Ants Omens and Spiritual Meaning

What is the spiritual meaning of seeing ants? Also, do ants have any particular omens or messages to give us? Maybe you’ve been seeing ants everywhere, or maybe you’ve seen them somewhere strange. Either way, something about the way ants have presented themselves to you has struck you as significant. So, in this piece we’re going to look at what ant omens, spiritual meaning, symbolism, and also traditional beliefs around the world.

Ants: Positive Omens vs Negative Omens

Placing a label of positive omen or negative omen on ants is challenging. This is because ants do convey spiritual messages and meanings to us, and there are some prophetic properties of ant sightings depending on their context. However, whether or not the ant omen is positive or negative depends on your perspective. Because, overall, ants communicate a message of obligation to community. The level of the community could be as small as your immediate family, or it could be your local community, an online community, or a broader sense of all of society. So, when ants present themselves to you, it’s typically time to think about the needs of everybody around you and any common goals you are attempting to achieve together. For some of us, being obligated to help others could be a negative. However, others might relish the opportunity to serve and be altruistic.

Being Grounded

Ants are one of the most powerful messengers asking you to pay attention to the earth. After all, they literally make their home in the ground. It’s a reminder that we’re all connected to the earth—we come from it, we eat from it, and eventually our bodies return to it. More than that though, ants create entire interconnected systems and societies inside the earth. As such, there can be fewer messages as on the nose as coming across an ant nest in the dirt—it’s about being grounded in a way that makes you humble and considerate of collective goals around you.

Also, when ants present themselves to you, it’s worth paying attention to how you feel in general. Are you feeling generally grounded? Because if you feel ungrounded, then it could well be that your root chakra is blocked. If your root chakra is blocked then you’re ungrounded for sure. Some of the symptoms of having a blocked root chakra are the following:

• Anxiety, depression, and fear
• Low energy
• Lack of focus
• Money problems
• Pooping and peeing issues
• Foot, leg, and lower back aches
• Insecurity
• Feeling disconnected, spacy
• Hoarding, cluttering
• Eating too much or too little
• Poor family relations
• Negativity

There are quick and easy things you can do to help balance your root chakra. Things like simply spending some time outdoors. Even better, if it’s safe to be outside barefoot then do it. After all, there are fewer things as satisfying as feeling the fresh, cool grass between your toes. Even better, how about some sand on the beach? Also, you can eat certain foods—especially red foods and food that comes from the ground.

To read more about how to balance your chakras, you can check out our free extensive guide to balancing your chakras here.

Ants & Abundance

To say that ants stand for abundance is an understatement. Because, if you’ve ever kicked over an ant hill by accident, you’ll know just how abundant ants are. Also, you know if you leave one sugary thing out by accident in the middle of summer, it’ll be coated in hundreds if not thousands of hungry ants before you know it. So, yes, ants are symbol of and an omen for abundance.

However, it’s worth considering the nuance in different symbols of abundance. A grape vine covered in juicy, delicious grapes is certainly symbolic of an abundance of resources, specifically food and drink. Whereas, the abundance ants convey to us is quite different. Their abundance is more about the abundance created through collective struggle. Think about it like an old fashioned family farm. Because everybody needs to do their part—there are jobs for everybody in the family: till the earth, plant the seeds, clean off the bugs, water the plants. If one person in the chain doesn’t do their job, then the abundant food you had counted on could be lost.

So, remember, the ant tells you abundance is coming, but to receive that abundance remember to fulfill your duties and count on your family, friends, and co-workers to do their part too.

Ant Nests or Colony Spiritual Meaning

Nests are, of course, to do with the home and family. A bird’s nest, for example, is a significant omen pointing to incoming pregnancies in the family. However, an ant’s nest brings a different message. You’ve heard the African proverb that it “It takes a village to raise a child”? Well, the ant’s nest is symbolic of that. The entire colony tends to the queen and her offspring.

So, seeing an ant nest might not necessarily be a foretelling of an incoming pregnancy in the family, but rather it is reminding you that all children in your sphere need to be raised by the responsible adults in their lives. It could be as simple as being a good role model, i.e. inspiring the children in your life to grow up and be like you. Or, it could be more an indicator to get more involved—what action can you take to improve the lives of the kids in your family and even in your broader community?

