Gnat~Fruit Fly~Fungus Gnat Significance and Symbolism
In his 1967 poem Gnat Psalm, Ted Hughes, an early advocate of neo-Shamanism, gleefully describes dancing gnats in angelic and cosmic terms, and declares God to be ‘an Almighty Gnat’.1
Gnat-Psalm (Excerpt)
Ted Hughes (England, 1930-1999)
When the gnats dance at evening
Scribbling on the air, sparring sparely,
Scrambling their crazy lexicon,
Shuffling their dumb Cabala,
Under leaf shadow
Leaves only leaves
Between them and the broad swipes of the sun
Leaves muffling the dusty stabs of the late sun
From their frail eyes and crepuscular temperaments
Dancing
Dancing
Writing on the air, rubbing out everything they write
Jerking their letters into knots, into tangles
Everybody everybody else’s yoyo
Immense magnets fighting around a centre
Not writing and not fighting but singing
That the cycles of this Universe are no matter
That they are not afraid of the sun
That the one sun is too near
It blasts their song, which is of all the suns
That they are their own sun
Their own brimming over
At large in the nothing
Their wings blurring the blaze
Singing…2
Fruit flies are oft seen as just pests or annoyances.
But in animal symbolism, this small insect holds many meanings. It is a colorful insect associated with characteristics of survival as well as transformation.
Here are some traits associated with the fruit fly:
- Color attraction.
- Rebirth.
- Transformation.
- Ability to see things in different ways.
- Survival.
- Mobility and flight.
Fruit flies symbolize an ability to survive even in the most hard of environments. Their capacity to make use of their resources, even what is seemingly invaluable or even trash, make them a good symbol for perseverance. They also reflect an ability to see things differently and in many ways. Their eyes are suited to see and sense more than what is ordinarily possible.
Fruit flies also symbolize transformation, their growth stages from seemingly unimportant specks and larvae to adult flies reflect the changes that we go through as well.
Fly as a Totem Animal
As a totem or guide, the fruit fly may symbolize many things. They can be viewed as annoyances at first, but they can also be the key to deeper learning.
Transformation
Fruit flies guide one through the transformations needed in life. Just as the fruit fly emerges from an egg and its different stages in life, so to do we transform from one stage of our lives into another. They can be seen as reflections of the transformations we ourselves are going through.
Survival and Mobility
Fruit flies are adept survivors. They can utilize most of anything they feed on, even though it may be only a scrap of food. As a guide, they can show us how to make the most of what is accessible to us, to be frugal and use what we have sparingly in order to survive. They are also quite mobile and fast, able to fly from one spot to another. This shows us how we too must be able to adapt and move from one environment to another, looking for what we need.
Keen Vision and Insight
The fruit fly has one of the most numerous eyes in the animal kingdom. It offers to us its ability to see things in different angles. With this, we are able to view a situation through different ways, assessing what we see in its entirety.
Fruit flies in different cultures
Flies have long been subjects of ancient texts. In Greek mythology, a fly was sent to bite Pegasus, the winged horse. This caused his rider to fall off before he was able to reach Mount Olympus.
In Biblical times, flies were associated with pestilence and decay. They were represented in the fourth plague that hit Egypt.
However, some cultures also associate the fly with a mentor figure as well as a messenger. This is apparent in some Native American traditions.
Association with celestial forces
Flies may be associated with symbols of pestilence and decay. They may be seen as heralds of celestial forces when it comes time to teach man to be humble as well as send punishment.
But flies are also seen as messengers of heavenly beings. They send important messages as well as teach and guide people. They are also hunters in some lore.
Fruit Flies in Alchemy
Fruit flies are often associated with transformation as well as in putrefaction and decay. These traits are highly desired in completing transmutation processes. While they may be small, fruit flies hold much power in their association in the decaying or breaking down of complex compounds and organisms.
Fruit flies show as a spirit guide when…
- Showing humbleness in front of victory.
- You are seeking change.
- Needed to show strength despite of your inabilities.
- You need to send a message, but you have no idea how to relay it.
- You need the ability to sense the hateful behaviour of someone.
Call on fruit flies as a spirit guide when…
- You need to keep graceful.
- You wanted a new challenge in life.
