Lately butterflies keep showing up in all areas of my existence. It started with a dream I had around two weeks ago..not completely sure as this month has just slipped by for me...I'm running through a beautiful green field covered in exquisite flowers in colors that mirrored the color of the sky at the time and there was a forest of trees all around it. The sky a lovely mixture of indigo, turquoise, and violet during twilight when the sky is so gorgeous before complete nightfall. There's a slight cool breeze, just the way I like it blowing through my hair as I run through the field. I close my eyes enjoying the feeling and when I open them again I am surrounded by tons of butterflies in so many different colors. Twinkling and sparkling they fly around me, dancing in the air. A big yellow one flies close to my eyes and a fuchsia one lands on my nose emitting a delicious scent. I continue to run and I realize that I'm naked as I jump right into a stream. The water was crisp and cold, it took my breath away. I plunged under the water and swam for awhile and I don't remember having to come up for air, but a ton of bubbles where coming from me while I swam.
Then a few nights later some friends and I watched Alice in wonderland, the new one with Johnny Depp in it. During the part where Alice saves the caterpillar when she is getting proposed to, one of my friends says, "that's such a Lacey thing to do." I also really like how in the movie the caterpillar finds her in a different life as a butterfly. The very next day on my way to go folfing with friends there is a caterpillar on my front window of the car. It looked like it was trying to make a cocoon. When we got to the course I got a leaf and transported the caterpillar near a tree. Later while running to my disk a yellow butterfly flew by my face and took my mind back to the dream.
Ever since then I've been seeing butterflies show up a lot. I saw a pretty purple dead one on the sidewalk while walking up to the bank a few days ago and took a picture of it. On a scenic country drive today there were two butterflies dancing together by the window. I also saw a little while ago that someone had the word butterfly in their title of a dream( i meant to read it but I got distracted i think) and today when I got on to log all of this someone had logged something about butterflies! While looking up pictures of all the color of the sky that I wanted to show there was a butterfly in every search group!!! So i didn't even have to look up pictures for butterflies..except where I was trying to get a pic of a large group of them. There has been so many synchronicities in my life lately!!!!
Among the ancients, an emblem of the soul and of unconscious
attraction towards the light (8). The purification of the soul by fire, represented
in Romanesque art by the burning ember placed by the angel in the prophet’s
mouth, is visually portrayed on a small Mattei urn by means of an image of love
holding a butterfly close to a flame (8). The Angel of Death was represented by
the Gnostics as a winged foot crushing a butterfly, from which we may deduce
that the butterfly was equated with life rather than with the soul in the sense of
the spirit or transcendent being (36). This also explains why psychoanalysis
regards the butterfly as a symbol of rebirth (56). In China, it has the secondary
meanings of joy and conjugal bliss (5).
To see a butterfly in your dream, denotes your need to settle down. Butterflies signify creativity, romance, joy and spirituality. You may be experiencing a transformation into a new way of thinking. Or you may be undergoing a transitional phase. Consider the term "social butterfly" to describe someone who is popular and outgoing. Does this describe you? Perhaps you need to be more outgoing. Alternatively, the butterfly is symbolic of longevity.
To see two butterflies in your dream, represent a long and happy marriage.
To catch or kill a butterfly, suggests that you are being too superficial.
To dream that you are mounting a butterfly on frame, symbolizes sexual oppression.
To see a butterfly among flowers and green grasses, indicates prosperity and fair attainments.
To see them flying about, denotes news from absent friends by letter, or from some one who has seen them. To a young woman, a happy love, culminating in a life union.
Dreaming of a butterfly indicates your need to settle down. Butterflies also means creativity, romance, joy and spirituality. You may be undergoing a transformation into a new way of thinking. Dreaming of a beautiful colorful butterfly indicates the positive impression you will make at a future social gathering.
Some say that the butterfly represents the spirit or the essence of the individual: the soul. Butterflies are generally symbols of transformation because they go through a metamorphosis. They are beautiful, evasive, and, at times, inspiring. Your unconscious mind may be pointing out the most positive part of yourself or another.
If you dream that a butterfly is trapped in a room, you may be facing obstacles in waking life.
Butterfly Animal Symbolism
Overwhelmingly, cultural myth and lore honor the butterfly as a symbol of transformation because of its impressive process of metamorphosis.
From egg, to larvae (caterpillar), to pupa (the chrysalis or cocoon) and from the cocoon the butterfly emerges in her unfurling glory.
