Image: Sagar Kulkarni @sagarkulkarni/ Unsplash
Have you ever felt the whisper of butterfly wings nearby? It is a soft mystery that evokes wonder and delight. It is poetry written on a wingspan. The butterfly is known as a powerful symbol in myth and religion.
In early Christianity butterflies were a symbol of the soul – of spiritual transformation, conversion and life in Christ. In China, butterflies represent longevity and marital bliss. Indigenous wisdom relates how Hopi women of the butterfly clan wore their hair in a butterfly shape. Elders have said that when a butterfly appears in your life it may be calling you to change or transformation. Others have experienced the appearance of a butterfly as a message from a loved one who has passed. A momentary kiss of remembrance.
Yet these creatures remain a marvel of engineering and are unique in the universe. Did you know that butterflies are solar powered? When you see them resting with wings outstretched, they are “powering up” in the sunshine. As butterflies are cold-blooded creatures, they need to soak up the sun to warm their flight muscles so they can fly. But they are also unique in their ability to taste with their feet. Nature equipped them with chemoreceptors in their tarsi(feet). They can taste flowers by” walking on them.” This sense of taste allows them to determine if a plant is safe for eating or to find a suitable place to lay their eggs.
“... poetry written on a wingspan.”
Butterflies see multimedia in a way we humans cannot. They have two eyes, as we do, but they are compound eyes with many lenses enabling them to see in many different directions at once. They have up to 17,000 mini eyes with lenses to empower their vision. We thought our colour perception was notable with our 3 cones (colour receptors) but butterflies have up to nine cones for colour, including ultraviolet. They call us to expand our vision and evolve into a new creation. Our eyes have only just opened.
There are of myriad kinds and colours of butterflies, and they fulfill important roles in nature’s ecosystem. They are key pollinators for many plant species and moths particularly are unique in this role. We need butterflies for our sustenance and to remind us to pause for beauty. How have we silenced this wonder? How can we protect them?
These are critical issues which imperil their survival:
Habitat Loss: Deforestation, urbanization, and land clearing destroy the native plants butterflies need to lay their eggs and feed. Nurture pockets of creation in your backyard or balcony.
Pesticides: Chemicals used in agriculture and gardening kill butterflies directly and eliminate the essential host plants they rely on. Use organic garden methods & sign petitions against pesticides.
Climate Change: Shifting weather patterns and rising temperatures can disrupt the timing of plant blooming and migration patterns, throwing their life cycle out of sync with nature’s harmony. Let us make small but critical personal lifestyle choices.
Yet at the heart of these marvelous and magical creatures there remains mystery and wonder. And an invitation into a sacred communion with all beings.
Butterflies universally symbolize transformation, rebirth, and spiritual evolution. Theirs is a remarkable journey—from an earthbound caterpillar to a chrysalis, and finally evolving into an exquisite, winged creature. Yet these fragile butterflies have the stamina to follow migration routes thousands of miles long. This reality can serve as a metaphor and the butterfly a personal guide for growth, overcoming hardship, and breaking old habits.
If today you feel the whisper of butterfly wings nearby, perhaps the Spirit has come to rest in your soul.
-Sister Linda Gregg, csj
Image: AARN GIRI/Unsplash