Wasp Spiritual Meaning & Symbolism: A Complete Guide

Wasps are interesting and fierce little creatures that we all recognize instantly. But did you know there are a number of spiritual meanings associated with them?

This guide will help you understand what it means when you see a wasp, and give you guidance on how to interpret these signs correctly.

Wasp Symbolism

When most people see or think of wasps, they generally don’t consider them good news. But in reality, wasps are much more than annoyances that show up to hassle people and ruin picnics — they perform a vital function in the ecosystem by hunting and consuming common garden pests.

This isn’t the only reason why wasps aren’t all bad. They also symbolize strength, perseverance, and bravery. They’ve even accompanied gods and goddesses and taken part in the creation stories of some cultures. Wasps are powerful spiritual messengers with valuable lessons to teach.

Wasp Spiritual Meaning

If you frequently see, dream of, or feel drawn to wasps, there might be a special spiritual meaning intended for you. Here are some of the possibilities.

1. Seize Control Of Your Life

If there’s one thing that you can say about wasps, they certainly don’t put up with anyone else’s nonsense. Where bees can sting once (at the cost of their life), wasps can defend themselves as many times as they need to.

That’s why seizing control of your life is one of the most common spiritual meanings associated with them. If you frequently feel like you’re taken advantage of by others, you don’t need to keep putting up with it. It may be time to stand up for yourself, take the reins, and live your truth.

2. Show Courage

The sight of a wasp is often enough to send people running. If you think about it, it seems a bit silly — wasps are much smaller than humans, and many of them aren’t even truly aggressive. Nonetheless, these animals’ reputation for courage precedes them.

This is why one of the spiritual meanings connected to wasps is to remember that it’s important to show bravery. They’re also a reminder to recognize when your fears might be irrational. How many times have you been scared by the sight of a little wasp? Some of them look frightening but may not even try to drive you off unless you intentionally hassle them.

If you’re seeing wasps now, consider what else in your life might require courage. Is there something you need to stand up to, but fear prevents you from doing so? Is there something small that feels much scarier than it is? It’s time to be brave!

3. It’s Time To Focus On Productivity

These little critters work hard. Social wasps work on building their nests, defending their homes, and tending queens and larvae. Solitary wasps have to work on digging, building, hunting, and bringing prey back to their eggs.

A wasp that’s hard at work can be a reminder to focus on productivity right now. This doesn’t necessarily mean working at your job, and productivity can look like different things for different people. You may need to pay more attention to your schoolwork, home, family, or goals, for example.

4. You Can Persevere

Wasps are persistent. Nowhere is this more apparent than in their feeding behavior. If you’ve ever sat down to eat outdoors, only to be confronted by some determined wasps, you probably know exactly how persistent they can be!

Yellowjackets, for example, have dietary habits that change during the seasons. When they have a lot of growing larvae to feed, they hunt down all of the sources of protein that they can find. When their larvae have grown and sources of flower nectar are drying up, they look for sweet foods. Even when their natural food sources are disappearing, they go after what they need.

You can tap into the wasp’s determination. The symbolism of wasps can be encouragement from the universe to persevere. If you’re going through a hard time right now, you may wish to work with the wasp as a power animal to help you keep going.

5. You’re Stronger Than You Think

Few animals want to mess with wasps. One type of wasp is even known as a “cow-killer” because the wingless females have an incredibly painful, venomous sting. They’re not particularly large or intimidating creatures, but they can still face off with much, much larger animals when they need to.

Take inspiration from these little animals. They know their own strength and the power of what nature gave them. You have natural gifts and talents at your disposal, too, and you’re much stronger than you think.

6. A New Chapter Is Upon You

In temperate areas, wasps are seasonal. They either die off or hibernate during the winter, then emerge in spring. The queen wasp starts a new colony, and the wasps are active until the end of summer. At that point, she flies off with male wasps to create the next generation of queens, and the cycle continues.

When you start seeing wasps, it can be a harbinger of spring. Their spiritual meaning is often associated with newness, growth, and beginnings. They may appear to you to let you know that you’re about to begin a new chapter in your life.

7. Embrace Your Family Bonds

Both social and solitary wasps have pretty strong family bonds. Social wasps all work together to ensure that the nest survives, by hunting for food, protecting each other, and building. Though solitary wasps don’t live in groups, they still choose nesting sites and hunt for prey in order to give their children the best possible chance of survival.

Seeing wasps working together in a group can symbolize the need to embrace your family bonds. This doesn’t just mean blood relations, either — your family are the people who help you thrive. The family you choose is just as valid, if not more so, than the family that you’re born into.

8. Fertility

A surprising amount of wasp behavior is connected to taking care of baby wasps. Why do wasps sting people? To keep them away from their nests. Why do they go after your food? Because they have a lot of tiny, wiggling mouths to feed!

Wasp queens can also reproduce rather prolifically. Some can lay as many as one hundred eggs in a single day.