Cooperation

Cooperation and ants is a big thing. Because, after all, that’s what ants are all about—it’s to do with collective sacrifice to achieve something together. Think about working on those big projects that alone you could never achieve, but together the goal comes into reach and focus. However, it’s not as simple as many hands make light work—because cooperation in ants borders on, what we might perceive as, telepathy. They stand for a innate and harmonious union and order between many people. Sure, you can take this to mean the connections between people in a well-functioning society. However, it can be more spiritual than that, because ants also represent the connections between all things—literal, physical, spiritual, metaphysical.

How to apply this message to your own day-to-day life is a bit of a headscratcher though. Because, ultimately, that will be about your personal experience, perspective, and feelings. But, of course, that’s true for most omens and symbols in life. It’s a good opportunity to meditate on how well you work as part of a team. Think about what opportunities you’ve denied yourself regarding goals that could have been achieved as part of a group rather than as an individual.

And that last message goes out to the entrepreneurs especially. There’s a natural inclination to want to do everything yourself when you first get started. Or, worse yet, it could be that you don’t even get started because you’re afraid that you don’t know how to do everything to succeed in your business. That’s where successful people shine, because they recognize their place in the interconnectedness of our society and they are open and ready to work with others.

Structure & Hierarchy

It’s easy to get carried away with the idea that ants represent cooperation and togetherness, i.e. aiming to achieve goals together, to be more than the sum of our individual parts. However, the ant’s success comes at the cost of its freedom. That is, an ant is part of a strict hierarchy. The ant serves the queen. Also, ants are given specific jobs and are given the strengths to achieve those goals.

So, keep that in mind when the ant comes to you as a messenger. It can be an omen that your own personal goals might need to be put to one side while you work with others to secure the safety of the most important people in your family or social circle. Also, reflect on what you’re good at, i.e. what you were literally made to do.

Having said that, it’s always difficult to suggest that people put their own personal needs aside. And so, that is not recommended. This is because every ant needs to be strong and healthy first and foremost before they can contribute to the needs the colony—remember that.

Ants, Large Projects & Patience

Ants are the epitome of patience. This is because they will move sand, grain-by-grain, without tiring or growing bored. This is a wonderful message to receive from the spirits. It’s a kind way to be reminded that the things you want to achieve in the material world might well take focus, diligence, patience, and determination. But, remember, it’s that long haul to the top of a mountain that makes reaching the peak so satisfying. Such is the material world, i.e. we’re here to experience those experiences, emotions, and sensations of satisfaction. What can you achieve with enough patience? Reflect on it.

Sacrifice

It’s going to be a recurring theme throughout this article—ants represent the needs of the many over the needs of the few. To see an ant is to be reminded that you don’t exist or succeed in alone. It’s a popular concept, the “self made man”. But the truth is that is a total fallacy. Ants remind us of that. That’s because no matter how great the individual’s achievement might be, they’re always achieved in the setting created by those before them and around them.

So, what message can we take from this? It’s to remember that the group matters and it’s okay to pass on things for yourself so that you can share them with others and, instead of succeeding alone, we should succeed together. Which, while it might sound a touch political, on the contrary, it’s just about community. The only reason to be successful is to share your success with the people you care about, whether that’s family, friends or your local or broader communities.

Bites or Stings

The spiritual meaning of an ant bite is interesting. First of all, it’s something to think about because there’s confusion about ant bites to begin with. You might well think you know that bees and wasps sting, whereas ants bite. But, that’s only sort of true. This is because, yes, ants do bite you. But that isn’t what hurts. When an ant bites you, it’s so tiny and insignificant you probably won’t feel it. But, you might be shouting otherwise—you’ve felt an ant bite? Actually, what you’re feeling is the ant sting. It’s an interesting behavior, first the ant anchors itself to you with a bite, holding itself in place with the bite, and it then stings you with a stinger placed at the end of its abdomen (just like a bee or wasp).

Anyway, so what’s the omen of receiving an ant bite (or several)? Well, your first instinct might be to think that it’s a negative omen because it caused you pain. But, the truth is that it can be a positive omen when you think about it. After all, what is the ant doing when it stings you? It’s protecting its nest. Which, in turn means it is protecting its queen, the nest’s offspring, and the nest itself. So, the symbolism there is undeniable. An ant bite/sting is symbolic of love for, devotion to, and defense of your most vulnerable and important family members.

