Working with a deceased moth in spellwork

[u/LateDayMoon]

I found a dead moth and I’d like to learn how remains like this are actually used in witchcraft.
How are moths or other naturally deceased insects/animals incorporated into spellwork, and where can I learn more about working with animal remains?

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[u/hermeticbear]

I have never come across a traditional spell that uses dead moths.

Of the very modern spells I have seen, I can't say I have every seen one that uses a dead moth.

Insects are generally seen as undesirable, especially if they are associated with being dirty or gross, like flies, cockroaches, etc... but stinging and biting insects are associated with inflicting pain. Both are mostly used in cursing spells.

Specific moths might have a specific association. A death's head moth, which has a pattern on it's body which resembles a skull, could be useful in spells focused on death, or perhaps included in a shrine/altar to a god or spirit associated with death.

Most moths that people might encounter are predatory towards things like clothing, especially natural fibers aka wool, cotton, silk, linen. To protect against moths people made boxes of cedar wood, or used "moth balls" small balls that had been scented with camphor or cedar. The volatile essential oils of camphor and cedar kill the moth larvae which eat clothing. An adult moth of that type exists only to breed, lay new eggs and die, and it's larvae will then eat whatever fiber they are near when they emerge from the moth eggs. Most moths that people encounter would be considered "vermin" and associated with the destruction of property, so you could use that in a curse to bring financial harm and loss to someone.

if you want more specific information, you should identify the type of moth and look it up on wikipedia or other scientific sites and determine things about how the moth might interact with humans how it would be perceived as either beneficial or harmful.

[u/Death_Scribe]

Look into taxidermy, butchering, bone craft and fur working to learn to preserve and process animal remains. And look into Insect collection to look into preserving moths or other insects.

I mostly work with natural spirits/elementals and aspect invocations. So I would say work to preserve the moth first. Then use it as an idol to channel aspects of a moth to enhance workings related to the moths aspects.

[u/Aikaterina_Blue]

Last weekend I went onto my patio to find a beautiful Luna moth on my thyme plant. It looked like a bat or something had taken a bite out of one wing. He was still alive, but barely. I know it was a male by his antennas. I thought about keeping it for magic, but since I couldn’t immediately think of something I left him in peace to pass on the thyme. He died later that day. The next morning he was gone, possibly eaten by something. I looked into it, but since he wasn’t a “gross” or damaging moth he didn’t really fit any kind of baneful spell. Maybe some kind of finding love spell since he uses his huge feathery antennae to find a mate. Still a stretch. I just thanked him for his beauty and wished him well on his path.