If you’re suddenly seeing or dreaming of wasps, the meaning could be an omen of increased fertility. This can be a positive sign if you’re trying to conceive, but fertility doesn’t always directly translate to pregnancy. Fertility can also represent growth or creativity in other areas of your life.

What Does It Mean When You Constantly See Wasps?

If you frequently see wasps during the day or in dreams, they may have a very important spiritual message to deliver. The universe really wants you to know something and has decided that the wasp is the best messenger for the job. Pay attention!

Sometimes, repeatedly seeing wasps can warn you of a special event or time period. If the wasps’ message is connected to a specific situation, then you may see them with increasing frequency the closer you get to that event. Once it passes, they may stop visiting you.

Wasp As A Spirit Animal

In new age beliefs, the term “spirit animal” describes a spiritual presence that takes the form of an animal to act as a kind of mentor. While this may have some similarities with the beliefs of indigenous cultures around the world, it’s mostly a modern term. As a spirit animal, wasps represent change and the unexpected.

This creature may come to you to help you smooth out your rough edges. For example, if you have trouble with communication, bad habits, or other things that you’d like to work on, then wasp energy can help. Wasps are particularly helpful for those who struggle with creating positive change in their lives.

Wasp As A Totem Animal

Totem animals are used to represent villages, clans, or other groups of people, but some cultures also have personal totems. If you feel drawn to wasps as a personal totem, then you may be an independent, dramatic spirit yourself!

Those who choose wasps as personal totems often have a special flair. They’re very dedicated to following their whims and may have a strong dislike of authority figures. This may initially seem off-putting to others, but people who are drawn to wasp totems know what (and who) they want in their lives. When the right people come along, these intriguing, dramatic, adventurous figures really shine.

Wasp As A Power Animal

Power animals are sources of inspiration. They often come to us when they exhibit some kind of trait or energy that we need right now. If you’re drawn to wasps as a power animal, it could be because they are connected to the concepts of organization, protection, and progress.

Wasp nests are highly organized. If you’re having trouble taming the clutter — literal or metaphorical — in your life, then wasp energy can help you bring in a sense of order and peace.

Wasps are also protective. If you have trouble standing up for yourself, then wasps can definitely be an empowering, strengthening spiritual presence!

Since they’re very hard-working creatures, they’re also reminders that there can be no progress without effort. If you feel that you’ve lost some of your drive or inspiration, then working with wasps as a power animal can help you regain it.

The Spiritual Meaning Of A Wasp In The House

If you find a wasp in your house, it’s most likely a queen. As the weather cools, queens look for warm, safe places to hibernate. In this sense, a wasp in your home may be a reminder to avoid falling into lazy habits.

The spiritual meaning of a wasp in the house is often a reminder of the importance of communication and healthy expression. This is especially important if you live with other people. This wasp might be here to tell you to be gentler in your dealings with others and avoid issues like gossip and back-biting.

What Does It Mean When A Wasp Lands On You?

In most cases, when a wasp lands on you it speaks of upcoming changes. You might have some major upheavals on the horizon or may even be in the midst of them already. Don’t ignore this — change is inevitable, and the best thing you can do is be prepared.

A wasp landing on you can also symbolize trouble brewing in your personal relationships. There may be something there that you need to pay more attention to, even if your friends or family haven’t explicitly mentioned it yet.

The Spiritual Meaning Of Wasps In Different Cultures

Wasps live all over the world, so they appear in the beliefs and folklore of many different cultures. Some of these spiritual meanings are:

The Americas

In general, many Native American cultures have negative perceptions of swarming, stinging, or biting bugs, though this isn’t universally true. Insects also often appear in stories to represent humility.

A Diné origin story mentions the Wasp People, who knew the secrets of causing evil and shooting harm into other living things. This made them very powerful.

The Mayan mountain god Jacawitz was also associated with wasps. The yellow wasp was a symbol of him and his lineage.

Egypt

Wasps are connected to the ancient Egyptian goddess Ahti. She had the head of a wasp and the body of a hippo, and was said to have a terrible temper. Ahti is depicted as the Goddess of misfortune.

India

In Hinduism, Brhamari is the Goddess of bees. She’s also associated with wasps and other bee-like creatures. The gods Vishnu, Krishna and Indra were also associated with bees.

What Do Wasps Symbolize In The Bible?

Hornets, a specific type of wasp, are specifically mentioned in Exodus 23:28, Deuteronomy 7:20, and Joshua 24:12 as a kind of punishing force. They were sent by the Christian God to drive out the Hivites, Canaanites, Hittites, and two Amorite kings, among others. While not entirely positive creatures, they are portrayed as a divine weapon.            

Closing Thoughts

The symbolism and spiritual meaning of wasps is often quite positive or inspirational. Just because these creatures can give you a painful sting, it doesn’t mean there isn’t something we can learn from them!

Let us know if you have any questions or need some help interpreting the meaning behind these animals. We’re always happy to lend a hand.