well-known for its associations with bravery and the military. Because it constantly advances and never quits, this strange and frail insect is an emblem of martial spirit in both Japan and China.

Christianity

If you wonder what the spiritual meaning of this insect is, it naturally focuses your attention on God at all times.

The common belief in the divination power of the praying mantid emerged from the old Christian symbology.

The mantis is a carnivorous insect with a scary appearance. It is likely to contribute to the number of harmful insects throughout the seasons.

Early Christian artwork and artists like Pablo Picasso used this insect emblem to represent hate and love, death, and life. These topics were very important.

The God of the Hottentots was the Mantis. The mantid, an insect named after God, has a praying posture.

The term mantis is a Greek word for a soothsayer, and it got the name for its symbolic value.

The South Africans’ regard and devotion for this insect are high. When they spotted one, they kneeled and prayed.

If they killed any by accident, they would suffer from misfortunate for their whole life.

Celtic

In Celtic mythology, the meaning of the praying mantid differs. It can refer to courage, determination, brutality, and greed disguised as a religious or spiritual mindset.

It also refers to feminine aggression, which is most likely because female mantises kill their male partners after mating.

The Christians see this species as a symbol of adoration and prayer. Meanwhile, in Greek, it represents divination.

People in Ireland linked Asmat art and its meaning, particularly mantis images, to headhunting traditions.

You may have heard about mantids a lot in European magical myths and folklore. It’s not surprising to expect the specialness of this species in this culture.

The insect could ‘divine’ or even reply to inquiries and desires by stretching its praying hands.

This bug is not native to the United Kingdom, but you can find it in warmer places in Europe.

The mantis has a lovely green color and a thin shape, holding its front legs together in a praying posture while sitting.

In Europe, there was a notion that a lost kid or traveler may ask for help from these creatures. They will take the insects into their hands and follow where they point.

FAQ’s

Now you have understood what the mantises mean to you when they visit you. The following answers and questions give you more information about this topic.

Does a praying mantis mean pregnancy?

This bug is a real sign for couples expecting a baby in the ivory coast and some African countries.

During pregnancy, women produce a hormone called HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin hormone), which then disappears in the urine.

This hormone, which functions as a pheromone for women, would attract the praying mantis. Hence, we can notice the presence of the insect surrounding a pregnant woman.

What does the Bible say about a praying mantis?

With their praying hands, the insect’s most prominent biblical meaning is prayer.

According to Christians, seeing this bug represents their favor and righteousness with God. It can suggest that they should remain their attention fixed on God.

What is the myth about the praying mantis?

In Greek, the term “mantis” means “seer” or “prophet.” The San people in southern Africa believe that their God, Kaggen, arrives most frequently as a praying mantis.

On the other hand, Ancient Egyptians considered some insects guides on the path to eternal life.

Are praying mantis rare?

No. There are around 2,000 species of mantids around the world. Here is a list of some beautiful species that you may want to come across.

Conclusion

As you can see, the meaning of praying differs greatly from culture to culture. In most situations, though, it represents good fortune.

Everyone has their own inner language. Stay still and listen carefully to your responses to the question of what mantises mean to you.

Hopefully, you will find this article helpful. If you have any questions, please leave a comment. We will come back to you soon.

Thank you for stopping by.