Last Updated on October 9, 2022 by theworldofsleepstaff
The meaning of a butterfly dream can be a few things, some of them positive, some negative.
When we dream of butterflies we need to take into consideration if they have any particular colours that stand out to us, what those colours mean to us and whether or not it is relevant to our dream.
Butterflies in dreams also carry a relation to moths and caterpillars, so at times we may need to look into the meanings of those as well when analysing our dreams about butterflies.
We will look at all of that, and more, right here.
CONTENTS:
- What Butterflies In Our Dreams Can Tell Us
- Moths and Butterflies In Our Dreams
- The Colour Of Butterfly Wings And Their Interpretations
- What Happens To Butterflies In Our Dreams And The Meaning Behind It
- Associations Of Divinity And Butterflies
- Conclusion: Dreaming About A Butterfly And The Flight Of Our Minds
What Butterflies In Our Dreams Can Tell Us
When it comes to dreams of butterflies they can take on several meanings, both positive and negative.
Below we will look at their associations more in-depth.
Positive Associations
Firstly we will look at how we see butterflies in dreams when in a positive light.
1. Creativity
As with our waking lives, the meaning of a butterfly dream can be a representation of creativity. They are often works of art when we look at the colours and designs of their wings. The same translates into our dreams; they can represent our creative side.
2. Romance
Butterflies also have a romantic association with them, which we can see in dreams as well. Seeing a butterfly could be symbolic of a romance you are experiencing or pining for.
3. Joy and Elation
When we see butterflies in our waking lives they often bring a sense of joy or elation. When we look at dreams we can consider a similar meaning. They can be considered expressions of those feelings in our waking lives shown to us within our dreams.
4. Social Aspects
The term social butterfly comes into play here. Due to the use of this term we may have associations with butterflies in dreams regarding our social lives. It could be a representation of what we feel may be the state of our outgoing nature or lack thereof.
In the same light, the meaning of a butterfly dream could also refer to how we might perceive our status within our social circles.
Negative Associations
On the other hand, when we look at butterflies in dreams we may see some negative associations as well.
1. Lack of Focus and Being Flighty
In our dreams, butterflies could be symbolic of how we feel regarding our focus in life. They are seen as flighty creatures and we can use this to translate what a negative butterfly dream may mean.
So it could be that they mean we feel we need to hone our focus and stop approaching our lives and situations as flighty.
2. Superficial and Vain
In some cases, we may have a dream about a butterfly which could be indicative of a feeling about being superficial or vain. This does not always necessarily refer to the self but could refer to someone else and how we view them as well.
3. Possessiveness
While another way a butterfly dream can be negative is to compare it to how we often feel about things of beauty. For many of us, seeing something beautiful creates this feeling of wanting to possess the object of beauty. Even if we don’t act upon it, the feeling could still exist.
As such we may find that a dream of a butterfly could represent a possessive tendency we may have or see in another towards ourselves.
Neutral Associations
We may also look at the following associations, which tend to lean either way or lie somewhere in the middle.
The meanings may vary depending on each of us as an individual dreamer.
Whilst the basis remains the same, how it applies to us depends on the dream we are having.
1. Transformation
We can look at the idea of transformation when it comes to dreams about butterflies. That’s because a butterfly needs to go through a transformation to reach the stage it is at.
So we can look at a butterfly dream meaning as being symbolic of going through a transformation in our waking lives.
2. Growth
As with transformation, growth ties into butterfly dream meanings as well. To reach the next stage, the butterfly stage, the butterfly needs to go through a period of growth.
In butterfly dreams, we can therefore also consider if they may be a representation of a period in our lives where we are going through a stage of growth. Perhaps a career change, learning a new skill or even forming a new good habit.
3. Freedom
Whilst they may not soar as birds do, butterflies also represent a sense of freedom. They almost seem to float through the air and often we associate them with that sense of freedom.
At times a butterfly dream could tie into how we feel in regards to our own sense of freedom.
Moths and butterflies in our dreams
Next, we need to look at moths, as often they tie into dreams with butterflies. At times it could be that they are simply present or they replace the butterfly. To understand such a dream we need to also know the meanings behind moths in our dreams.
While these are general meanings associated with moths, they can also be applied to butterfly dreams. Especially if the moths are present in the dream or if the dreamer has negative connotations with butterflies.
1. Weaknesses
Moths are associated with weakness in dreams, and as such, they can symbolise how we see weakness in ourselves.
2. Flaws
Another way they can represent our dreams is by being a symbol for flaws, especially flaws related to the self.
Moths could in some cases be considered the flawed butterfly.
3. Irritability
In our waking lives, most of us are irritated by the presence of a moth. in other cases, we may be scared. Thus in dreams, they can be a representation of underlying irritability we may feel.
We usually don’t notice a moth unless it’s flying into a light or us, which ties into how we can also see their appearance in our dreams as potentially meaning we are feeling as thought we are overlooking something in our waking lives.
While at first, it may seem these two are not related, they can be in dreams where we see butterflies. While most people see butterflies in a positive light, some may have similar associations with them as most of us do with moths. In a case like that the meanings of such dreams can vary.
The Colour Of Butterfly Wings And Their Interpretations
Butterflies tend to come in bright colours. Commonly we see them in blues, oranges, yellows, reds or purples. While each colour has its own meaning in a general way, each colour also has its own meaning to the dreamer. Our associations may differ and thus what the colour means to us could vary wildly from person to person.
