A spiritual slap in the face – by a butterfly
I hardly ever go to our local church other than for the usual hatches, matches, and despatches. I have never been religious and usually call myself an agnostic.
I probably still do. But two things have happened in my local village church in recent years that have made me think.
One was in the summer a couple of years back. A good friend of mine – woman in her forties, three youngish kids – had a brain haemorrhage and died. The church was packed with her friends and family and through our tears, as the minister shouted out prayers, we saw an enormous yellow butterfly swoop from the highest points down to the coffin, back up, back down, back up, and then disappeared.
It was summer, of course, so no great surprise that a butterfly should be around and maybe even attracted by the luscious flowers on her coffin. Many mourners remarked on that butterfly and how it seemed determined to make itself felt, noticed, even displayed.
Butterflies? Death?
It seems that butterflies often are connected with death and spiritualism. Sites such as this, and this, of course only provide anecdotal impressions, but the sheer number of those impressions is startling even to cynical old moi.
And then there was my most recent experience. In the very same church, burying another young person – 47 year-old father, husband and son who was slain by an inoperable brain tumor.
Not long after the service started, a black butterfly fluttered over the congregation. It went to one of the east windows of the church, disappeared as if down a hollow at the bottom of the window. Then it re-appeared, flew around the congregation again, and went to one of the west windows. I was watching it very closely throughout.
The butterfly disappeared, as if down a hollow of that west window. A woman in the pew behind me muttered “oh my God. So spiritual.”
And what really brought me up short, was the fact that this happened in a very cold British January, in a barely heated church. Hardly the environment in which butterflies flourish.
After the service had finished I went and examined both windows. (The vicar is a friend of mine and didn’t think I was about to steal the silver or the Communion wine.) There were no hollows beneath either window. I checked, probed with my fingers.
OK, this is not an experience which will convince me to adopt one particular religion, because I prefer to believe otherwise. Equally, in extreme circumstances it is conceivable that a butterfly could have been awakened from its hibernation on the day, although this is a church where the heating gets turned on at least once a week – so it was hardly a one-off opportunity for the butterfly to wake up and stretch its wings.
But I’ll tell you something: from now on, I will pay infinitely more respect to butterflies, wherever they are.
What are your experiences along these lines?
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17 Responses to A spiritual slap in the face – by a butterfly
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Revenge: A dish best served cold?
I’m not a nasty person. I’ve never in my life deliberately set out to hurt someone, or cause them pain. But right now, and for the past three or four years, on and off, my thoughts have been filled with fantasies of revenge. Now I have the opportunity, and I can’t decide what to do. [...]
I have never seen a butterfly in a church, but then I tend to have my head down or be singing at the top of my lungs. Hardly circumstances to notice butterflies.
But I do believe that people are sent spiritual messages and signs. The fact that you noticed and commented is a good thing.
Sarah Arrow recently posted..This may be of Pinterest to you…
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I tell you what, Sarah, you would have noticed this black butterfly, singing or praying or not. It was huge – or seemed so, perhaps because it was black. Eerie and bizarre to put it mildly. I wouldn’t presume to speculate on what it could have meant but several people I spoke to about it afterwards were convinced it was a strong spiritual sign.
Suzan St Maur recently posted..More of those glorious (clean) insults
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Wow, how fabulous Suze, I would draw great comfort from the butterflies’ presence.
In my world of living metaphorically, I believe everything has a message and we can choose what it means to us, or whether it’s just coincidence. But when it happens time and time again, that’s when you begin to realise there’s something more to it.
Jackie Walker recently posted..Reason to Love Yourself #3 – Less Stress and More Peace
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As I said in my response to Sarah, Jackie, I mustn’t presume to speculate. But if nothing else episodes like that remind me that it’s always so important to keep an open mind.
Suzan St Maur recently posted..More of those glorious (clean) insults
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I definitely agree with you about this Suzan. Every little that crippled in the earth has a meaning and we must give importance for the existence of it.
Nicholle Olores recently posted..Timber Doors Brisbane
I’m sure you’re right, Nicholle, although I don’t understand what you’re talking about…
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Hi Suze, thank you for sharing your experience with us.