What a massive amount of transition this tiny creature undergoes. Consider for a moment the kind of energy this expends. I daresay if a human were to go through this kind of change we’d freak out!
Imagine the whole of your life changing to such an extreme you are unrecognizable at the end of the transformation. Mind you, this change takes place in a short span of about a month too (that’s how long the butterfly life cycle is).
Herein lies the deepest symbolic lesson of the butterfly. She asks us to accept the changes in our lives as casually as she does. The butterfly unquestioningly embraces the chances of her environment and her body.
This unwavering acceptance of her metamorphosis is also symbolic of faith. Here the butterfly beckons us to keep our faith as we undergo transitions in our lives. She understands that our toiling, fretting and anger are useless against the turning tides of nature – she asks us to recognize the same.
A quick-list of Butterfly animal symbolism:
Resurrection
Transition
Celebration
Lightness
Time
Soul
Interestingly, in many cultures the butterfly is associated with the soul – further linking our animal symbolism of faith with the butterfly.
In Greek myth, Psyche (which literally translates to mean “soul”) is represented in the form of a butterfly. Befittingly, Psyche is forever linked with love as she and Eros (the Greek god of love, also known in Roman myth as Cupid) shared an endlessly passionate bond together – both hopelessly in love with the other.
Greece doesn’t corner the market on associating the butterfly with the soul. Here are a few other ancient cultures that associated this elegant creature with the soul:
Asian (central)
Mexican – Aztec
New Zealand
Zaire
Even Christianity considers the butterfly a soulful symbol. To wit, the butterfly is depicted on ancient Christian tombs, as Christ has been illustrated holding a butterfly in Christian art.
It’s connection with the soul is rather fitting. We are all on a long journey of the soul. On this journey we encounter endless turns, shifts, and conditions that cause us to morph into ever-finer beings. At our soul-journey’s end we are inevitably changed – not at all the same as when we started on the path.
To take this analogy a step further, we can look again to the grace and eloquence of the butterfly and realize that our journey is our only guarantee. Our responsibility to make our way in faith, accept the change that comes, and emerge from our transitions as brilliantly as the butterfly.
The butterfly symbolizes intuitive transformation and consciousness. It teaches us to make changes to our lives, create new conditions, and make dreams come true. Every new idea and every step towards enlightenment reflects the development of the butterfly. The egg of a butterfly signals the birth of a life or new idea. The larvae stage represents lifes' learning and experiences. The cocoon represents the breaking free of misconceptions and beliefs for expansion. Finally, the hatching of the butterfly symbolizes the beginning of consciousness and new reality. The Butterfly reminds you that you are continually in a state of transformation and all is well.
The butterfly represents transformation and the ability to accept change.
Major transformations and transmutations taking place, outcome is different than expected. Symbol of joy, color, gentleness, lightness, and change in life. Awakens us to dance on the winds of life, teaches that growth doesn't have to be painful, allows us to discover the important issues in life for conscious transformation. Can you discern what is important right now? Don't sweat the small stuff, be joyful and thankful for your blessings.
To see a caterpillar in your dream, signifies a stage in your own personal growth and development where you are on your way, but have not yet reached your goal.
To see a caterpillar in a dream, denotes that low and hypocritical people are in your immediate future, and you will do well to keep clear of deceitful appearances. You may suffer a loss in love or business.
To dream of a caterpillar, foretells you will be placed in embarrassing situations, and there will be small honor or gain to be expected.
Seeing a caterpillar in your dream means a stage in your own personal growth and development where you are on your way, but have not yet reached your goal.
The infant stage prior to transformation, teaches patience that all things will come to fruition in nature's time and not before, perfect timing and time of growth and harvesting, preparation period. Notice how you are moving like the caterpillar; inching along, resting, rapidly moving, pausing now and then. Caterpillar qualities will show one should move for the moment. His lessons of movement and preparedness is for the greater good of the transformation that will be arriving. Are you ready?
To look up at the clear blue sky in your dream, denotes hope, possibilities, creativity, peace and freedom of expression. As the saying goes "the sky's the limit." If the sky is cloudy and overcast, then it foretells of sadness and trouble.
To see a green colored sky in your dream, symbolizes high hopes. The strange color of the sky helps to instantly draw your attention to it. The color green and the sky itself both represent hope, nature or creativity. So these are the qualities that you need to focus on. It is also indicative of a positive outlook and prosperous future.