Red Ants / Fire Ants Omens & Meaning

Fire ants or red ants convey a special meaning on account of their color.

Red is an interesting color to analyze, because its spiritual meaning differs depending on where you are in the world or, rather, which cultures you are focusing on when thinking about it. Because, in the West, red stands for passion, war, aggression and power. Whereas, in Chinese-influenced cultures, the color red is used to engender good fortune and abundance.

So, the color red when it comes to ants has its own special meaning—ants represent strength in numbers, while red represents strength itself. As such, we can take the red ant to be powerful symbol of strength when we work together and fight together to overcome adversity and common threats.

But, the truth is, while we might call them “red” ants, they’re not really red. In fact, they’re actually a shade of orange. Orange also has its own spiritual significance. After all, it is the color was chosen by Buddhist monks. Their robes are intended to communicate a lack of materialism. This ties in well with the meaning of the ant, i.e. avoid individualism and materialism and instead focus on being altruistic and serving others. Whereas, in the West orange is a summery color representing warmth, joy and creativity.

Black Ants Omens & Meaning

While red ants represent a strong and, honestly, quite violent and aggressive devotion to the group over the individual, black ants instead represent the other core message ants convey. That is, black ants stand for being grounded above all else. That’s not to say that they don’t represent the importance of altruism, but they more than their red cousins stand for reconnecting with the earth and finding joy, contentment, and ultimately, tranquility through groundedness and service to others.

Leafcutting Ants Omens & Meaning

Leaf cutter or leafcutting ants convey their own particular spiritual meanings. All ants represent the importance of being grounded, and they also represent abundance and altruism. However, the leafcutting ant connects the earth with the trees. Trees, in their own right, are very meaningful entities—they symbolize life, growth, wisdom, abundance, a connection between the realms below, on earth, and above.

So, what does it mean for an ant to cut, take and consume the leaves of a tree? The leafcutting ant represents our earthliness being connected to our ancient origins. This is because cultures across the world, both past and present, have a concept of the “World Tree”. The most well known is probably Yggdrasil, the Norse World Tree. Check out this list of other cultures with their own world tree beliefs:

• India – Ashvattha
• Mesoamerica – Wacah Chan / Yax Imix Che
• Hungary – égig érő fa
• Mongolia – Modun
• Germany – Irminsul
• Turkey – Ağaç Ana
• China – Jianmu

Leafcutting ants represent a willingness to accept the abundance of the divine. It doesn’t necessarily only stand for material abundance in the form of food or possessions, it also symbolizes a wealth of knowledge, joy, and contentment. The leafcutting ant takes what the trees offer us, it breaks up the sustenance available and shares it with its offspring.

Winged Flying Ants Omen

Before talking about the spiritual meaning or omens associated with winged or flying ants, we have to understand what they are. Winged ants are the males and females the nest produces, their job is to go out, breed, and found their own ant colonies. So, with this in mind, their meaning should become clear: they are symbols of fertility and abundance.

However, that isn’t all. Their wings give them a celestial value—that is, they are connected to the heavens and stand for the connection between the earth realm and the heavenly realm. Also, winged creatures, especially birds, are definite spiritual symbols of freedom.

So, when we bring these meanings together, what do we get? Well, the winged ant is about leaving your old obligations behind, to go out and find, ultimately, your own personal obligations. You could take their symbolism literally as a sign to go and start your own family, but it could also be metaphorical—whatever your passion is, it could be time to strike out on your own and make those dreams come true.

Ants in Your Car!

Typically, when a visitor presents themselves in your car, the omen is about travel. Ants are no different—to see ants in your car foretells a possible journey that relates to obligations and the hard work those obligations create. Ants represent family, societal, and work responsibilities and achievements. So, in literal sense, it could be that the ants in your car are predicting a work trip or an important family-related road trip.

