Mothing

It is National Moth Week (yes that is a thing!) so I figured it would be a perfect time to share one of my favorite spiritual practices… Mothing!!!!

So what is mothing?

Mothing (aka light-sheeting or sky-fishing) is a method of wildlife observation where a light is cast onto a white sheet to draw moths (and often other crawling and flying critters) to the sheet for easy observation.

So how is that a spiritual practice?

We will get there, but for started Moths have been understood as everything from divine messengers to harbingers of death and have come to represent a vast array of mythical and mystical meanings in the folklore of cultures the world over. While Mothing naturally offers the opportunity for contemplation it takes on new life when understood as a ritual or spiritual practice for remembering our ancestors, and all those who have gone before us in death. Ancestor worship, reverence, and honor runs through many of the world’s religious traditions and spiritual practices - from the Indigenous practices of Turtle Island, Japan (Shinto), and West African (Yoruba) religion to the Christian Cult of the Saints.

In the cultural context of Appalachian myth and folklore, moths (white moths in particular) are often believed to represent the presence of departed loved ones. It is with all of this in mind that we turn toward the practice of Mothing as a contemplative means of re/membering our loved ones that have passed from this life and into the next.

Mothing, when done with intention, can be a way to open ourselves up to experience the presence of our loved ones, be consoled in our grief, and be encouraged to press on in this life by a Great Cloud of Witnesses. (Hebrews 12:1)

What you Need:

• A white sheet, a light source, and a clear night.

Setup:

• Hang a sheet outdoors away from any other artificial light sources.

• Set up your light. Lights that produce shorter wavelengths of light such as UV light or “black light” will attract a wider variety of moths.

• You can watch a video here of you find that helpful.

A Prayer for Turning on the Light: With this light we illuminate the night as a beacon to our beloved kin who have passed on from this life into everlasting love. We ask that the presence of [Speak names aloud or recite them silently] would be made known to us through our Moth friends that exist in that liminal space between life and death. May they come to us as messengers of our kin to speak to us whatever our hearts need to hear. Amen.

• With the sheet illuminated you are invited to sit and wait in quiet contemplation.

• During this time you may begin to recall loved ones, memories you share with them, and things they may have spoken to you. If you feel so moved, talk with them as you would unmediated.

• When the time is right bring this practice to a close by expressing thanks for the moths and the messages they brought with them.

A Prayer for Turning off the Light: Like moths to this light may our hearts be continually drawn toward love and mercy. Tonight, surrounded by this great cloud of witness we express gratitude for our mothen messengers, and the presence of our beloved kin here with us. May we press onward, pursuing compassion and justice in this life until we can embrace them fully once again in the life to come. Amen.