Wiggle Room: What It Means When Maggots Visit Your Home
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Perhaps one of the most repulsive images that anyone can find, maggots are tiny worm-like creatures that often squirm in unison on rotting food, garbage disposals, and the carrion of dead animals. Considered simply as the eggs of a fly, their fondness for feasting on food waste easily makes them the poster kids for death and decay.
However, their many practical uses and deep spiritual symbolism prove that there is more to these vile creatures than meets the eye. Disgusting for many yet invaluable for some, let’s wiggle into what it spiritually means to find maggots at home.
“The one who talks about the future is a rascal. The present is the only thing that matters. To invoke one’s posterity is to make a speech to maggots.”
– Louis-Ferdinand Céline, French novelist
Spiritual meaning of maggots in your house
What does it mean when maggots invade your home? This is a question that has been asked for centuries, with many people offering their own interpretations. Some say that the maggots are there to eat away at your negative energy, while others believe they are attracted to the spiritual power in your home.
Renewal
While it is often seen as a negative omen, the maggots in-house meaning is viewed as a sign that spiritual transformation is about to take place for you and your loved ones. Known to go through a quick period of metamorphosis, maggots in the house inspire us to be more compassionate and understanding, as well as add a sense of hope and optimism to our lives.
Something is “rotting” in your life
Maggots in your house can mean that something is rotting in your life, both figuratively and literally. If you have something in your life that is no longer serving you, it may be time to let it go. This could be a relationship, a job, or even an old belief system that is no longer working for you. In some cases, the maggots can represent actual physical decay, such as in the case of a sick family member. If you have someone in your life who is ill, it’s important to be there for them and offer your support.
Growth
From its loathsome and helpless form, the maggot can transform into an agile and quick-witted individual. Such a trait indicates our capacity to achieve high levels of awareness as it leads us to find wisdom, joy, and grace. While their presence rarely stimulates positive feelings, it teaches us how to be more accepting of others and encourages constructive emotions and behaviors.
Maggots eat away at your negative energy
Another interpretation of maggots in your house is that they are there to eat away at your negative energy. If you’ve been feeling down or stressed, the maggots can represent a release of this pent-up energy. This can be a good thing, as it can help you to move on from whatever was causing you pain.
In some cases, the maggots may also represent repressed emotions that are finally coming to the surface. If you’ve been bottling up your feelings, this could be a sign that it’s time to let them out.
Letting go
Highly associated with anything unclean, the maggots in-house meaning is a reminder for us to get rid of the things that spark negativity and pessimism. They give us the courage to drop those that have brought us grief and suffering in the past. They open our minds to new outlooks and perspectives, as well as a heart that is filled with happiness, contentment, and peace.
Spiritual enlightenment
Whether it is a hurtful relationship or a dead-end job, the presence of maggots is the result of holding onto something that has already gone bad. These vile creatures would often visit us to help clear our minds and enhance our ability to see the world with great certainty. They give us the ability to cope even during the most difficult times.
“She would not shed a tear, she would not waste the rest of her years simmering in the maggot broth of memory.”
– Gabriel Garcia Marquez
What do maggots mean in different cultures
Although they are not known to possess features that can draw attention, maggots play a critical role not just in the health of the planet but also in the mythologies of various cultures as well. A widely recognized symbol of death and renewal, here’s how maggots are seen in myths, legends, and lore.
Norse mythology
Revered as a group of Scandinavian Vikings who raided and settled on the coasts of Europe, the Norse once believed that maggots represented our very existence. Legend has it that the hermaphroditic giant, Ymir, was the first creature to come into being. After being slain by the first true Aesir gods, Ve, Vili, and Odin, the maggots that infested Ymir’s body were given human-like features and intelligence to serve as guardians and nurturers.
Christian culture
Known to represent spiritual rebirth and transformation, Christians believed that maggots symbolized hope and resurrection. The Bible recognizes them as a symbol of despair and sorrow. Early Christianity tells us about the story of St. Simeon Stylites the Elder who chose to stay atop a pillar for solitude in his prayers.
According to stories, after several failed attempts to find the perfect spot for praying, St. Simeon tied himself on top of a 50-foot pole. He did this to ensure that pilgrims wouldn’t be able to disrupt him from praying. After spending a considerable amount of time on the pillar, the rope left an open wound which was soon infested by maggots. Instead of giving up, he welcomed the worm’s presence and saw them as a way for Christians to practice the teaching of seeing life’s trials as a gift from God.
Buddhism
Admired for their strong belief in constantly acting with purity and compassion, the Buddhist faith aspires to see the beauty in each of God’s creations. Popular lore tells us how Asanga achieved enlightenment by nursing a maggot-infested dog back to health.
The story tells us how he was moved upon seeing a dog suffering from a wound that had been overrun by maggots. To help the dog recover from his injury, Asanga understood that the maggots had to be removed. But instead of simply wiping them off, he decided to allow the maggots to live in him to ensure that they too would be saved. This incited the future Buddha, Champa, to show his face to Asanga for showing such an amazing act of mercy and kindness.
Conclusion
Although they are almost always described with a negative connotation, the presence of maggots in the house actually enables us to see things in a more positive light. As their unwelcome appearance seems to come from out of nowhere, they remind us how we are capable of wriggling past life’s many challenges and transitions.
Read on, for more spiritual meanings of insects.
We hope not that maggot infestation was the reason you ended up on our blog post; if so here’s a video about how to get rid of them.
