Do You Feel Connected To Butterflies? Here's What They Symbolize

There's something magical about the transformation of a caterpillar to a butterfly, making these beautiful winged insects a favorite of many. As you can imagine, their metamorphosis is a metaphor for rebirth, but depending on who you ask, their spiritual symbolism runs deeper than that.

Butterflies represent transformation on all levels, ecotherapist and co-author of Sacred Medicine of Bee, Butterfly, Earthworm, and Spider Anna Cariad-Barrett, DMin, M.S., MFT, tells mbg.

"Butterflies show us how we can go within ourselves to dissolve old forms and morph, rebuilding and evolving ourselves," she explains, noting that they show us the importance of surrender and trust "as part of the essential process of growth and renewal."

As author Erika Buenaflor, M.A., puts it in her book Animal Medicine, butterflies also symbolize rebirth, hope, and bravery. Seeing one is a sign that positive change is transpiring, and brave forces are watching over you and ensuring graceful transitions. The butterfly encourages you to flow through your transformation with confidence, she writes.

According to Buenaflor, the Central Mexican people going back to Teotihuacan associated butterflies with their ancestors. In the Mexicas' (Aztecs') Nahui Ollin rite, their feast to honor the sun, "they offered incense to an image of the sun dedicated as a butterfly in a golden circle emitting radiant beams and glowing lines," she says.

Different Native American tribes interpret butterflies in their own way, but generally, they're thought to represent change and transformation, comfort, hope, and positivity. While some believed ancestors communicated through butterflies, others took the presence of these creatures as a joyous or hopeful sign.

According to Cariad-Barrett, it's important to remember that there is no one "truth" about what butterflies really mean. It's about what they mean to you. So the next time you see one in your dreams or your waking life, consider how they make you feel.

"As a collective human consciousness," Cariad-Barrett adds, "we often have similar responses, and we can learn from the teaching stories about nature—but at the end of the day, the question is: What are you noticing about butterflies' life cycle, and how does it touch your soul?"

To get clearer on the answer to this question, she suggests journaling and reflecting on what the butterfly touches in you and how it connects to your personal journey.

As Cariad-Barrett puts it, "Butterflies aren't here to show us anything, but when we live our lives in relationship with nature, that relationship can highlight the ways we personally resonate with those we are interacting with." In short, if butterflies touch your life in some special way, you're connected to them.

"When animals are showing up as teachers in your life, you are relating to one another as family," she explains.

If you feel you're connected to butterflies, Cariad-Barrett advises sending them love from your heart. "Set an intention to be open to listening, learning, and receiving from these wise members of your family," she adds. You could even create a habitat in your garden for them. "As you give your love in service to them and open yourself, their lessons will speak more and more to you," she says.