Lovely to see you, Luna moth…

“…patinaed that sea-glass green /…The miraculous green / origami of their wings—false eyed, doomed / and sensual as the mermaid’s long green fins…”

Sean Nevin, from “Hinged Double Sonnet for the Luna Moths”

This amazing Luna moth appeared as Kathy, Dede, and I (the three of us who write this blog) were on retreat in the North Carolina mountains. A startling visitor indeed, who lingered on a stuccoed archway of the converted horse stables home for the duration of our stay there.

My first thought was that a nocturnal, moonlight-loving creature as elegant as this must be a Luna lady—a feminine spirit guide—but alas, the full, feathery antennae indicate that it’s a gentleman moth.

Even at a women’s retreat, his presence is a welcome gift.

According to Wikipedia, the life stages of these giant silk moths consist of “approximately 10 days as eggs, 6–7 weeks as larvae, 2-3 weeks as pupae, finishing with one week as winged adults.”

Wow. So little flying time after all that tedious metamorphosing. 

It’s rare to see the Luna transformed briefly into green-winged, translucent splendor. Having no digestive track or functional mouth, the adult moth does not eat, but lives on the energy he stored as a caterpillar. And he has fewer than ten days to mate with as many females as he can. To focus fully on reproducing beauty.

Is it any wonder that a Luna moth sighting elicits awe and evokes a myriad of symbolic meanings?  

Among them cited online: transience, the brevity of life, new beginnings, rebirth, spiritual transformation, renewal of body and spirit, regeneration, heightened awareness, the gift of intuition, a striving towards truth and beauty…

I don’t know if our unexpected guest carried a specific message from the Universe; I do know we feel honored it was with us that he chose to spend a generous portion of his fated, fleeting life.