7 Butterfly Symbolic Meanings in Dreams, Mythology & Culture

The butterfly is a powerful symbol that represents the human psyche or even the soul, which is in contrast to the caterpillar, which symbolizes the physical body. This contrast suggests that there is more to a person than just their physical appearance or existence.

The butterfly is also a symbol of felicity, frivolity, gaiety, love, pleasure, and resurrection. These characteristics are associated with the idea of transformation and metamorphosis that the butterfly undergoes in its life cycle.

It starts as a lowly caterpillar, crawls on the ground, and then transforms into a beautiful butterfly that soars high in the sky. This transformation is often seen as a metaphor for personal growth, spiritual awakening, and the cycle of life and death.

The butterfly is also associated with joy, happiness, and the lightness of being. Its colorful and delicate wings evoke a sense of beauty, grace, and elegance, which are all qualities that are highly valued in many cultures. The butterfly is often seen as a symbol of hope, optimism, and positive transformation.

In summary, the butterfly represents the power of transformation, the beauty of the soul, and the joy and lightness of being. It is a powerful symbol that can inspire us to embrace change, seek inner beauty, and find happiness and meaning in life.

Symbol of rashness and frivolity

The butterfly’s association with frivolity, rashness, and wantonness is based on its behavior and appearance. The butterfly is known for its erratic flight patterns and its brightly colored wings, which can be seen as symbols of whimsy and indulgence.

The butterfly’s wings are sometimes used to symbolize pleasure, particularly in art and literature. This association emphasizes the fleeting and ephemeral nature of pleasure, which can be as short-lived as the lifespan of a butterfly.

However, the butterfly’s attraction to light can also be seen as a symbol of reckless behavior. The insect is known to be irresistibly drawn to bright lights, often to its own detriment. This can be seen as a warning against being lured into danger by superficial or fleeting pleasures.

Symbol of love

In ancient times, the butterfly was associated with Eros, the god of love, due to its pleasing and fluttering flight. Additionally, Psyche, who was the beloved of Cupid, was often depicted in art with the wings of a butterfly.

However, on some ancient monuments, Cupid is depicted tearing a butterfly to pieces. This image symbolizes a soul that is dominated by love, as the butterfly represents the psyche or soul.

Cupid is still often shown in modern art with a banded bow in one hand and a torch in the other, used to burn the wings off of a butterfly. This imagery serves to reinforce the idea that love can be both beautiful and destructive, and that it can have a powerful influence on the human psyche.

Symbol of the soul

In ancient times, the emergence of a butterfly from its chrysalis was seen as a symbol of the soul leaving the body at the time of death. This is why the butterfly, which is called psyche in Greek, has been considered a symbol of the soul that transcends physical death.

The life cycle of a butterfly, from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly, also serves as a powerful symbol of life, death, and resurrection. This cycle is often used to represent the idea that death is not the end of life but rather a transformation into a new form of existence.

In some cultures, the soul of a dead person is believed to take on the form of a butterfly and is seen fluttering over the body. This image reinforces the idea that the butterfly is a symbol of the soul that endures beyond physical death.

One of the most famous stories involving the connection between butterflies and the soul comes from the Chinese philosopher Chuang Tzu. In his story, he dreams that he is a butterfly and experiences the joy of flitting about. However, he is unsure whether he is a man dreaming he is a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming he is a man. This story highlights the idea that the boundaries between self and other can be blurred, and that achieving oneness requires understanding and empathy towards other beings, including butterflies.

Symbol of transformation and immortality

The symbolic power of the butterfly primarily comes from its metamorphosis process: from egg, to larva (caterpillar) and then to chrysalis, out of which emerges the beautifully colored butterfly with radiant wings.

Many cultures have attached various meanings to each of the butterfly’s life stages. The chrysalis was seen as a human need for protection because of its fragility, while the caterpillar represented our simple lives as mortal humans (when compared to the freedom of the soul that is the butterfly).

