Ever since,I was a little girl..I have had a huge "connection" with butterflies that is so hard to explain..they were in my dreams,my meditations and my crayon art work..
The Butterfly is a universal symbol of change, resurrection, transformation, celebration, young love and the soul,I have been told..so,is that not everything abt anything and anything about everything ?
As a symbol of transformation or metamorphosis,the butterfly represents everlasting life, stemming from it's various stages of life.
1. Birth (the caterpillar),
2. Death (the chrysalis), and finally,
3. Resurrection (the butterfly).
In some myths, the Butterfly brings sleep and dreams. In others, it is symbolic of female fertility and is thought to be the bringer of children. The butterfly also represents love and relationships.
The Butterfly is a powerful symbol in mythology,religion and in many cultures, the butterfly has been the symbol of the soul that physical death cannot destroy.
In Greek mythology, Psyche (which literally translates to mean "soul") is represented in the form of a butterfly. Befittingly, Psyche is forever linked with love as she and Eros (Cupid) (the Greek god of love) shared an endlessly passionate bond together - both hopelessly in love with the other,(hopefully !)
In Christianity, it a soulful symbol as well.It is a symbol of rebirth and immortality. The butterfly is often seen depicted on ancient tombs, and Christ has been illustrated holding a butterfly in Christian art.
In China it symbolized conjugal bliss and joy.
American Indians call upon the butterfly for guidance in change, color, and happiness and Indians like me are just fascinated by them...
Like the butterfly, we are all on a journey. On this journey we encounter endless turns, shifts, and conditions that cause us to metamorphasize. All change is good - even if it may not seem so at the time. Change is what life is made of and it is necessary to grow and learn. At our journey's end we are inevitably transformed - not at all the same as when we started on the path.
Some of my favourite "butterfly" quotes..
"The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough." ~ Rabindranath Tagore
"May the wings of the butterfly kiss the sun
And find your shoulder to light on,
To bring you luck, happiness and riches
Today, tomorrow and beyond."~ Irish Blessing
"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." ~ Richard Buckminster Fuller
"We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty." ~ Maya Angelou
"I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man." ~ Chuang Tzu
My all time favourite quote is:"Just when the caterpillar thought that the world was over,it became a butterfly.."
Recommended Reading:
Wings of Change by Franklin Hill
Attracting Butterflies & Hummingbirds to Your Backyard: Watch Your Garden Come Alive With Beauty on the Wing (A Rodale Organic Gardening Book)by Sally Roth
