Native Americans Believe a Giant Spider Gave Birth to the World

My persona at the Fisher's Renaissance Festival in early October was Rom (gypsy). I had decided to weave my past and present together and talk about the inheritance of the family name Zbeide. All my life when I would say Zbeide the response would be incredulous! "You know about Zbeide?" Then confused laughter laughter.

The family name was an inheritance that came with middle-eastern dance and many myths. There are many middle-eastern myths about Spiders. One, was that Cain was marked with a spider mark so he would be shunned. Second, was that the spider saved both the baby Jesus and The Prophet Mohamed by weaving a web. In the Eenglish version Sir Blake was saved in the same manner.

So off to the Faire I went with a bag full of plastic spiders and a dozen spider myths as my shtick. (You can see clip on Youtube.com.)

In my first article on AC entitled The Fragile Web, I discussed having been in trouble at a job of over 10 years when I joked my sister Arachne was turned into a spider. Since then, I have spent the past few weeks in a spider warp. It's not funny but, my car got hit while driving home the next day and the other driver said there were spiders on his dashboard which diverted his attention (He also had a pile of books on mood disorders on his front seat). I got in the car a couple days later and felt like Little Miss Muffet when a spider dropped into my lap. And at this moment, there is a small black spider above my desk watching me.

So, I as I often do, I read Catherine Foote's The Weaver from the book Survivor Prayers and I wonder how to weave the loose pieces of my life. I know "The Weaver will not be discouraged or deterred. We weave a fabric which not one's violence will destroy, and I have discovered the beauty of me."

Deciding that spiders had clearly become my totem animal, I decide to do some research. Do you know there is a museum in Australia dedicated to spiders? So I guess you might say I have become a bit of arachnologist. And seem to be forming a spider guild.

My peers have decided that since the spider is the protector of language, she must be urging me to write. Yes, Virginia, the spider is a female. Many native Americans believe that there was a great spider that gave birth to the world. Friends have now dubbed me Spider Lady and have begun an outpouring of spider gifts. I have received a large 3 foot decorative spider, spider decals for my car, and a jar decorated with spider web designs (for my tips from fortune telling at the next Renaissance Faire...LOL)

I think I like the idea of being the Mother of Creation. So, if anyone has anything to contribute to the spider connection you can send it to: Helena Zahara at Box 19725, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46219. No live specimens, please!