ART: JO VAN KAMPEN
“In Hopi lore, the butterfly is the symbol of man’s spiritual transformation.
‘At the level of existence, when it crawls on Mother Earth in the form of a caterpillar, it only sees what is right in front of it,’ Grandmother Mona explains.
“‘There comes a time in the development when it puts itself into a little cocoon and enters the darkness. In this darkness, it completely breaks down. During that time a great change takes place…”
“‘Finally it emerges into this world, into this life as a beautiful creature,’ Grandmother Mona says. ‘Yet it doesn’t immediately fly away. It sits there as if to be making a connection again with the elements of life: the water, the air, the fire, the earth. Then there is a moment when its wings start fluttering, developing movement, developing strength within itself using these elements of life.
‘When the moment comes and the butterfly takes flight, it suddenly sees the world from a completely different point of view, a view of vaster beauty and a much, much wider worldview. This is what I was told about being a butterfly.’
“…Grandmother Mona believes the Hopi legend of the butterfly can see us through these turbulent times of darkness and confusion by revealing to us our path of transformation.
“These times can actually be viewed as necessary to enable humanity as a whole to transform into a comprehension of the truth of our oneness with each other and with all of Creation.“Only by going into darkness and breaking down our old ways can we move from the myopic view of the caterpillar to the greatly expanded view of the butterfly~ a necessary view if we are to save the beauty and resources of our planet for the next seven generations to come.
“Then we will have emerged out of the darkness of ignorance into the cto see the wonder, hope, compassion, faith, and charity so essential for our survival.”~Grandmother Mona Polacca from Carol Schaefer’s book Grandmothers Counsel the World: Women Elders Offer Their Vision for Our Planet
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15 comments
kristy says:
Mar 12, 2014
Thank you<3
Annette says:
Mar 12, 2014
Love this Mystic …the butterfly is my totem :)
thevpoet says:
Mar 13, 2014
Impeccable timing :) thank you!
Paulette says:
Mar 15, 2014
Thank you for this beautiful article. I have been reflecting on this this morning as I watched two butterflies flying around each other in the garden. This is exactlly the way I see darkness and trials – they are very much the cocoon stage and preparation for change and reconnection on a cellular level.
Cj says:
Mar 16, 2014
Hi All, An inspiring story and close to my heart. My first tattoo was a butterfly and I believe I’m still transforming everyday into this beautiful butterfly.
Nessa says:
Mar 16, 2014
My name, Vanessa, means butterfly. What a lovely insight. xo
Amber says:
Mar 19, 2014
Beautiful, Thank You!
Lavender Poet says:
Mar 31, 2014
I too love the butterfly. Did you know that recent scholarly thought about ancient drawings shows that what was once labeled the “double edged sword” is now believed to be butterflies? Part of this logic is that weapons were never discovered in Goddesses’ temples, but these emblems appeared ONLY in concert with Goddesses. Also, the size and placement of the icons indicate they were not swords. Several women spiritualists independently came to see that these icons were not swords at all, but butterflies. Some believe the icons are birds; others see butterflies. I prefer the image of the butterfly, for all the reasons you note. Thank you for this lovely post.
yogad says:
May 16, 2014
this post makes me even more proud of the one and only tattoo i have, a butterfly
NinjaKelley says:
May 31, 2014
I’ve been having so many dreams with butterflies! This is amazing!
uche says:
Sep 25, 2015
i seen two butterfly visited me the first day was on my chest second day was at my left hand i think i like that.
Mary Daniel says:
May 2, 2016
MD
Thank you for this beautiful reflection. It is exactly what I was hoping for. The butterfly has become a very special symbol of my spiritual journey at present. I am looking for any reflection on the butterfly that I can find to help inspire me.
Again, my sincere gratitude,
Mary Dee
James says:
Jul 17, 2017
Why man? I mean what about a woman? A woman can also do stuffs like that, just wondering because I’m really confused about why butterflies symbolize man.
mm says:
Jul 17, 2017
I think she used the term “man” as to refer to mankind
Julio says:
Jun 3, 2022
I have found my transformation in Christ. His suffering and later His resurrection are transformational. The ultimate butterfly 🦋 that gives us eternal wings of destiny to transform human consciousness.