To see a red colored sky in your dream, represents looming danger. Alternatively, it suggests that something is coming to an end. If the sky is white, then it symbolizes desires. If you dream of a colorful sky in your dream, then it denotes romance.
To dream that the sky is falling, represents your fear of the unknown. You feel that your hopes and dreams have been shattered. Perhaps you have been too idealistic and the dream is an attempt to bring you back to reality.
To dream that something is falling out of the sky, signifies your pessimistic attitude. You are losing perspective on a situation. If the object is getting closer and casting a shadow on you, then it indicates that you are being ignorant about some situation. You need to get out from under the shadow and gain a different perspective on things.
To dream of the sky, signifies distinguished honors and interesting travel with cultured companions, if the sky is clear. Otherwise, it portends blasted expectations, and trouble with women.
To dream of floating in the sky among weird faces and animals, and wondering all the while if you are really awake, or only dreaming, foretells that all trouble, the most excruciating pain, that reach even the dullest sense will be distilled into one drop called jealousy, and will be inserted into your faithful love, and loyalty will suffer dethronement.
To see the sky turn red, indicates that public disquiet and rioting may be expected.
To look up at the clear blue sky in your dream indicates peace and freedom of expression. If the sky is cloudy and overcast, then it foretells of sadness and trouble.
To see your own eyes in your dream, represent enlightenment, knowledge, comprehension, understanding, and intellectual awareness. Unconscious thoughts may be coming onto the surface. The left eye is symbolic of the moon, while the right eye represents the sun. It may also be a pun on "I" or the self. If you dream that your eyes have turned inside your head and you can now see the inside of your head, then it symbolizes insight and something that you need to be aware of. This dream may be literally telling you that you need to look within yourself. Trust your intuition and instincts.
To dream that you have something in your eye, represents obstacles in your path. Alternatively, it may represent your critical view and how you tend to see faults in others.
To dream that you have one eye, indicates your refusal to accept another viewpoint. It suggests that you are one-sided in your ways of thinking.
To dream that you have a third eye, symbolizes inner vision, insight, instinct or some psychic ability you have yet untapped. You are able to see what others cannot. Or you need to start looking within yourself and trust your instincts.
To dream that your eyes are injured or closed, suggests your refusal to see the truth about something or the avoidance of intimacy. You may be expressing feelings of hurt, pain or sympathy.
To dream that you have crossed eyes, denotes that you are not seeing straight with regards to some situation. You may be getting your facts mixed up.
To dream that your eyes are bleeding, symbolizes the sacrifices your have made and the difficulties you have endured. Alternatively, the dream signifies some very deep pain or internal conflict within your soul. Although you may not feel any physical pain, you are hurting inside. Perhaps you have been hiding the pain for so long that you forgot what pain feels like. There is some unrest or uneasiness within which needs to be addressed and resolved immediately.
Eyes are complex dream symbols and can be interpreted by considering the dreamer's experiences and the details in the dream (as is the case with all dream symbols). Some say that the eyes are the windows for the soul. Eyes symbolize perceptiveness, personal outlook, clairvoyance, curiosity, and knowledge. They also reveal information about personal identity and suggest to the dreamer what they should pay attention to. Closed eyes are said to represent fear and an unwillingness to see clearly. Superstition-based dream interpretations say that if the eyes in your dream are beautiful they represent peace. Crossed eyes may be an unconscious warning about someone’s character, integrity, or misperceptions.
Pictures appearing before you in dreams, prognosticate deception and the ill will of contemporaries.
To make a picture, denotes that you will engage in some unremunerative enterprise.
To destroy pictures, means that you will be pardoned for using strenuous means to establish your rights.
To buy them, foretells worthless speculation.
To dream of seeing your likeness in a living tree, appearing and disappearing, denotes that you will be prosperous and seemingly contented, but there will be disappointments in reaching out for companionship and reciprocal understanding of ideas and plans.
To dream of being surrounded with the best efforts of the old and modern masters, denotes that you will have insatiable longings and desires for higher attainments, compared to which present success will seem poverty-stricken and miserable.
To see green fields in your dream, symbolize great abundance, freedom, and happiness. You may also be going through a period of personal growth. Alternatively, this dream may simply be an expression for your love of nature.
To see freshly plowed fields in your dream, signify growth, early rise to wealth and fortunate advancements to places of honor.
To see dead or barren fields, signifies lack, pessimism and your jaded prospects for the future.
To dream of dead corn or stubble fields, indicates to the dreamer dreary prospects for the future.