The powerful image of a butterfly is very special in many cultures around the world, with the amazing life cycle that it goes through; both representing death and new life. It is also seen by some as a symbol of a departed soul. There are many stories I have read over the years, of many gaining great comfort from the sighting of a butterfly.
The butterfly is wonderful; something that brings me great joy Suze, in the beauty and the message (of new life) that it represents.
Anita Hunt recently posted..The beauty and symbolism of a butterfly
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Thanks for your lovely comment Anita – I had heard of the connection with departed souls, and my own experiences would appear to bear that out.
Suzan St Maur recently posted..Why you need to reMAMBA your marketing media
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The transformation butterflies go through does seem to be a powerful symbol which transcends any one religion. When a butterfly emerges, the ‘death and rebirth’ as something freer and more beautiful just seems to represent hope in our souls.
The Hospice I volunteer with uses the butterfly as a representation of death. Each guest has a little card on their door with their name on etc, and on the back of the card is a picture of a butterfly. When their turn comes to die, staff quietly turn the card around, then everyone knows to check that the family are ok, that people have been called and not to barrel into the room with ice cream and a joke.
It is not a religious symbol for anyone, and yet it seems to resonate for every culture.
Carolyn Steele recently posted..Trucking in English Podcast: Return to Cincinnati, Part 1
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That’s very interesting, Carolyn. As Jackie was saying in her comment above we do live to an extent in a metaphorical world and the use of the butterfly image at your hospice is such a lovely, tasteful way to convey the message.
I am on the committee of a hospice local to me (as a cancer patient representative myself, and also as a carer of my late mom who was a patient there.) I don’t remember what procedure they use when a patient passes because my mom came home and passed here. However if you don’t mind I will check out what they do there in the circumstances you describe and if appropriate I will suggest something like your butterfly idea.
Thanks so much for sharing.
Suzan St Maur recently posted..Why you need to reMAMBA your marketing media
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Nice story, Suze.
I respect my local CofE church simply because they ‘do’: they organise events for the elderly and infirm; they shelter the homeless in the church; they feed the homeless in cold weather with soup and rolls.
They deserve a veritable flock of butterflies over the steeple.
Jeremy Dent recently posted..Wishing people ‘good luck’: almost an insult?
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Your local church sounds wonderful, Jeremy – and there are numerous secular organisations who provide similar facilities along with those supplied by religious groups.
The tragedy is that in our supposedly “developed, civilised” country we should have so many homeless people to be cared for by the voluntary sector in the first place.
Suzan St Maur recently posted..Why you need to reMAMBA your marketing media
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Hi Suze
This brought a kind of funny feeling – as in funny odd rather than funny ha ha.
In what turned out to be the last year of her life my Mum painted a bird and… a butterfly, both of which were chosen to be included in the 2011 calendar of her ‘retirement residence’ – a lovely place in London, Ontario, your home country; the same city as both of my sisters and their families.
We can’t necessarily draw conclusions about these things that touch us yet surely we can decide to believe there’s something at work that might just be ‘beyond our ken’ as the old saying goes?
Linda
PS: Nice, non “ME, ME, ME” post
Linda Mattacks recently posted..How profitable is your business and how much FUN is it?
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That’s interesting, Linda – makes you wonder whether it is our association of butterflies with the life-death cycle that’s at work here, or whether it’s something coming at us from the opposite direction via the butterflies.
I know London ON as I have friends who live there and one of my cousins studied at Western. Lovely city.
And thanks for the compliment … !!
Suzan St Maur recently posted..Why you need to reMAMBA your marketing media
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I’m a believer, I believe in God and also in miracles. This comes from my artist being, that feels to touch God anytime a new creation is completed.
But my very rational being can’t accept ideas about butterflies connected to souls and spiritual world. So? I don’t know
But I loved reading this article, so many points to consider.
Manuel Marino recently posted..Book Review for: Dragon Flame
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I would have agreed with you prior to having these experiences, Manuel, about not buying into the butterfly story. But now – well, all I can say is that it seems to more we learn, the less we know. Thanks for your comment!
Twitter: SuzeStMWrites