Praying Mantis
Meaning & Symbolism
The Praying Mantis embodies patience, stillness, and precision, teaching us the importance of waiting for the right moment to act. Known for its deliberate movements and calm demeanor, the Praying Mantis spends hours in a single position, blending into its surroundings, awaiting the perfect opportunity to strike. This behavior encourages us to cultivate patience in our own lives, reminding us that sometimes the best course of action is inaction. Rather than rushing into decisions or forcing outcomes, the Praying Mantis symbolizes the wisdom of waiting and observing until the ideal moment presents itself. By practicing patience, we can often achieve greater results than if we had acted impulsively. For example, in a situation at work, rather than reacting immediately to a problem, we can take the time to carefully observe and gather more information before responding, leading to a more effective solution.
Another powerful lesson from the Praying Mantis is the importance of focus and intention. The triangular shape of its head, with eyes that can rotate 180 degrees, allows the Mantis to maintain a keen awareness of its environment, using its senses to gather information from all angles. This intense focus represents clarity of vision and purpose, encouraging us to align our thoughts and actions with our goals. Just as the Mantis locks onto its prey with unwavering focus, we too can benefit from honing our concentration on the tasks or dreams we wish to accomplish. In a world filled with distractions, the Mantis reminds us to narrow our focus and channel our energy toward what truly matters, enabling us to achieve success through clarity and determination.
Despite its seemingly delicate nature, the Praying Mantis is a formidable hunter, capable of capturing creatures much larger than itself, such as Frogs or small Birds. This surprising strength challenges our assumptions about size and ability, showing that we are often capable of achieving far more than we initially believe. The Mantis teaches us not to underestimate ourselves or others based on outward appearances. In life, we may encounter tasks or goals that seem too large or overwhelming at first glance, but the Mantis reminds us that with the right strategy and patience, we can grasp even the biggest opportunities. Just as the Mantis relies on its unique abilities to thrive in the natural world, we too can use our own strengths, no matter how unconventional, to succeed in our endeavors.
The Praying Mantis also highlights the importance of adaptability. With only one ear located beneath its belly, the Mantis cannot detect the direction of sound in the conventional sense, but it has evolved to sense echolocation signals from Bats, enabling it to evade predators with precision. This ability to adapt and compensate for what might be considered a shortcoming speaks to the value of embracing our unique gifts and perspectives. Often, we may view certain traits or skills as weaknesses because they don’t fit into societal norms, but like the Praying Mantis, we can learn to turn these into strengths. Whether it’s thinking differently from others or having a less conventional approach, the Mantis encourages us to celebrate our individuality and use it to our advantage.
-Tanya Casteel ©Cosmic Animals
Animal Cards
Animal Pottery
I want to hear about your Praying Mantis experiences. What stories or dreams have you had? Please share and join in the conversation below!
I have been wondering about this topic of late and was thinking of searching the internet to increase my knowledge. Thank God that I visited your website otherwise I wouldn’t have come across such a nicely-written article. Once I liked this particular post, I was going through few other posts as well. I simply loved them! Kudos to the writers who work hard to write these.
I moved into a new space – not by choice but accepted the universe progress.
A large praying mantis sits at my door and I’m stepping Over. As a Reiki Master I am daily inviting in Angels and guides – I am so happy to receive this sign they are with me
I have had a mini mantis living with me for almost two months in my room and has molted several time. Its so cool.
I have been in a “on and off” relationship with my partner for many years. The last two times we broke up, a praying mantis showed up on a wall at work. I think the message its delivering is quite clear. I have to admit, booth times I’ve seen them, first, I get spooked, then just stare in wonder. They are beautiful creatures.
I drew YOUR symbol a couple months ago. I was shown to add a line longer then the circle. I see triangles in the stars All the time . I’m not 100% Completely sure what this is all about yet. 😊 1 Step closer though.
Some 1 made a comment about learning spider then mantis magic . So i looked it up and here are you and the symbol.
Great! I love when life aligns like that 🙂
I did some magic with a bottle of water when I noticed a praying mantis next to me. I greeted him. Later he came to the bottle and drank some of the condensation off of it and is now trying to climb the bottle but with difficulty. I want to help him but don’t want to scare or hurt him. What does it mean?
Witnessing others’ journey with compassion and good intentions of wanting to help while allowing space for learning to unfold for others by not interfering unnecessarily. The art of witnessing.
I was doing some yoga and qi gong and some sitting meditation in the sun when I noticed right next to me was a praying mantis. It looked so content and still and aware. It then moved and the sun was on it’s back casting a shadow and it began to spar with it’s shadow as if it were an adversary. So much symbolism and wisdom came from that minute or two that I was blessed to observe this messenger. It altered my entire day if not my entire life! Grateful! It brought me to stillness and appreciation
Wow! I would have loved to have seen that!!