Ladybugs have a rich history of lore and symbolism spanning cultures worldwide. For the most part, Ladybug is associated with being a harbinger of good luck and prosperity, especially in love. Yet Ladybugs also have an unusual association that seems sinister.
They are often associated with death. Before you can understand why Ladybug is symbolic of death, there are a few things to keep in mind. Spiritually speaking, you need not see death as a negative event to fear, but as a major transformation that is inevitable eventually for all life. In this perspective, death is also not a finite ending but another step in the continuation of life and rebirth. It is this point of view that is applied to the association between death and Ladybugs.
Ladybug Symbolism wrt Death Across Cultures
Ladybugs have been viewed as symbolic messengers in various cultures. Ladybugs are believed to be positive omens. Even when they relate to death, they are often viewed as messengers from the Spiritual world rather than a bad omen of death on the horizon.
Early Christian cultures viewed the Ladybug as a symbol of the Soul and of the Virgin Mary. Ladybugs are considered pure, loving, and healing. The correlation to death may be embedded in the Ladybug’s connection to immortality and the Soul, a reminder that the soul’s life continues beyond death.
In ancient Celtic cultures, Ladybug was often seen as a symbol of protection. This belief lingers through many other cultures as well. It’s believed that if a Ladybug lands on you it brings good luck and can protect you from illness. Because Ladybugs were often seen eating aphids from crops, it is also believed that through the death of insects that could bring illness and famine, Ladybug is protecting people from tragedy through their dietary habits.
Often associated with marriage, good luck, and a positive omen, Ladybug landing on your hand was once believed to mean a marriage within a year. It’s also believed that if a Ladybug flies into your home it is bringing good luck to you.
Ladybugs Symbolism wrt Death in Folklore
Aligned with the connection between Ladybug and protecting crops from destructive aphids, there is a tale about medieval farmers who prayed to the Virgin Mary to help save their crops. The crops were being overeaten by aphids. The Virgin Mary sent a swarm of Ladybugs to eat the Aphids, thus saving their crops by killing the other insects.
This brings the connection to death as it is through the death of the adversarial bugs that Ladybug preserves the crops to help people survive. The pattern of death as a sacrifice so others can live is also inherent in this tale.
Perhaps you’ve heard of the nursery Rhyme “Ladybug Ladybug, fly away home.” This seemingly morbid rhyme may be puzzling at first. It goes, “Ladybug, Ladybug, fly away home; your house is on fire and your children will burn.” Yet when you understand it in context, it takes on a whole different meaning.
This is an old English song sung by children so that they could warn the Ladybugs of the impending harvest of crops. Once people harvested crops for the season, the remaining crops were burned down. Thus this eerie rhyme is actually another reminder of the life-death-rebirth cycle. It’s a warning to Ladybug to remove their “families” from the fields so that people can take the needed actions to create food and save their own families. The crops are about to die so others may live.
Protection of crops and food is another part of the link between Ladybugs and death. It was believed that when Ladybugs were around, people would be protected from various kinds of foodborne illnesses, perhaps because Ladybugs would eat the insects that would cause much of the illnesses.
Why do Ladybugs relate to Death?
There are also a number of practical reasons that Ladybug relates to death. Consider Ladybug’s short lifespan. In a matter of weeks, they go from infant stages to adults. As adults, Ladybugs only live about one year. You can imagine that people living in close connection to nature observed this and saw it as symbolic of the need to appreciate how short life can be.
Ladybugs also hibernate which is symbolic of death or introversion, yet when they re-emerge from hibernation it can seem like a rebirth phase. This can be another reason why people associate Ladybugs with the process of death, rebirth, and the Spiritual realm.
In addition, there are prevalent beliefs that Ladybugs are related to the Soul and the Soul’s journey after death. This can help to explain the connection between these tiny creatures and death as a milestone in the spiritual journey. Take into account also the belief that Ladybugs are visitors from our guardians in Spirit which further links Ladybug with death and the afterlife.
Conclusion:
There are a number of reasons Ladybug is linked to death and the afterlife. As ominous as this may seem, none of these reasons are negative or scary. Instead, Ladybug is often regarded as a positive guide from the Spirit realm who helps you to remember our deceased loved ones are protecting you.
Ladybug protects crops from predatory pests and in doing so uses the process of death to save people and animals depending on the crops for food. Thus, Ladybug is also associated with the balance between life and death. Symbolically, Ladybug reminds you that in order for one form of life to grow, other lifeforms must die and this cycle is continuous.
Angela Kaufman is a Certified Intuitive Consultant, Psychic Medium, Intuitive Empowerment, Life Coach and an LCSW. She is an amazon published author and was Featured on several shows like Discovery Channel’s A Haunting, Echoes from the Past (2007) 14 Degrees: A Paranormal Documentary, Tune In to Wellness Today with LisaMarie Tersigni, and Empowering Entrepreneurs with Melissa Carter as well as numerous radio interviews. She is the author of Queen Up! Reclaim Your Crown When Life Knocks You Down - Unleash the Power of Your Inner Tarot Queen and also co-authored three books on metaphysical spirituality (Sacred Objects, Sacred Space; Everyday Tools for the Modern Day Witch | Wicca What's the Real Deal? Breaking Through the Misconceptions | The Esoteric Dream Book; Mastering the Magickal Symbolism of the Subconscious Mind). Angela regularly conducts workshops, the Inner Queen coaching program and loves writing articles, that blend social criticism with spirituality.