Since ancient times, this metamorphosis has made the butterfly a symbol of transformation and growth, but perhaps more importantly, a symbol of immortality.

Thus, the caterpillar represents life, the chrysalis death, and the butterfly rebirth and resurrection. In this sense, the butterfly represents how Nature achieves immortality: through constant, repeating cycles of creation and destruction.

Butterfly symbolism in various cultures

Ancient Greece

In ancient Greece, the word “Psyche” referred to both the human soul and the butterfly. This was because of the belief that human souls transformed into butterflies while searching for a new reincarnation. The story of the mythical romance between the maiden Psyche and the god Eros was actually an allegory of the union between the soul and the body, and their eventual separation.

In wall paintings from Pompeii, Psyche is shown as a little girl with butterfly wings. This shows how the soul and the butterfly were linked in classical antiquity.

Christian art and philosophy

The butterfly is a common symbol in Christian art and symbolism. It is often portrayed as representing the resurrected human soul, held either in the hand of the infant Christ or in still life paintings or murals.

In Christian symbolism, the butterfly is linked to the ideas of resurrection and eternal life. But because it has a short life and is beautiful only for a short time, it is also seen as a sign of empty vanity and futility.

East Asian Foklore

Taoists believed that the butterfly (leyp-lya) caused dreams, but it was constrained to follow familiar paths once it left the dreamer’s body to avoid causing permanent disassociation and risking the dreamer’s death.

In Burma, the win-laik-pya, or soul butterfly, would leave a sleeping person’s body and meet with other soul butterflies of humans and animals before returning just before the person woke up. It was seen as unwise to wake someone suddenly, as the win-laik-pya might not be able to return to the person’s body in time.

Japanese folklore and mythology

In Japanese culture, the butterfly is a symbol of femininity due to its grace and lightness. However, seeing butterflies is often associated with wandering spirits, and it can signify a visit from a guest or death in the family.

Additionally, the butterfly represents transient joy, female vanity, and the geisha. A pair of butterflies symbolizes marital happiness.

China and Vietnam

In Sino-Vietnamese culture, the butterfly (“t’ie”) symbolizes a wish for a long life because it sounds similar to the word for “great age” or “seventy-year-old” in their language. Additionally, the butterfly character is sometimes paired with the chrysanthemum character to represent the autumn season.

In Chinese culture, a jade butterfly is seen as a symbol of love and represents the merging of souls. Traditionally, a jade butterfly was considered the perfect gift for a groom to give his bride.

Irish mythology

Irish Celtic mythology also believed in butterfly-souls, which, like bird-souls, flew about seeking a new mother. It was thought that women became pregnant by swallowing such creatures.

In Irish myth, the beautiful maiden Etain took the form of a butterfly for seven years, then flew into the cup of Etar, who swallowed her and so brought her to rebirth.

It is still said in Cornwall that the spirits of the dead take the form of white butterflies.

Aztec culture

To the Aztecs, the butterfly represented the soul or the last breath of life expelled by the dying. A butterfly hovering among the flowers symbolizes the warrior’s soul who died on the battlefield. The Sun was escorted by the spirits of fallen soldiers during the first half of his day, from sunrise to noon. They then fell to Earth as hummingbirds or butterflies.

For the Mexicans, the butterfly was a sign of daylight and the sun’s fire, and so it was also a sign of the warrior’s soul. It was also a sign of the “Black Sun,” which traveled through the Underworlds every night. As a result, it became a symbol of secret chthonian fire and was linked with concepts of sacrifice, death, and resurrection. In Aztec carving, the butterfly replaced the hand as the emblem of the figure five, the number of the Earth’s center.

Symbolism of butterflies in dreams

Butterfly dreams are generally considered lucky, and they represent unexpected good fortune and happiness.

The butterfly in the dream could be a symbol of love and intimacy

A butterfly with white wings foretells a lot of innocent pleasure with someone of the opposite gender. If the butterfly lands on or near you, even for a brief moment, it symbolizes that you will have long-lasting love.

