The Buzzword is Butterfly

I am a collector of beautiful greetings cards which carry insightful sayings and one of my favourites is one that has a picture of a beautiful butterfly on it with the words:

Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over…..it became a butterfly

Birthing into form as tiny lava, caterpillars know about the restrictions of life in their slow moving bodies but adapt during their lifespan. There comes a time when they are challenged and slowed down to a stop, a sleep and a death (of sorts) when they transform, by discarding layers and eventually emerge as a butterfly or moth.

This is a wonderful allegory for our own lives at the moment because we are so like very hungry caterpillars who have burst into form from an egg and as humankind, we have spent aeons of time slowly moving through earth’s history of discovery, consumption, rampage and challenge. We are now at a point in our world when we should accept that change is inevitable and instead of fearing it or wanting to stop it, we should really be considering the butterfly example!

Science tells us that when the caterpillar digests itself, certain highly organised groups of cells, known as 'imaginal discs' survive the digestive process. Indeed the caterpillar’s transformation would not happen without the use of these discs because we are told that they serve as a canvas to experimentally address how cells and tissues respond to gain or loss of specific gene functions. So what does this mean in terms of our own transformation?

There is a clue for us here in terms of the word ‘imaginal’ which relates to the word 'imagination'. It is interesting to observe that we are now learning to use the creative aspect of our consciousness to determine our personal worlds; and many are discovering that by going within to that centre of their being, where stillness and direction are to be found, that they are able to use their own imagination and feelings to consciously create their own life direction.

So it may be the time now for us all to go to our WORLD WITHIN and start to shed our own layers so that our ‘imaginal discs’ can play their part in transforming us. We may not have the physiological membrane of the caterpillar and butterfly but we do have a set of biological cells and manifesting capabilities, that if used correctly, have the ability to transform us in a similar way.

The world cannot change itself, but every human can change their own self if they take up the specific challenges that lie before them as individuals and when 51% of humanity transform and heal themselves, the fulcrum tip will be activated and the world will change for the better.

In recent times, during our enforced isolation due to the covid pandemic, we were all given the opportunity to go within, confront our inner fears and decide our priorities. For many, these circumstances became the catalyst that forced their individual transformations.

It may seem to us like an insurmountable task to change our world but as I look at my favourite butterfly card I am inspired to constantly monitor my own attitudes and thoughts about life and by playing my part in healing my individual world I will also be contributing to the transformation of the whole world.

No soul in this world is unwanted or is incapable of changing it for the better. The very fact that you have incarnated is enough - no matter what your physical, emotional or mental condition may be. You are loved in all your entirety by the Divine.

As humans we are beginning to realise that our thoughts create our life experiences, which include our propensity to grow and evolve. So at this time in our history, just when we are thinking the world as we know it, is over, we have the choice now to become butterflies and who wouldn’t want to become lighter and have the freedom to fly (metaphorically speaking)?

Like us, the caterpillar is an all the year round creature and not just a fair weather friend. Like ourselves, it is a great adapter, as it transforms itself into a butterfly and mirrors our own journey through life. We have a lot in common!

Photo courtesy of Unsplash