About the Butterfly:
From the ancient Celts to Indigenous Native Americans, cultures throughout history have fixated on the butterfly and its spiritual meaning. Here are a few different interpretations of what this insect symbolizes.
As spirit animals, butterflies are a symbol of positivity and personal transformation. Individuals identifying the butterfly as their spirit animal can use the symbol to identify areas of growth and transformation in their lives.
It is the symbol of new beginnings, resilience, endurance, and change. In many cultural traditions, butterflies are said to embody the soul of a departed loved one.
Over time different cultures and religions have inferred different meanings, making the butterfly a symbol for many admirable qualities. Some prominent symbolism associated with butterflies and their metamorphosis include:
- Resilience and Endurance
- Rebirth
- Transformation
- Resurrection
- Change
- Hope
- Life
Among the ancients, it was an emblem of the soul and of unconscious attraction towards light. It is the opposite of the worm, symbolizing decay.
Native American civilizations consider butterflies as a symbol of life, transformation and rebirth, with different tribes associating different characteristics to the butterfly and their respective colors.
The Blackfeet tribe believes butterflies are a conduit for peaceful dreams, and individuals use visual representations of butterflies to have a restful sleep.
Pueblo tribes considered the butterfly as a symbol of joy.
The creator wanted the children to enjoy their time on the Earth, so he gathered colors from nature and presented them to humans in the form of butterflies to bring joy and beauty to their lives.
Native American traditions are still followed to this day as every year, monarch butterflies migrate to Mexico around the Day of the Dead. The lore associates the butterflies with the returning souls of deceased ancestors and allows families to honor the souls and memory of their loved ones.
The Christian religion sees the butterfly as a symbol of resurrection.
Butterflies are not expressly found in Scripture, but as part of God's natural creation, they provide a beautiful picture of spiritual transformation. The metamorphosis from caterpillar to butterfly has striking parallels to Christian conversion, resurrection, and transfiguration.