To see green fields, or ripe with corn or grain, denotes great abundance and happiness to all classes.
To see newly plowed fields, denotes early rise in wealth and fortunate advancement to places of honor.
To see fields freshly harrowed and ready for planting, denotes that you are soon to benefit by your endeavor and long struggles for success.
Seeing green fields in your dream, symbolizes great abundance, freedom, and happiness. You may also be going through a period of personal growth. Alternatively, this dream may simply be an expression for your love of nature.` Seeing freshly plowed fields in your dream means growth, early rise to wealth and fortunate advancements to places of honor. Seeing dead or barren fields means lack, pessimism and your jaded prospects for the future.
Dreaming that you’re in a field can have differing meanings, you have to look at all the details carefully and make an interpretation based on how it made you feel; still, green and pleasant fields are usually a symbol of happiness and great prosperity in your personal and working life. If the field has withering crops and is dried up it signifies completely the opposite. If you are in a newly ploughed field it can signify that you will achieve everything you want so long as you put in the hard work, you reap what you sow as it were.
Colors in dreams represent energy, emotions, and vibes. First consider what that single color in your dream means to you and your own personal associations and relationship with that color. In general, pale pastel colors indicate weakness or subtlety. Dark colors represent passion and intensity. Bright colors mean awareness.
To dream in color and then dream in black and white, suggests that you are starting to look at a situation from a more objective perspective instead of from an emotional standpoint. You are subconsciously reacting to events in the dream.
Colors in dreams represent energy, emotions, and vibes. First consider what that single color in your dream means to you and your own personal associations and relationship with that color. Dreaming in color and then dream in black and white, suggests that you are starting to look at a situation from a more objective perspective instead of from an emotional standpoint. You are subconsciously reacting to events in the dream.
Most people dream in colors, but at times some stand out more than others. Colors are symbolic and their symbolism is part of culture. We communicate with color and relate ideas with them. For example, a bride wears white and black is worn at funerals. Colors also represent energy. The meaning that you give to the colors in your dreams depends on the meaning that you give to those colors in daily life. If you "see red" when you are angry, then red symbolizes anger and not passion for you.
This may be a happy dream that suggests that on some level you feel joy, happiness, and a sense of victory. If you are not in a good mood, and don't feel very joyful, this dream may be compensatory in nature. It may be trying to balance negativity and stress that you feel in daily life. Superstition-based dream interpretation says that dreaming of dancing predicts happy times ahead. Depending on the content of this dream, it may have some sexual connotations.
Of the four Elements, air and fire are regarded as active and male; water
and earth as passive and female. In some elemental cosmogonies, fire is given
pride of place and considered the origin of all things, but the more general belief is
that air is the primary element. Compression or concentration of air creates heat
or fire, from which all forms of life are then derived. Air is essentially related to
three sets of ideas: the creative breath of life, and, hence, speech; the stormy
wind, connected in many mythologies with the idea of creation; and, finally,
space as a medium for movement and for the emergence of life-processes. Light,
flight, lightness, as well as scent and smell, are all related to the general symbolism
of air (3). Gaston Bachelard says that for one of its eminent worshippers,
Nietzsche, air was a kind of higher, subtler matter, the very stuff of human
freedom. And he adds that the distinguishing characteristic of aerial nature is that
it is based on the dynamics of dematerialization. Thoughts, feelings and memories
concerning heat and cold, dryness and humidity and, in general, all aspects of
climate and atmosphere, are also closely related to the concept of air. According to
Nietzsche, air should be cold and aggressive like the air of mountain tops. Bachelard
relates scent to memory, and by way of example points to Shelley’s characteristic
lingering over reminiscences of smell.
To dream about the air, symbolizes creativity and intelligence. If the air is foggy or polluted, then it suggests that your thought process or mind is clouded.
To feel cold air in your dream, signifies discordance in your domestic relations and setbacks in your business affairs. You may be in danger of losing touch with reality.
To dream that you are breathing hot air, signifies the influence of evil around you.
This dream denotes a withering state of things, and bodes no good to the dreamer.
To dream of breathing hot air suggests that you will be influenced to evil by oppression.
To feel cold air, denotes discrepancies in your business, and incompatibility in domestic relations.
To feel oppressed with humidity, some curse will fall on you that will prostrate and close down on your optimistical views of the future.
Dreaming of inhaling unpleasant hot air might point to bad influences and bad forces at work against you, and cold air indicates some degree of failure professionally and emotionally.