- You need to stand up for what you believe in.
- You need to clear the air.
- You need to sense the putrid behaviour of someone.3
1Spirit Possession, Deities, and Gnats by Brian Taylor
https://animistjottings.wordpress.com/2015/03/02/spirit-possession-deities-and-gnats/
2 Blogspot: Poems in English (poemaseningles)
http://poemaseningles.blogspot.com/2005/09/ted-hughes-gnat-psalm.html
3Aunty Flo: Fruit Fly Spiritual Meaning
https://www.auntyflo.com/magic/fruit-fly
been seeing fruit flies everywhere for a while now. sometimes at strange times when you wouldn’t think there would be one… and wondering what their message is. i think for me it’s like you say about making the most of what is already accessible to you & being frugal, also needing to show strength & possibly seeing the hateful behavior in someone. will see what comes up next time! thanks for posting about this!
Yes! It’s not always all parts of the spirit totem message that applies to you, sometimes it’s just small part, and sometimes everything is spot on. Use your intuition to determine what the appropriate message is for you. Thank you for taking the time to read the post.
I lost my husband Dec. 22 unexpectedly and at a young age. I have had one gnat following me every day at weird times for 2 weeks. It has been the most bizarre thing. The only produce I have is in the refrigerator and the gnat appears throughout the house.
It feels like a very appropriate totem. Perseverance can be important during times like these. Thank you for your comment.
I just had a fruit fly fly out of my ear after having a conversation with my roommate about no matter how much I want to be with him that my bf and I arent meant to be together. I see a lot of my past relationships in him. Could this be some kind of sign?
That is an question you must answer yourself. You know your relationship, where it’s been, where it’s at, you can project where you think it’s going. Is it fulfilling? MY grandparents were married for 70 years, could you spend 70 years with this person?
This was very insightful because these gnats just appeared out of no where. After killing several of them and noticing that they keep coming back only one at a time, and after eliminating the idea that it’s the trash, I saw compelled to find the spiritual meaning behind it. After reading this information, in makes sense because over the past few weeks I’ve been feeling stuck in my overall life (marriage, spirituality & gifts and business). I feel very stagnant in these areas and couldn’t really understand why. It’s like all of a sudden I have this fear of failing and losing control. I have a several psychic gifts however I feel like I’ve lost touch with my spirits guides/ancestors (if that’s a thing that can happen). I know there is a lot of unfinished work to be done in my life, but I’m just in this space of confusion and stuck was. Then out of the blue this tiny bugs just showed up one at a time. Tonight I just thought it was very odd that is always just one after I kill the previous one. So here I am ????! This information was definitely informative in why these little pests showed up in my life out of the blue.
Wonderful! Times of struggle and uncertainty can create blocks or just cause you to doubt or question your gifts. That is why working to maintain clear, centered, balanced energy is so important as well as a great gift and tool. Look at the situation(s) from a balanced perspective and ask yourself the necessary questions, be honest and always be grateful for the love and experiences. Transformation is challenging and not always filled with sunshine and lollipops. Sometimes, we must let go with love and gratitude.
That’s exactly what I’m going through no, for the past several weeks. I work from home and they come, one at a time, and every time I kill one, another one comes around. It’s driving me crazy! Sometimes, I hit them when they land on my desk, and just KNOW I got it, but I didn’t and it would keep bothering me. I’ve read they represent dirtiness, and that really bothers me.
Normally, after you make the connection on the symbolism, they’ll stop showing up.
Ive literally been seeing fruit flies and gnats non stop seems like when i swat 2…4 more take their place. being honestly with you ive been on an ascension path. I recently seen a literal ufo along with my youngest daughter. Some things ive experienced have been supernatural these past 7-8 months. ive been seeing them to the degree i definitely felt the need and urge to search for a spiritual meaning to seeing them. thank you for your information.
As soon as you make the connection, they will normally go away. You are doing the exact right thing, looking up the symbolism, so you receive the message, then you can move on to the next message!
My daughter and I saw this UFO in Nov. 2019. She kept asking me what the red light was, I told her it was to make sure no one hit the Space Needle. I thought she was talking about the lights at the top of the towers!
https://youtu.be/UjOIGUEOMyY