Today I went outside and stood in the backyard. While looking around the yard, I noticed a butterfly floating overhead. I watched it for a long time; then finally it landed on the newly bloomed Gladiolas. I approached it slowly and began to study it up close and as I did so I began to remember the gift of butterfly as taught to me by my mother in the village of her people.

We were out on a nature walk and we came across a clearing in the woods; in its center was a large cluster of flowers. The flowers were covered with hundreds of butterflies. I remember how in awe I was by their beauty; as I looked up at my mother I said. Mother why did Creator make the butterfly? She smiled and softly answered, because son he wanted to remind us that as we grow both spiritually and physically that we do so in stages. The butterfly reminds us of the freedom and creativity that we all carry inside us. Sometimes the lessons in life are shown to us in the difficult formative years and they come to life later as we grow. We are much like the butterfly that begins to fly.

Photo by The Quail

Because of the butterfly’s oval shaped eyes and many lens it has the gifted ability to see things very clearly. They see single images with great ease and also are able to actually perceive many ultraviolet wavelengths. It is believed by many that if you have butterfly in your totem that you also possess some form of clairvoyant abilities.

The butterfly can be a very forgetful creature and will many times return to the same flower over and over before they realized that they have done so. They can not recognize their other relatives; this teaches us that we should be better prepared concerning our relationships and the many life challenges that we face way as we walk through life.

The butterfly’s antennae if damaged will cause it to fly in a continuous circle; it becomes lost and can not find its way. So this reminds us that we must always consciously connect with spirit. This will help us to arrive at our desired destination along our spiritual path and the everyday goals we set for our self as we move forward in life. The butterfly’s process of self transformation and its ability to seem like it is shape shifting, reminds us that when it shows up in our life we must pay close attention and make note of the most important issues surrounding us at the time.

As I watched it fly around the yard one more time before leaving, I made note of its fluttering ever so gentle upon the wind. Its lightness of heart also told me that like the butterfly, I must see and embrace the lighter side of life and from time to time it’s good to let go and just enjoy life.

Butterfly is the element of air; quickly changing, forever moving and very graceful in all ways.

At the time of the lesson I did not fully understand its meaning till much later in life, but it was a lesson well learned.