Ant in Bathroom Meaning

You generally only find flowing water in two rooms of the house. One is, of course, the kitchen. While the other room featuring water is the bathroom. Water dominates these rooms; the element of water represents emotion, especially deep-seated, powerful, and often hidden emotions. So, seeing an ant (or several) in the bathroom should remind you of the depth of emotion (love) connected to your obligations. After all, it is easy to feel resentful about burdensome and repetitive tasks. However, an ant in the bathroom is a wink and a nod to, a reminder of, why we perform challenging, boring, tiresome tasks—love, care, considerateness, altruism. Additionally, and obviously, the bathroom is where we clean ourselves, and so that message is multiplied when it comes to chores that involve cleaning.

Ants Around the Kitchen Sink

As mentioned above, the bathroom isn’t the only room in the house with a flowing water connection. The kitchen, too, has flowing water. So, naturally, the spiritual meaning is similar. Yes, absolutely, the kitchen sink does represent the flowing of strong emotions and their connection to familial, societal, and professional obligations. However, the kitchen sink conveys a slightly different message. This is because the sink is where food is prepared—vegetables, especially, are cleaned there. This is a nod to the ant’s connection to the earth and groundedness and also, it connects to abundance.

What is the practical application of this message? Being centered on duty, obligation, care, and collective action, an ant in the kitchen tells us to collect, prepare, and serve an abundance of food to our loved ones. Also, the ant tells us to do it with love and satisfaction—to serve our loved ones is a pleasure, of course.

Ants in Your Mailbox Omen

Ants in your mailbox can be quite common in the summertime. The omen or spiritual meaning there is varied. Considering the ant’s representation of hierarchical structure, obligation to family and, of course, wider society, it could be that incoming communication relating to that is being foretold. Simply put, you might be getting some mail from an authority of sorts that is calling on you to fulfil your duties. Don’t fret too much though, it could be just as likely that you’re simply being invited to the family reunion rather than getting a scary letter from the government.

Ant Eggs Spiritual Meaning

It’s a bit mean to kick over an ant hill, isn’t it? But, we’ve all been walking in the yard and done it by accident. And when we do that, sometimes we find little worker ants carrying precious ant eggs around.

The sighting of ant eggs is quite a significant omen. It points to fertility and potential pregnancy in the family. However, it’s more specific than that. The ant’s eggs tell you of your duty to help care for, raise, and protect any children in your family or your broader sphere. So, should you uncover ant eggs by accident, don’t beat yourself up too much. It was only a mistake. Plus, those worker ants will carry the eggs off to safety. Instead of worrying, take the message from them and think of any children in need and reflect on what you might be able to do to help them.

Dead Ant Omen

Finding a dead ant in your house can be unusual. They’re not as common a sight as other dead creepy crawlies for whatever reason. So, it’s natural to find spiritual significance in the sighting of a dead ant.

So, what does seeing a dead ant mean? What is the omen of a dead ant? Well, it’s understandable to assume that any dead creature is a bad omen. And, to an extent, there is truth there. Death represents the end. But, it only represents the end of one experience and, in that absence, something new grows. So, a dead ant is a foretelling of the death of an obligation. This could mean that a change of employment is on the cards. Alternatively, it could be less upheaval than that, i.e. it could just mean that your responsibilities at work are changing.

Dream Meanings of Ants

Unlocking the meaning of a dream is always quite difficult. This is because, psychology speaking at least, dream meanings are unique from person to person. After all, what something means to one person will be different to what it means to another—how does a person feel about a particular topic naturally affects the meaning of the dream. In this case, if you find ants kind of gross, then you should probably call your ant “dream” more of a “nightmare”! So, let’s leave any psychological analysis to the therapists out there!

But when it comes to spiritual meanings and omens, a dream about ants has to do with spiritual responsibilities to family, friends, and the members of your various communities. Ants presenting themselves in a dream differs from their presence in the material world, because their material presence is about material obligations. Whereas, in a dream, you are being reminded more of your intangible, ethereal, nebulous, emotional obligations to others. How to pin this down is difficult and will depend on your own perspective. But, a simple example involves being a positive, joyful, supporting force in the lives of people around you—cut out the negativity and instead of support and love freely.

Further Reading

• Possum Omens and Spiritual Meaning
• Frogs Spiritual Meaning
• Cardinals Omens, Spiritual Meaning, Symbols
• Spiritual Meaning of Japanese Beetles