In the case of praying mantises, they can represent everything from precision to prophecy, contemplation to deliberation, as well as vision, prayer, perception, and synchronicity, Charles explains. If they show up around you, it could be a sign you need to make wise choices and act with precision, deepen your mindfulness practice, or be more patient. This is a creature that encourages us to slow down and connect with inner wisdom and even sharpen our clairvoyant abilities, Charles tells mbg. Historically, she adds, the praying mantis actually inspired a form of kung fu martial arts. During the Northern Song period (A.D. 960–1126), a Chinese kung fu master named Wang Lang was inspired by the movements of the praying mantis after he lost a martial arts competition. “He watched a praying mantis trying to catch a cicada and was inspired by the agile moves of the mantis. It is said he then collected praying mantises and took them back to the Shaolin Temple to observe closely, going on to create his own form of kung fu inspired by the mantises’ moves,” Charles writes in her book Animal Power: 100 Animals To Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul. “The praying mantis shows up when it’s time to take your spiritual or mindfulness practices deeper, especially if you’ve been feeling impatient with something in your life,” she adds. She adds that the message praying mantis gives is engaged in prayer, surrender, and divine timing. “Perhaps you wish you had an answer for something right now, or you wish a goal or intention you’ve set had already come to fruition. The easiest way to encourage patience, especially when you’re eager for something to happen or physically manifest, is to surrender the goal in prayer,” Charles explains. “You can connect with the animal more deeply through a meditation or a shamanic journey and call that animal forward and have a conversation with it. Ask it personally why it’s showing up,” she says. From there, Charles recommends a practice to call upon the praying mantis to help in decision making. “This practice should only be worked with when you’re trying to make an important decision—when that decision is looming, call upon praying mantis to divinely guide you and clarity and timing,” she says. “When those two things are combined, it’s an extra urging of you to tune into the wisdoms, the guidance, and the intelligence and intuition of your heart space,” she explains, adding, “It could also be symbolic of the praying mantis bringing extra healing energies into your life or the situation that you’re pondering or seeking deeper guidance on.” After all, we rarely think twice if we see a bird fly by, but a dead bird in front of you almost always makes you pause for a moment. So a dead praying mantis, then, still relates to all the aforementioned themes but really asks us to consider the message more deeply.
