So the other day, I’m currently house sitting at a friend’s house (incidentally the half of Grrrlzines-go-go) and I’m about to go into our collective “zine room” and behold, a perfectly splayed Monarch butterfly was on the ground in front of the door. Now, my mind you, I am not into ‘woo’ at all, but I do believe in prophecy, omens, other weird Nostradamus shit, hard science climate change AND supernatural divine creatures lurking in the ether of the universe. YES, both plants and animals speak to me, sometimes with cute cartoon voices, but other times, in loud like Zeus thunder and lightning bolts audio. Or even Gandalf. So, I did a quick search and found out what Monarch butterfly might mean to me. I was beaming like a seal on a hot rock when I read this entry.
Keywords:
Life is short. Fleeting moments. Transformation. Internal and external change. Personal change. Looking for sweetness. Herb magic. Flower magic. Celebrating beauty. Travel and migration. Moving to new places. Enjoying the journey. Outside of harmful or negative influence. Rhythm. Reincarnation.
Lessons and Challenges:
The monarch butterfly teaches us that life is short, and that it must be valued. Assuming that we have decades of our lives left (or at the very least, years) is all well and good for things like economic planning, but it is through recognizing the fleetingness of human existence that we come to value every day, even those which get us down or which are hard to appreciate…
You will be helped at this time by the magic possessed in herbs and flowers. It may be through the healing actions of herbs, and consider increasing your use of them in cooking, taking herbal supplements (only if needed and at the direction of a professional) or even just taking the time to enjoy the scent of herbs under your hands. The power of flowers is also present at this time, consider investing in flower essences, or even making your own. Alternatively, look at and enjoy the presence of flowers in your life. Sometimes just taking the time look at and visually enjoy the bounty of the earth is enough to create powerful healing changes.
Communion:
Like all animal helpers, this animal will only appear when right and appropriate, and cannot be forced to visit you, commune with you, or share messages with you. Butterflies, due to their very nature, tend to have quite fleeting energy and are more common as short-term guides. That said, their presence in the short-term remains profound and presents a potential for transformation, joy and growth.
Butterfly is a gentle teacher, and will try to transmit significant lessons simply through its quiet, unassuming presence in gardens, or even if you simply happen to see one while walking somewhere or going about your business. Butterfly is not highly communicative, letting its lifestyle and way of life speak for itself. Offerings of flowers, bundles of herbs and colourful ornaments are appreciated by butterfly, but the best way to honour Monarch butterfly, I feel, is to find and seek out more joyful, perfect moments within your life.