Butterfly spirit?

On my way home from work earlier this week, I was walking along the canal when this little guy fluttered down and landed on the path in front of me. He sat really still in the sunlight and let me get up quite close. So beautiful, but how ragged his wings are I thought. I wondered if he'd had a run in with a bird. Or a cat. Or both. And I feared perhaps he'd escaped only to float down and breathe his last in the sunshine at my feet.

But then he took off and fluttered away over the canal...

I reckon he was off on a new adventure, perhaps a rendezvous in the shade with a friend or lady love, or to explore a flower that'd caught his eye and sup some nectar, or to take shelter in a tree from where he could enjoy the brewing storm. Living his brief life to the full, and not about to let a little wear and tear to his wings stop him.

I like that. Brave butterfly.

Later I was composing the post about my beautiful mobile and wondering about this affinity I have with butterflies. I don't own zillions of butterfly things but there's no denying they are a recurring motif in my life, always have been. I do love them and make no secret of it but, for as long as I can remember, people have gifted me with butterflies - even those who have no prior knowledge of my "thing" for them. And I do find them quite hard to resist. They just make me deeply happy.

After posting on the mobile I was having a conversation with Sarah about about how, if I have a totem animal, then a butterfly is surely it. I don't know very much about totems but if I were going to choose one for myself, I'd probably have gone with a horse (my zodiac and Chinese birth year symbol) or a dolphin or a panther, something strong... But it seems that butterflies have chosen me.

So I went to look up the symbolic and mythological meaning of the butterfly.

This is what I found:

Overwhelmingly, cultural myth and lore honor the butterfly as a symbol of transformation because of its impressive process of metamorphosis. From egg, to larvae (caterpillar), to pupa (the chrysalis or cocoon) and from the cocoon the butterfly emerges in her unfurling glory.

Most adult butterflies live just one or two weeks except for the monarch and angel wing which can live for six months or more. This is very symbolic. It suggests that a person with this totem will experience tremendous soul growth, especially in their earlier years. A difficult childhood is common.

What a massive amount of transition this tiny creature undergoes. Herein lies the deepest symbolic lesson of the butterfly. They ask us to accept the changes in our lives as casually as they do. The butterfly unquestioningly embraces the changes of her environment and her body. This unwavering acceptance of her metamorphosis is also symbolic of faith. Here the butterfly beckons us to keep our faith as we undergo transitions in our lives. Toiling, fretting and anger are useless against the turning tides of nature – and the butterfly asks us to recognize the same.

To the Native Americans the butterfly is a symbol of joy. They remind us not to take life so seriously. They feed on flowers that they help pollinate, thereby further spreading beauty. They represent the element of air, quickly changing and ever moving, with beauty and grace.

Butterflies are also symbols of freedom and creativity. They hold the gift of transformation and soul evolution and a butterfly enters our life as a messenger for change. The butterfly is a messengers of the moment and as they come in a variety of colours, their colour is symbolically meaningful too.

Interestingly, in many cultures the butterfly is associated with the soul – further linking our animal symbolism of faith with the butterfly.

In Greek myth, 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 (the Greek god of love) shared an endlessly passionate bond together – both hopelessly in love with the other.

And Greece doesn’t corner the market on associating the butterfly with the soul. Here are a few other ancient cultures that associated this elegant creature with the soul:

• Asian (central)
• Mexican – Aztec
• New Zealand
• Zaire

Butterflies have a pair of large compound oval eyes made up of thousands of individual lenses. They can see a single image clearly and are able to perceive ultraviolet wavelengths of light. This suggests clairvoyant abilities for those that hold this totem.

Whenever an eco system is damaged, butterflies are usually the first to leave. They are especially sensitive to the balance and harmony of the earth.

Okay then, not just delicate flighty creatures that live brief lives - that's a relief. This is a totem I can live with. Change and metamorphosis are indeed quite central themes in my life to date - often not initiated by me but involving fundamental shifts in my circumstance and psyche nonetheless - no more than some experience but probably fair to say, more than most. And I do look forward to reaching the 'unfurling glory' stage. Something to anticipate with pleasure. Hope it's not too far away, though I'm not feeling an inkling of what form it'll take yet.

What do you think your totem animal is? What does this mean to you? Or do you think it's all just hokum?

I'm really interested to know.

And I hope you have a fabulous Friday!

♥