Find out what it could mean when you have repeated encounters with this unique insect, and its symbolism of perspective, patience, and strategic thinking.
Your reaction to seeing a praying mantis likely depends on your comfort level with insects, from fascination to horror— similar to spotting a black cat—but there may be something more significant and spiritual behind your meeting.
Nature lovers often come across bluebirds, cardinals, fireflies, monarch butterflies, and praying mantises. Instead of dismissing these meetings as chance encounters, some people may take them as a meaningful communication from the other side, along with angel numbers and songs that keep repeating.
Some spiritual leaders believe that spotting a praying mantis may relate to you needing patience, focus or strategic action now.
The Significance and Meaning of Praying Mantis
Praying mantises are long-bodied insects with triangular heads, large eyes, and six long legs, the front two of which are held in a prayer-like stance. There are more than 2,400 species worldwide. Most praying mantises have a brilliant green similar to the color of vegetation, but Many are brown, and the Orchid Mantis is a pinkish-white color. Most praying mantises can be observed from mid-summer to mid-fall in the tropics and subtropics.
Mostly recognized for their ability to turn their heads a full 180-degrees (the only insect capable of doing so), this characteristic impacts their symbolic interpretation heavily.
“Praying mantises are about different perspectives,” says Sarah Faith Gottesdiener, a spiritual guide and author of The Moon Book and host of Moonbeaming podcast. “Seeing a praying mantis may signify that you are going to take a step back and take a break to reflect on your environment and relationships.”
When reflecting on your relationships, you may be noticing feelings of manipulation, which is another element of praying mantis symbolism. “Mantises prey on living things. They are ‘praying’ for prey before they capture it. They signify caution about manipulation,” says Gottesdiener. If you are forced to take on characteristics of a praying mantis, it may signify that you need to become quieter, more observant, or calculated, and/or methodical to complete your plans.
Furthermore, praying mantises can signify feminine power and strength, or lack thereof. “Females mantises notoriously decapitate males during or after they have mated,” says Gottesdiener. “While this is not the case for all species, it happens often enough to create interesting symbolism: representing strength, but perhaps also representing those relationship imbalances, jealousy and unfulfilled needs.”
Interpreting your Praying Mantis Sightings
The difference between seeing insects and seeing a spiritual message has everything to do with discernment. The basic idea is about patterns. “A solitary mantis might mean nothing or something,” says celebrity psychic, Inbaal Honigman. “But if you start seeing them a lot or especially at random and odd places or years or seasons, you can think of them as a spiritual messengers.”
Since praying mantises are used as change of perspective, so take some time to think about what they personally mean for you.
Confronting Life’s Drama
Seeing a mantis may also indicate a need for diplomatic check-ins to discuss difficult subjects with your partner or with friends. Praying mantises offer cunning and precision. “Praying mantis represents precision fighting that is direct, sharp movements and sword-like limbs,” explains Honigman.
Keeping Calm
No matter how you prepare for a conflict, keeping calm is still important. The movements of a praying mantis have allegedly inspired some Kung Fu styles of martial arts. So, encountering mantis may lead you to be open to adopting the stillness, patience, and measured movements of the martial art.
Being Assertive
The timing of the encounter may affect the message. “Encountering them in the morning could encourage you to stand up for yourself in your current conflicts and pro actively try to solve problems instead of letting them fester,” Honigman notes.
Finding the Inspiration to Reflect on Yourself
Honigman believes the praying mantis appears to be a conduit for messages. To decipher certain messages, one would need to reflect, as spiritual guidance can only be understood uniquely. “The messages reflect what is important for you at the time,” she says. “If your thoughts are on relationship problems when encountering a mantis, the message is probably that you need to have more patience regarding that relationship.”
What to Consider for Nature Spirits When Encountering Praying Mantises in Repetition
Encounters with a mantis are subjective experiences as well. If you have encountered these insects a number of times in a row, first think about where you are in your life and the context of the encounter.
“Detecting unusual animal visitors should give rise to pause and observation,” Gottesdiener suggests. She recommends asking, What thoughts did I have just before the mantis appeared? What words or themes surround my experience of it? “Trust your instincts around its possible meanings.”
Cultural Meanings in Luck
While crickets are a luck-related animal in many cultures, the mantis encounter could be associated with “good news,” depending on the culture. Naturalist interpretations encoded their relationship with prayer as a positive omen in Christianity and Islam. However, the mantis is perceived as a warning of physical harm in Italian and Japanese thinking. As with many spiritual symbolism, the specific significance of mantis will undoubtedly arise from the surrounding circumstances of the person.
Recognizing Repetition
Seeing mantises over and over again could mean that you have a narrow perspective and you need to expand your perspective. “Don’t get caught in fixed expectations or trying to control how it is going to happen,” advises Gottesdiener. “You might be missing something important that needs your attention.”
If you’re dreaming of the praying mantis, this might indicate intuitive warning signs. “It may be an indication that you need higher awareness of others, perhaps because someone is attempting to take advantage you,” comments Honigman.
For additional insights, Honigman suggests writing in a journal about dreams—particularly emotions connected to dreamed-made-mantis interconnections. “In general, mantis dreams lead to more profound, incisive responses with time taken to observe everything that is going on so the dreaming subject makes their next move,” explains Honigman.
Whether dreaming about praying mantises or encountering praying mantises irl, the manner in which one operates with grace and poise matters. “If I see mantis almost daily, I may be called to act more elegantly,” says Honigman.
