katydid Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Amazing Ladybug – She’s blowing a kiss! – Photo: L. Weikel

Ladybugs and Katydids

The weather over the past several days has been achingly lovely. I’m probably yearning to soak up every drop of warm sunshine and immerse myself in the sound of fallen leaves shushing and crunching underfoot because I’m all too aware of how quickly this idyllic time will end. At the same time, much to my surprise and delight, ladybugs and katydids have joined me as companions and visitors.

I did a shallow dive into ladybug habits and learned that they ‘congregate’ in the fall to hibernate together. Swarming in the transitional month of November seems a little late to me, like they could easily get killed in a cold snap.

Anyway, it seems as if a bunch recently decided to ‘fly through’ our area (if they even do that), and have decided to hang out on our property for a few days – especially on our porch. Maybe they’re scoping things out for a good place to hibernate. Most of the ladybugs visiting in the past few days have alighted upon me or my clothing, often running up my arm or hanging out on my hand, or buzzed amazingly quickly across the porch to land on one of my plants. They’re fast flyers!

Look at that ladybug’s shield – Photo: L. Weikel

Unique Markings

All the ladybugs I’ve seen over the past several days have been the ‘usual’ kind – red with black spots. So I was super excited to make the acquaintance of this amazing creature. I’ve never seen a ladybug with these markings, especially the way the two small black spots and one oddly shaped red spot give the appearance of a lady’s face with pursed lips, as if to give a kiss.

It makes me wonder: where in the world would this be effective camouflage?! But those odd markings are only the start. The rest of her shell was covered with a wonderful pattern of 14 hash tags around the outside of what appears to be a yellow shield. The three wavy lines in the center of her shield are intriguing as well.

She’s utterly lovely. And unique.

Checking both Animal Wise* and The Shaman’s Guide to Power Animals* (SGPA), I’m intrigued by the possibility that she might be a protector of some kind, and of course the shield on her back lends a lot of credence to that interpretation. But given all of the messages we seem to be receiving collectively to let old ways, structures, and relationships that no longer serve us die so we can welcome in the change we seek (or that seeks us), including new relationships, I’m intrigued that the intention suggested by the SGPA is: “Help me let go of the past and embrace the future.”

I wouldn’t have associated ladybug with anything other than the rather generic ‘good luck,’ had I not noticed this strikingly unique specimen.

Katydid crossing the road – Photo: L. Weikel

Katydids

The other creature I’ve been noticing over the past few days are the handful of katydids that still manage to “crik-crik-crik” out their (seemingly) throaty call – even though it’s not their voices but rather their legs rubbing together. Once again, just like with the ladybugs, hanging around at this point in the fall season seems particularly risky.

Just last week we had two days of a good frost greeting us in the morning hours. It makes me wonder how the katydids I’ve been hearing during my walks the past few days survived. Did they did far enough under some leaf cover to avoid the worst? Sure seems like the few that are left are a resilient bunch.

About five minutes after I heard a lone katydid scritching out its call, I actually ran into one crossing the road in front of me. What an odd occurrence! Katydids are – at least in my experience – quite elusive. They have big, loud voices, but hide amongst the green leaves, playing the game of throwing their big voices out into the world but keeping everyone guessing where they’re really hanging out.

There’s precious little information out there about katydids – and what little I found didn’t particularly ring true to me. For me, I’m feeling my own perception of their lessons, gifts, and attributes are just below the surface of my consciousness. Indeed, scritch and maybe I’ll discover them for myself.

Weird. I can hear a katydid calling right this moment. It’s nearly 1:00 a.m.

Lovely Katydid – Photo: L. Weikel

Grateful

The intricate designs of the mystery ladybug and the bold resilience of the katydid(s) feel like precious gifts. They’re bringing reminders that things change and we insist on static continuity in our lives at our peril. Or at least at the peril of utter boredom and disenchantment.

I can’t take my eyes of that ladybug blowing me a kiss. And every single time I hear, “Katy did; katy did,” I smile and feel oh-so-very grateful for the enchanting Beings frequenting my life.

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(T-17)

Face to Face

There are a lot of different things I’ve considered writing about tonight. But it’s a lot. Everything going on right now is calling on us to figure out who we are and what we believe in, and that can be overwhelming on the best of days. Sometimes it feels appropriate to address what we’re all dealing with, face to face, precisely because we’re going through an existential crisis – both individually, in many cases, and most definitely as a country.

But I’m also acutely aware that we can only take so much. At least, I assume you sort of feel the way I do: I care. I am vociferously passionate about the myriad challenges we’re facing as a country (and a planet). But at the same time, it is abundantly clear to me that we need to pace ourselves. We need to make sure we don’t make the mistake that some long distance runners (or even shorter distance, I suppose) make when they spend it all just a little too early and ‘hit the wall’ just short of the finish line. That’s just heartbreaking to watch when it happens (and I imagine it must be an utter nightmare to personally experience).

I’ve met my enemy; Photo: L. Weikel

First Face

So tonight I’m just going to share a couple of different face to face encounters I’ve had over the past day or two.

This afternoon I was searching for a pen on the glider I occupy when I’m working from my porch. I whipped off one of the cushions and this beast was right there looking at me, as surprised as I was. It even raised its little arms in a defensive posture because it knew. It knew it had met its fate. The beast had been discovered by an avowed Spotted Lantern Fly assassin.

I may have been the one to shorten this moth’s life, but if you take a good look at its eyes, you know it would’ve done the same to me had it only had longer legs.

Katydid ready to jig – Photo: L. Weikel

Second Face

The second little one I’m sharing with you is a katydid we encountered on our walk yesterday. Spartacus actually came upon him, thinking he was dead and possibly as tasty as the praying mantises that all too frequently fail to make it across the road at this time of year. (Sheila’s favorite autumn snacks – which Spartacus is developing a taste for in his maturity.)

What I particularly like about this katydid, beyond it’s much less sinister eyes (compared to the Spotted Lantern Fly) are the way its feet are designed. Its feet look like they have little boots attached!

It almost reminds me of something Jiminy Cricket would wear.

Evening Reprieve

So there you have it. A light little photo essay on my recent face to face encounters with the creatures in my natural habitat.

We need to pace ourselves so we don’t hit the wall – not only before November 3^rd, but even beyond. Because let’s face it: who really thinks the nightmare will be over on November 4^th?