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Butterfly Spirit Animal & Totem
Author: Elena Harris
The butterfly is one of the most emblematic totem animals symbolizing personal transformation. If you see the butterfly as your totem or spirit animal, pay attention to the areas in your life or personality that are in need of profound change or transformation. Perhaps, this animal totem guides you to be sensitive to your personal cycles of expansion and growth, as well as the beauty of life’s continuous unfolding. An important message carried by the spirit of the butterfly is about the ability to go through important changes with grace and lightness.
Butterfly Symbolism
What is the meaning of the butterfly? This animal totem is primarily associated with the symbolism of change and transformation.
- Powerful transformation, metamorphosis in your life, personality
- Moving through different life cycles
- Renewal, rebirth
- The lightness of being, playfulness
- Elevation from earthly matters, tuning into emotional or spiritual
- The world of the soul, the psyche
A secondary meaning of the butterfly is about finding joy in life and lightness of being.
“We are all butterflies. Earth is our chrysalis.”
~LeeAnn Taylor
Butterfly totem and transformation
The butterfly is a symbol of powerful transformations. By analogy to the development of this animal, the meaning associated with the butterfly emphasizes the ability to move from one state, perspective, lifestyle to another.
When the butterfly comes into your life as a spirit guide, you may be going through or expect important changes in your life. More than changes in your environment, the transformation the butterfly totem points to are more internal: They could be related to your own perspective on a subject, aspects of your personality, or personal habits. Personal transformation is emblematic of the butterfly symbolism.
Fun Fact:
Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees.
Butterfly totem symbol of joy and lightness of being
When the butterfly shows up in your life as a spirit animal or totem, it might indicate the need to look at a conflicting situation with more lightness and different perspectives. This totem animal is symbolic of lightness of being and elevation from the heaviness of tensions.
This power animal invites those who have a connection with it to bring joy and bliss into their lives. Butterflies often have bright colors. By extension, they are associated with aliveness and brightness. The message of this totem animal is to lighten up and add more color to your life. Perhaps it’s time to express yourself more fully and show your colorful personality.
The Butterfly and the world of the Soul
In many traditions around the world, the butterfly is a symbol of the soul or soul world. For example, in Chinese symbology, it can represent immortality. For the Japanese, a white butterfly symbolizes the soul the departed ones.
In Ancient Greece, butterflies represent the psyche or soul, and its attribute of immortality.
Calling the butterfly totem for support
The butterfly is a powerful animal to call when you need support in times of transition, whether it’s at work, in a relationship, or when you’re doing inner work. Great ally during intense periods of personal transformation, it will add ease and lightness to the process.
This power animal is a good inspiration for adding more color to your life and self-expression. Those who have the butterfly as a totem animal may be naturally inclined to express themselves openly, to reflect their colors into their environment.
Dreaming About Butterflies
Dreams are our subconscious minds communicating to us using the language of symbols. The classic interpretation of a butterfly in your dreams is that of transformation. Did the dream start with a caterpillar, cocoon, or butterfly? The key to its meaning of transformation depends on where in the life cycle the butterfly is. Associated with the idea of transformation is also rebirth and transmutation of energy. The butterfly can also symbolize freedom, expansion, and full self-expression. Lastly, the butterfly may symbolize social success.
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Many people associate the appearance of butterflies with messages beyond death. The significance of butterflies as signs of life after death is a worldwide belief.
What Is the Significance of Butterflies and Death?
When a person suffering from the loss of a loved one has this kind of unique experience with a butterfly, they feel it is their loved one communicating with them. They interpret the appearance of the butterfly as a message that the deceased is okay and continues to live in another realm.
How the Butterflies Interact With Those Grieving
In their book, Hello From Heaven, Bill and Judy Guggenheim explore the After-Death Communication (ADC) people report having with butterflies. People report butterflies landing on them and staying on them while they move about. Others report a butterfly fluttering around them and encircling them several times. Each report reveals how the person felt a connection with their loved one through the butterfly.
Butterfly Appears Soon After Death of Loved One
Those who feel they've had a direct sign and communication from their deceased loved one through a butterfly report the event happens soon after their loved one died. Those who have a visitation from a butterfly immediately feel relief, joy, and comfort. They feel as though their loved one has reached out to them from beyond the veil that separates the world of the living and the world of the dead.
Significance of a Butterfly Visitation
It isn't by chance that people report having mystical and spiritual interactions with butterflies. The butterfly is generally recognized as a symbol of rebirth or resurrection due to its metamorphosis process from caterpillar to butterfly.
Butterfly perching on woman hand
Magnificent Transformation and Rebirth
The cocoon stage is much like a death for the caterpillar as it basically decomposes through enzyme interaction to completely restructure and transform into a beautiful butterfly. It evolves from a land-bound crawling caterpillar to a winged, elegant butterfly that is often very colorful. What better symbol for life after death could there be?
Different Meanings and Messages for Butterfly Colors
The different colors of butterflies have specific meanings to those in-tune with spiritual meanings, signs, and omens. These range from simple messengers of death to specific messages of hope.
Black Butterfly
Folklore describes black butterflies as either a negative or positive omen. In some cultures, seeing a black butterfly means death. Whose death it is often is left up to the person witnessing the butterfly's flight interpretation. It could just as easily mean the death of a job or a relationship. The message of rebirth is often associated with a black butterfly.
White Butterfly
A white butterfly is usually viewed as a positive omen of good luck and prosperity. However, some culture believe a white butterfly fluttering around a person means the individual will soon die. Other cultures view a white butterfly as purity and the soul of their loved one or an angel.
Brown Butterfly
A brown butterfly is often said to be the actual spirit of the deceased. Some folklore states it is an ancestor spirit that arrives to warn of misfortune, such as death.
Green Butterfly
The green butterfly is a symbol of love and prosperity. Seeing a green butterfly soon after the death of a loved one is a message of not just love, but that the deceased is prospering in heaven. It delivers a message of great hope and joy!
Orange Butterfly
If you see an orange butterfly soon after your loved one passes, then you've just received a vital message of love. The orange butterfly is believed to carry the message that there is life after death and that death is but a transformation like that of the butterfly.
Orange butterfly on hand
Yellow Butterfly
A yellow butterfly appears on the scene soon after a loved one has passed with a message of hope. The hope of reuniting in the afterlife is made with each fluttering of this happy sunshine colored butterfly. The promise of a new life through rebirth is delivered by the yellow butterfly.
Blue Butterfly
A blue butterfly may be the perfect spiritual message. It's considered a message from your loved one since you're no doubt feeling blue and sad in your grief and longing. A blue butterfly is a symbol of life and acceptance. It conveys the transformation from physical to spiritual.
Purple Butterfly
Purple butterflies aren't very common, and this rarity makes their messages immensely powerful. This highly spiritual color is truly profound when gracing the wings of a butterfly. If you are lucky enough to receive such a messenger from your loved one, you can rest easy knowing they are at peace and happy in the spiritual realm. If you let it, this angelic messenger can give you healing through spiritual love.
Red Butterfly
The arrival of a red butterfly soon after the death of a loved one is often the messenger of someone who was very powerful and passionate in life. The message is one of happiness, love, and that life continues after death. If you're angry over the loss of your loved one and can open your heart, the red butterfly can offer you release from those emotions.
How Butterflies Are Messengers After Death
Many people believe that butterflies are messengers sent by loved ones who have died. There are many cultures that ascribe meanings to specific interactions with butterflies as well as the meaning of colors and their messages to those grieving.