Sweet conversations
The great Aussie salute has been devoted to the fly. Swarms of these pestiferous insects have been behind the development of the swaggie’s hat with hanging corks designed to deter them. Strips of sticky paper, complete with an assortment of dead and writhing victims, is a vintage outback, pioneering symbol of “we won’t be beaten!”
Flies begin their journey hatching as maggots. With the accompanying aroma of rotting matter, these plump, wriggling, white, light-sensitive creatures easily evoke distaste and horror. (medicine – tropics – healing)
A Dreaming about Fly highlights it’s laziness compared to Bee who consistently seeks and stores food in anticipation of winter. The bees suspect the lazy flies will request portions of their personal supplies during the cold months, so they decide to hide by making their homes in trees. To this day, Fly, who only eats for today and forgets about future needs, dies away in winter.[1]
Like Fly, it might be time to do some forward thinking. Acknowledging future needs is a good way of making the present NOW more productive and the future NOW more comfortable. As the expression goes, ‘time flies’, so it may well be time to put into action all those ‘should do’s’ before it is too late.
It is quite appropriate Fly indicates the need for action, they certainly keep one moving, even though it is vigorous swatting and perhaps with a few curses thrown in if there are heaps! Irritations can be a great incentive to move into change, and so is a blessing in disguise. It’s sometimes only through irritation that change can occur, like with the oyster and pearl. Flies are no pearls however, except from a web of life perspective where everything serves a purpose and is interconnected – oh, and sometimes fly can end up in a web, which is where Spider can come in handy!
The presence of blow flies may be an indication that any blows or disappointments in your life can be brushed aside like these insects, even if they are as persistent and take their time getting the hint they are not welcome. A blow fly has the ability to disturb a lovely picnic as it has of bringing the lesson of patience. Yes, that blowie may have been feasting on still-steaming dung before it alighted on your luncheon delicacy – and yes, we are all connected in the great web of life. Flies contribute to the breakdown of vegetable matter and dead things which replenish the nutrient content of the soil which in turn makes its way to us through the food chain or the oxygen produced by healthy plants. Can you break down any undigestables into easily assimilated portions?
[1] Reed, A.W. “Aboriginal Myths, Legends & Fables.”