FACT: Synonomous with industry and community, ants perform specialized roles within each colony. They farm by growing fungus and raising aphids for "milk," the sweet liquid produced by stroking an aphid. Other ants act as hanging honey pots, storing sugary nutrients to be dispensed when food is scarce, or as architects responsible for constructing vaulted ceilings, galleries and complex dwellings. Some are navigators, assigned to mapping routes between home and food. As founder of the colony the queen is the ruler of the hill. Once fertilized she pulls the wings from her body, sacrificing flight for the birth of new ants. Although small in size, the tenacious ants hold their own, their cumulative weight equaling that of all of humanity.
SPIRIT: Original human ancestry in Hopi Indian lore. Universal symbol of industry and organization. Role model of communal cooperation and persistence. Ants instruct us in building from the ground up, becoming the architect of our own lives and preparing for the future. Their skills and undaunted efforts reflect what can be accomplished in our own lives. Ants show us that the greatest success occurs with persistence. Viewed by many cultures as a positive omen, the presence of ants foretell wealth and good health. To destroy an ant hill built close to your door is to invite bad luck.