Represents: Change, happiness, transformation
Caterpillars transform themselves into butterflies. Because of this, they are a symbol of transformation and change.
Most butterflies are very short-lived. Two years is an extremely long life for a butterfly. While some species live this long, most can only measure their lifetimes in weeks or even days. Butterfly teaches us to enjoy the time we are given by focusing on the moment. She also teaches us to appreciate the life we are given.
Most butterflies are colorful, and they flit and fly from flower to flower. Their dance reminds us to take time to smell the flowers, and not to take life or ourselves too seriously. The lesson of the Butterfly is that life is a dance, and the joy is taking part in the dancing.
The transformation and change that is heralded by a Butterfly totem is not about external changes like a new home, new job, or new city. It is more about inner, personal transformation. When the Butterfly calls you, it is a call to action. It means that now is the time to work towards the life you have always wanted. Butterfly calls us to set aside our self-doubts and to attract positive change in our lives by believing in ourselves and our own spiritual powers.
Butterfly also teaches us that the struggle is what shapes us. If you open a Butterfly’s cocoon for them instead of allowing them to struggle to escape, the Butterfly emerges deformed and misshapen. Likewise, Butterfly teaches us that the struggle shapes us. If we have no challenges to overcome, we can never grow wings of our own.
When we have escaped from our own cocoons, we will emerge with the wings that symbolize a lightness of being.
If a Butterfly totem has entered your life, prepare to dance! Examine
your life closely and see which caterpillars need transforming into butterflies. By working towards such transformation, you make your life more colorful and more enjoyable for yourself and for those whose lives you touch.
Explore the significance of some common spirit animals by clicking a link below.