To most people, finding a slug in your house sounds like the worst thing EVER (except maybe snail trails on your carpet), but to those of us walking our spiritual path, this meeting can have deep meaning within it.
Slugs are bizarre creatures that belong to the mollusk family and can regenerate lost body parts.
We find ourselves and, over time, are given the chance to grow more healthily.
Remember that while slugs may not be fast movers – they still get from A-Z eventually.
It is about the strength in vulnerability
Slugs do not have hard protective shells like some other animals. Looking from a spiritual perspective, this vulnerability can even be interpreted as a very strong lesson.
When slugs come into our houses, they are asking us to learn from other people who express vulnerability.
All along in our spiritual quest, we make an effort to be strong and iron-willed, but the true strength lies within our flaws.
Vulnerability can lead to deep transformation.
Being vulnerable helps us deepen that bridge between heart and spirit, inviting others to touch our souls in ways not otherwise possible.
It is the means by which we strip away all of those masks that we wear to protect ourselves and, in doing so, allow us an opening inside.
It takes a tremendous amount of courage to embrace vulnerability.
It means being real about our fears, doubts and shortcomings.
From my perspective, this truth creates greater internal self-awareness and deeper relationships.
When we stop feeling like we need to be invincible, that is when life will truly open up for us, and those connections with others start to mean something.
Vulnerability brings us closer to God as well.
Relying on the advice and support of higher powers is gained in humility — by knowing that we cannot outdo it all alone.
And this openness can result in spiritual insights and a fuller sense of mission.
It is only in recognizing he extent of our frailty that we access a level of human strength beyond ourselves.
It is about releasing negative emotions
Slugs are very comfortable in moisture, which is why they can occur in high-humidity areas or places of darkness and wetness.
It is this same moisture which can be equated to seeking the deeper emotional waters.
Slugs are a symbol of exploring the dark inner areas.
Exploring our emotional depths is part of spiritual growth.
This helps us to let go of negative emotions, heal past wounds and develop greater self-awareness.
Never do you get that so strongly than when a slug reminds you of just how okay it is to go as deep into those energies and experience – forever alchemical change.
We expose ourselves to these emotional layers, and in doing so, we shed light on aspects of who it is that we are; our shadows subdivide into forgotten fragments.
These darkened crevices inside of us can be hard to sit with, but they are the property we possess that will provide fertile ground for our self-searching.
Going on this deep journey into our emotions is not easy. It can be incredibly uncomfortable.
In this journey to the lowest point of our emotions, we come to accept all sides of ourselves – light and dark in spirit.
When we are able to see who and how it is getting in the way (self-awareness), this supports us in embodying our experiences of what redefining ourselves truly feels like.
Diving deeply into our emotional world allows us to experience heightened empathy and compassion for ourselves and also for those around us.
The the moisture of the slug reminds us to be vulnerable and to go under things where we can get our emotional well-being nurtured.
A practice that inspires us to leave spaces in our own lives for safe exploration of emotions.
We must each work out our struggles.
It is about the power of adaptability
Slugs are adept at survival, and can be found in many kinds of places.
Adaptability is a great spiritual lesson in itself. Perhaps this adaptability is what actually makes it a significant spiritual lesson.
Slugs communicate to us that in our spiritual path, we must adapt and adjust ourselves as easily as possible.
Adaptability is openness to new ways of doing, thinking and being. It means being willing to release outdated beliefs and patterns that keep us stuck.
It also means we must be receptive to the lessons that arrive in our lives, even when those moments may come as a surprise and feel painful.
Surprise events happen all of the time in life, and most give a chance to expand.
We can then be more conscious and integrated in our spiritual practice, able to weather the surprises on one hand or at least not tightly curled around an attachment.
It is about the importance of persistence
Slugs are characterized by their determination.
They never stop pushing forward, regardless of any barriers or difficulties. This perseverance is no doubt a great spiritual lesson.
This is the reason why, when slugs enter our houses they act as a signal to push forward with your spiritual path.
Thus, it is the effort we make to show up for our self-practices day after day, even when they feel pointless.
What it means is that we keep on looking and probing even though there are setbacks.
But when I think of the slug stubbornly inching along, it makes me realize that perseverance is not so much about how quickly you are moving forward as simply showing up.
I’m Bulgarea Candin Stefan and I have started Spiritual Whirlwinds to pass my learnings from my spiritual journey. Spiritualwhirlwinds.com provides a space of spiritual awakening with guided meditations, e-books, mantras, and pendulum readings.
