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There’s an American Indian legend—some say it’s Cherokee, others Shoshone—that a beautiful butterfly woman lost her mate in a war. Grief-stricken, she took off her wings, wrapped herself in a cocoon, and went on a long journey.
She walked carefully, stepping on stones as she went, and saw a very beautiful stone. Her sadness ended at the sight of this stone. Throwing off the cocoon, she put on her wings again and danced joyfully. To this day, her tribe dances the Butterfly Dance to greet new seasons, new life, and new beginnings.
In the world of totems, butterfly is a symbol of change, joy, love, and metamorphosis. Not overnight, the butterfly morphs in a series of four stages:
Egg—fertilization, giving birth to something new
Larva—strengthening the foundation
Chrysalis—cocooning for reorganization
Butterfly—emerging in lightness and joy
Like the butterfly, we’re always changing too—shedding the old, stepping into the new.
What stage are you currently in?
Listen with your heart,
Laurie Buchanan
“Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.”
— Laurie Buchanan
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This post was previously published on www.tuesdayswithlaurie.com and is republished here with permission from the author.
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Photo credit: Shutterstock