🐞 The Little Beetle with Big Meaning: Exploring the Spiritual Symbolism of the Ladybug

Ladybugs have long captured our imaginations. They’re small, bright, and fleeting—easy to miss, yet nearly impossible to ignore once they land on your sleeve or windowsill. But beyond their charming spots and cheerful red shells, the ladybug has carried layers of meaning across cultures and generations.

In the Christian tradition, ladybugs are sometimes called the “beetles of Our Lady,” a reference to Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to European folklore, farmers prayed to Mary when pests were destroying their crops, and ladybugs soon arrived—eating the aphids and restoring the harvest. The red shell came to represent Mary's cloak, and the black spots were said to symbolize her sorrows.

*Our Mother of Perpetual Help, Icon of the Virgin Mary, 16th century. St. Catherine's Monastery in the Sinai.

As I reflect on this, I find myself thinking of the tender image in the Icon of the Virgin Mary from St. Catherine’s Monastery. Mary holds Jesus close, her face turned to him with a gaze that blends fierce protection and profound love. It’s a posture we see echoed in nature too—how a mother bird shields her chicks, how the shell of the ladybug protects the softness beneath. It's the kind of loving care we all long for, and, in moments of grace, offer to others.

Because of this connection, ladybugs have become quiet symbols of protection, provision, and divine care.

Interesting to note — In some traditions, artists used a red undergarment with a blue cloak to show Mary's humanity covered in divinity. In others, the colors are reversed to highlight her divine calling wrapped in earthly humility. It's a rich visual language—and one more reminder that art can be a window into deeper spiritual truths.

But I also love how they speak to something gentler, even more ordinary: the sacredness of small things.

Ladybugs don’t arrive with trumpets. They’re rarely where we expect them. But they are hard workers, and they carry beauty with them as they go. Isn’t that a lovely metaphor for faith? For creativity? For caretaking? It’s a reminder that we, too, can be bright specks of goodness in the fields of daily life—often unseen, but always important.

This season, I’ve brought the symbolism of the ladybug into the studio in the form of a new tea towel design—playful, practical, and filled with tiny wings and tiny wonders. It’s my quiet ode to tending and noticing, and to the belief that God often arrives on the smallest breeze.

So whether you spot a ladybug in your garden or on a dishcloth by your sink, may it be a reminder: you’re protected. You’re seen. You’re part of something bigger, even in the smallest of roles.

Head over to our Substack to enjoy the full version of this story—complete with a gentle benediction to carry with you through the day.

For a deeper look at how this design came to life, don’t miss our blog post From Sketch to Tea Towel: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Design Process. It’s a peek into the creative journey from pencil to print.