Unlike the moth or butterfly, cicadas have no pupal state. They are buried deep as eggs and emerge after a decade as juveniles. Then, they shed again to become fully mature. As a result, cicadas are a powerful symbol of reincarnation, change, rebirth, and power. Their songs are also profound symbols of music and joy.
Common Spiritual Meanings of Cicadas
Change, rebirth, and transformation For over 40 million years, cicadas have been a major symbol of reincarnation and change. Most cicada species spend years underground before emerging all at once. Then, they shed their old exoskeletons, leave the empty shells behind, and fly off to mate before dying. Then, 13-17 years later, those eggs hatch and it all happens again. This kind of infinite loop easily maps onto themes of rebirth, resurrection, and change. Curious about the 13-17 year thing? Different species emerge in different intervals. A 13-year cycle is the shortest, while 17 years is the longest.
Music Cicadas make a lot of noise when they emerge. In fact, after their super weird life cycle it’s probably the most instantly-recognizable thing about them. Cicadas have sound boxes in their abdomen that they use to generate noise. Males hiss to attract females and females click to let the males know they’re interested. Besides humans, how many other animals or insects sing songs together? Since the cicadas only make sounds to attract mates, their noises are often affectionately known as “love songs.” Fun fact, cicadas are the world’s loudest insect!
Summer Cicadas universally emerge at the end of spring. They come out of the ground to greet the summer sun high in the sky. As such, they’re often associated with the season of summer as a whole. It’s actually pretty crazy that cicadas—small bugs with basically zero brain power—know to emerge all at the same time after more than a decade underground. Scientists aren’t totally sure how they do it. They think they’re awoken by the temperature and that the timing has something to do with the trees cicadas eat.
Strength in community Cicadas are basically the opposite of lone wolves—they basically exclusively travel in gigantic hordes. As a result, cicadas are often associated with family, community, or cultural groups. Because cicada hordes are so massive and overwhelming, this connection often emphasizes the strength of power in numbers. Why do cicadas emerge in giant hordes? Well, they’re obnoxiously loud, which is often a poor strategy for survival if you’re a little defenseless bug. You’re a lot more likely to get picked off by predators if you show up with tens of thousands of friends, though!
Patience and maturity Cicadas spend their entire larval stage underground. They only emerge and start frolicking with their friends once all of the bugs have reached maturity. As a result, cicadas can represent the importance of waiting until you’re mature enough to take action. In this way, you can also think about cicadas as a symbol for adulthood as a whole. Everything a cicada does as a young insect is in service of preparing for life as an adult.
Awakening Cicadas emerge when they’re good and ready, and once they do everything changes. This is a perfect metaphor for personal awakening. There are moments in one’s life where you learn something, achieve a goal, or earn an opportunity and it becomes the hinge on which a whole new chapter of your life takes place.
Celebration and joy Many people find the emergence of cicadas to be a great symbol for delight and jubilance. The cicadas show up all once to greet the bright sun, they sing their songs together, and they mate. It’s all kind of lovely and fun when you think about it, isn’t it?
Cultural Associations for Cicadas
Ancient Greece—the God Apollo, music, and peace The Greeks revered the cicada as a noble and carefree insect. Given the fact that it doesn’t bite or attack, it was closely associated with peacefulness. The cicada’s song was also connected to the God Apollo—the Greek deity of healing, sunlight, and, most relevant here, music. Greek literature describes the cicada’s song as “sweet.” Clearly, the Greeks found the cicada much more delightful than most modern people do.
China—rebirth and eternal life after death In the funerary rites for the ancient Chinese, a cicada sculpture made out of jade was often placed on the tongues of the dead. In the cultural imagination of the time, the cicada would absorb the spirit of the deceased and would return in the afterlife to preserve their spirit in immortality. The Chinese also believed the cicada was pure and honorable. They thought cicadas subsisted on dew alone, which meant they left no mark or damage where they went. This practice is sometimes attributed to the Aztecs and Mayans, but we can’t actually find any reputable information confirming either culture used jade cicadas in their funerary rituals. It seems unlikely though, as only the Mayans had a source of jade and Mayan funerals are actually very well documented and studied (no mention of cicadas).
France—the region of Provence Provence is the most southeastern region of France. It’s also home to a species of cicada that emerges every year for a few weeks. Centuries of this practice has led the French to associate the bug with the music, culture, and landscape of Provence. If you visit Provence today, you’ll find all kinds of trinkets, souvenirs, and items with cicadas on them. Provence is known for its ceramics, art, and music. The cicada’s song-making is a natural connection to the region’s culture.
What does it mean if you see a cicada?
It might be a sign that you need to embrace change. The cicada is an agent of transformation. If you’ve come upon a cicada and felt an odd or important connection, perhaps the universe is telling you it’s time for you to make a change. Have you been thinking about changing jobs or going back to school? Perhaps you’re wondering if it’s time to move to a new city? If a feeling like this has been whirling around in your head, maybe the cicada is telling you it’s time to take a leap of faith.
This could be a sign that you need to be patient. Cicadas are masters of waiting. There is nothing on the planet that will drive these patient bugs out of the ground before they’re ready. If you’re anxious about something that may (or may not be!) coming up in the future, perhaps this is a sign that you need to take a deep breath and wait. Relax. Your time will come! The cicada is reminding you. Maybe you’ve been thinking about rushing an important decision. Perhaps you’re looking to take a big leap of faith before you’re 100% ready. Whatever the case, the cicada reminds you that sometimes the best choice is to do nothing but wait.
Maybe you’re being told it’s time to create art again. The cicada is heralded as a masterful musician. As soon as a cicada emerges from the soil, it greets the sun with a song in its heart. If you have any kind of passion for creating art and you’ve been taking a break, an encounter with a cicada that speaks to you could be the push you need to reconnect with your creative spark. If you used to play an instrument or make music, maybe it’s time to pick it back up! Even if you weren’t a musician though, return to that paintbrush, pencil, or clay you used to love working with. Just see what happens!
Perhaps you need to reconnect with your roots. Cicadas are symbols of community for two reasons: they roll deep and they dig even deeper. This may be a sign that it’s time to meet with your community, explore your cultural heritage, or even just reconnect with your old friends from the neighborhood. This could also be a signal for something less dramatic. If a cicada lands on you for example, maybe it’s just trying to whisper, “Hey, you should call your mom. It has been a while!”
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