Beautifully colored butterflies suggest that someone you thought was uninterested secretly adores you.

A black butterfly represents your sweetheart’s wishy-washy emotions and mixed signals.

You’re chasing a butterfly: you have feelings for someone who is unfaithful or unpredictable. Alternatively, your emotional interactions are lacking in depth and continuity.

If you catch the butterfly, you will meet someone who will change your love life and the way you act in love.

You see or have a collection of multi-colored butterflies: you enjoy being courted and charmed, but you don’t know how to love or don’t want to be in love.

The dream butterfly represents fickleness and living in pleasure

A common interpretation of the butterfly symbol is that of frivolity, fickleness, and pleasure-seeking, as well as a lack of focus, restlessness, and inconstancy.

It also denotes infidelity, as well as being fickle and inconsistent, especially in romantic relationships.

The butterfly symbol is also linked to bad behavior, vanity, and being unfaithful, all of which will lead to disappointment.

Psychologically, the butterfly can represent an inability to settle down or complete a lengthy task.

On a more practical level, when seen in dreams, the butterfly indicates joy and freedom.

The butterfly in dream can represent your soul or someone else’s

If you have recently lost a loved one, you may have felt soothed by a dream in which a butterfly flies up into the sky. This could represent the soul of someone who has died, as the departing soul is thought to take the form of a butterfly.

Your unconscious may have been communicating to you that the spirit of a loved one has been liberated.

Note that a butterfly might represent your own spirit, and if you are feeling overburdened in real life, this could be a wish-fulfillment dream, meaning you seek freedom from burdens.

The dream butterfly can represent life transformation

Because butterflies experience metamorphosis, they are often used as symbols of change and transformation in life. Thus, seeing a butterfly in dreams suggests a significant shift will occur in your life.

This shift or transformation can come either from within you or from outside circumstances that affect your life. Make sure the transformation is positive, even if the beginning (the caterpillar) was unpleasant.

Dreaming of a caterpillar transforming into a butterfly represents metamorphosis, change, and renewal. The meaning of this dream is that you should believe in your potential until the end, rather than allowing fear or despair to defeat you. In short, you subconsciously believe you will succeed, even if you are currently struggling.

The butterfly dream can represent joy and love of life

Butterflies are elegant, elusive, and occasionally inspiring. Your unconscious mind may be highlighting the most positive qualities of yourself or another person.

A butterfly appearing in your dream represents creativity, romance, love, and spirituality. It’s possible that a radical shift in your worldview is currently taking place. It could also represent your love of liberty and refusal to be tied down.

If you dream of a beautiful butterfly with many colors, it means that you want to make a good impression at a future social event or in some other part of your life.

The butterfly dream can represent success or achievement

Seeing a butterfly among flowers and green fields denotes riches and good fortune. A butterfly or moth flying around a light suggests a fleeting success, yet discovering a dead butterfly indicates danger.

Dreaming of transitioning from caterpillar to butterfly or of a butterfly coming out of a chrysalis suggests you are currently experiencing personal growth and development.

The transformation into the butterfly represents  you finally reaching your goals, or at the very least, that your goals are now within reach after much effort and pain.

---

References:

• A dictionary of symbols by Cirlot, Juan Eduardo
• A dictionary of symbols  by Chevalier, Jean
• Dictionary of symbols by Chetwynd, Tom
• A dictionary of dream symbols : with an introduction to dream psychology by Ackroyd, Eric
• Illustrated dictionary of symbols in eastern and western art by Hall, James
• Dictionary of symbols and imagery by Vries, Ad de
• Symbolism : a comprehensive dictionary by Olderr, Steven
• Dictionary of mythology, folklore and symbols by Jobes, Gertrude
• The complete dictionary of symbols by Tresidder, Jack
• The dream dictionary from A to Z by Francis-Cheung, Theresa
• 1001 dreams by Altman, Jack
• The Watkins dictionary of dreams by Reading, Mario
• Dictionary of dreams : interpretation and understanding by Colin, Didier