A Dance of Transformation and Joy
The last couple of weeks has brought its shares of challenges, blessings, and insights... I more or less had certain plans for the month which had to be abandoned as I was faced with several unplanned house repairs. In many ways, these needed repairs mirrored issues within my own soul that needed attention. A house has always been a wonderful metaphor for my soul and the work that it must do...
Last week, as I left my acupuncturist, after having discussed with her some of the issues and decisions I was facing, I was greeted by a beautiful tiger swallowtail butterfly, that reminded me so much of the blue butterfly whose path mystically intersected with mine on a walk last fall.
Butterflies are symbolic of change, freedom, creativity, and joy. In ancient cultures they were also regarded as a sign of impending rebirth - of renewal or of a new beginning on a higher plane of existence.
The various life cycles butterflies go through are indicative of questions we might need to ask ourselves:
"Are my experiences and feelings pointing towards thoughts and ideas I should explore?
Is there a decision that I need to make that I might perhaps be avoiding?
Is there something I must work on or creatively give birth to?
Or, is my work in some aspect of my life now finished?"
The presence of butterflies are gentle reminders that life is a dance, to be enjoyed, and that life is perhaps not always to be taken so seriously.
The yellow butterfly I encountered seemed to dance in place, slowly vibrating, with its wings proudly spread out before me. Then after a minute or so it simply flew away, but not without first imparting a sense of lightness to all the heaviness that I had allowed to slowly seep into my thoughts and being...
Later that week, I read some reflections from the writings of Francis de Sales in a parish bulletin, reminding me that we must die to our old self, in order to create the new. Pain sometimes purifies us so that we can more purely reflect Divine love in our lives. We must stay the middle course in our lives and at all times choose to do what we must do in life, with great love...
Sometimes, things don't go your way. Sometimes you plan things and then you have to let go of those plans. Sometimes we just need to be still and know. Be still and listen. Sometimes everything comes to us for our own transformation - so that we can truly dance freely, and with great abandon, and limitless joy!
Last week, as I left my acupuncturist, after having discussed with her some of the issues and decisions I was facing, I was greeted by a beautiful tiger swallowtail butterfly, that reminded me so much of the blue butterfly whose path mystically intersected with mine on a walk last fall.
Butterflies are symbolic of change, freedom, creativity, and joy. In ancient cultures they were also regarded as a sign of impending rebirth - of renewal or of a new beginning on a higher plane of existence.
The various life cycles butterflies go through are indicative of questions we might need to ask ourselves:
"Are my experiences and feelings pointing towards thoughts and ideas I should explore?
Is there a decision that I need to make that I might perhaps be avoiding?
Is there something I must work on or creatively give birth to?
Or, is my work in some aspect of my life now finished?"
The presence of butterflies are gentle reminders that life is a dance, to be enjoyed, and that life is perhaps not always to be taken so seriously.
The yellow butterfly I encountered seemed to dance in place, slowly vibrating, with its wings proudly spread out before me. Then after a minute or so it simply flew away, but not without first imparting a sense of lightness to all the heaviness that I had allowed to slowly seep into my thoughts and being...
Later that week, I read some reflections from the writings of Francis de Sales in a parish bulletin, reminding me that we must die to our old self, in order to create the new. Pain sometimes purifies us so that we can more purely reflect Divine love in our lives. We must stay the middle course in our lives and at all times choose to do what we must do in life, with great love...
Sometimes, things don't go your way. Sometimes you plan things and then you have to let go of those plans. Sometimes we just need to be still and know. Be still and listen. Sometimes everything comes to us for our own transformation - so that we can truly dance freely, and with great abandon, and limitless joy!
"There is no protection against adversity.
There are no guarantees.
What you have is yourself, made
in the image of something very great,
the Greatest thing.
You have yourself, and
the particular circumstances of your life.
What you create
is your measure of love.
What you create
is up to you.
We choose what we will risk.
But only the freedom
that drives the risk matters."
~ Paula D'Arcy
"God comes to you
disguised as your life."
~ Paula D'Arcy
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