However, bright colours in dreams can be representations of how we feel towards our spirituality.
Alternatively, it could refer to how we see our own intellectual or other mental capabilities.
What Happens To Butterflies In Our Dreams And The Meaning Behind It
Interpreting a butterfly dream meaning would require us to also look at what the scenarios in the dream are surrounding the butterfly.
Below we discuss a few scenarios we might encounter in our dreams about butterflies and what they could mean.
1. Butterflies in Flight
Flight in dreams can symbolize freedom, so when we dream of seeing a butterfly in flight we could interpret it as relating back to our sense of freedom. The way the flight goes usually indicates how we feel towards this sense of freedom and accomplishing it.
2. A Butterfly Landing On You
If in our dreams a butterfly lands on us we can see it in two ways depending on our beliefs.
Spiritually we may see it as a sign of our beliefs and we may feel that the divine is trying to communicate with us.
Whilst another meaning could be that it may be the mind’s way of speaking to our conscious about how we feel about our own beauty. If it is a negative experience it may mean that we feel we might indulge in vanity or have a belief that others feel that way about us. Or it could mean we may be feeling like we are lacking in that department.
2. A Butterfly On A Flower
When we have a dream of a butterfly landing on a flower, we can look at it in a sense of two creative aspects being together. Whilst both have associations of beauty with them, in the case of a dream such as this, we may perhaps be leaning more towards creativity. Creativity is beauty through expression.
In such a dream it could be that the meaning of a butterfly dream regards feeling creative or perhaps even feeling a desire for more creativity in our waking lives.
3. A Dead Butterfly
Seeing a dead butterfly in our dreams might mean that we are feeling some of the positive aspects mentioned above are currently beyond our reach.
It may be that in our waking lives we feel that we are unable to attain these aspects and the mind attempts to communicate this feeling to us by showing us dead butterflies in our dreams.
4. Killing a Butterfly
In dreams where we kill a butterfly, it could be symbolic of possessiveness. If we are responsible for the killing it may be that we feel we are being too possessive over some aspect of our waking lives.
When we witness the killing it could be indicative of our mind feeling that someone else may be too possessive over us.
5. A Group of Butterflies
A group of butterflies could refer to our social life, the way they interact with each other and how it makes us feel. Dreaming about a group of butterflies can speak of what we may perceive to be happening in our waking lives socially.
Alternatively, it could also represent how free we may feel amongst others.
6. Wings
When we only see the wings of a butterfly, it may have a few meanings and these are usually dependent on the condition the wings are in.
While normally wings of any kind tend to symbolise freedom of sorts in dreams, we need to look at their condition to determine what they may mean in a dream:
A Wing Floating Away
When it comes to butterflies, their wings could take on a few meanings.
If we see the wings of a butterfly simply floating away it may be that our mind feel we are flighty and perhaps struggling to commit to a waking life situation.
It may be the way the mind is attempting to call our consciousness to focus more on our waking lives.
A Broken Wing
Having a dream in which we see a broken butterfly wing may be an indication that we feel blocked creatively in our waking lives.
Alternatively, it could also represent how we see ourselves physically. We may have a negative view of our physical appearance, and thus find it influencing our dreams. You would then have to examine the root cause of this.
Are we truly without beauty or are we taking on the beliefs and expectations of others and applying them to ourselves? Look at yourself as you would at a friend, would you say what you think of yourself to a friend? Or even believe it?
We can oftentimes be overly critical of ourselves and especially in appearance. We may have a tendency to compare ourselves to others without actually seeing our worth.
7. Watching a Caterpillar Transform Into a Butterfly
Dreams in which we see the process of a butterfly’s transformation often relate to metamorphoses.
In the case of a butterfly, it may mean that we feel we are shedding the old us and growing into the new us. Generally, such a dream refers to our personal development.
While at times the change may be harsh, oftentimes we may feel it is a necessary change or one we have no control over. It may be that the process we might be experiencing in our waking lives is slow and painful. That we perhaps feel it is changing who we are, but that does not always mean it has to be a damaging change.
At times however harsh, the change could benefit us. It is up to you as the individual dreamer to decide what this change may bring to you.
Associations Of Divinity And Butterflies
On the last note, we look at those who may feel strongly about their religion or spirituality.
Butterflies in dreams for those of us who may have strong beliefs could represent how we may be feeling our divine path is interacting with us. For some of us, we may feel a butterfly dream meaning is a representation of divine messengers set to guide us or inform us.
While this may feel like an omen or a message, remember that it is a dream. A dream is a message from the subconscious to the conscious and you should never make any life-altering decisions based on what we may feel a butterfly dream meaning is.
Conclusion: Dreaming About A Butterfly And The Flight Of Our Minds
So to close off this article, we look back at what we now know about what a butterfly dream meaning is.
They can be positive, representing beauty, creativity, romance or even for some a divine symbol. They can be negative and remind us of vanity, weaknesses of being unable to concentrate on our lives direction.
Or they could tell us about how we feel within our social circles, whether we feel free or if we feel we are going through a stage of transformation and growth.
However, at the end of it, these creatures, even in dreams remain art in flight and can bring us joy even in a dream.