As insects go, butterflies are some of the most beautiful, and their appearance has inspired us for centuries.
They feature in many forms of art, and they can stop us in our tracks when we see one for real.
But what does it mean to dream of butterflies?
Butterflies In Dreams: At A Glance
Butterflies in dreams have many different meanings, as well as being dependent on your own memories and associations.
While there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ for dreams, as every dream is unique to the dreamer, there is some symbolism that crops up over and over with certain dream symbols.
Take the butterfly, for example.
Essentially, butterflies appearing in your dream are linked with transformation, spiritual journeys, a new purpose, or a fresh way of looking at life and how you approach its problems.
In dreams, butterflies serve to help guide you along your life path, helping to realign your spiritual self and move forward.
After dreaming of a butterfly, you might find that you have a renewed sense of purpose, stability, or that you feel more capable.
You may even adjust your priorities or come to a new decision that will shape your life. Butterflies in dreams also serve as a sign of success, spiritual and personal growth, and as a revelation.
The Spiritual Interpretation Of A Butterfly Manifesting In Your Dream
A butterfly’s life cycle is such a poignant, beautiful and brutal process that it has become a metaphor in spirituality and religion across the globe.
From a caterpillar, preparing to weave its own cocoon, and then breaking down to a long period of transformation. Finally, to be remade into a butterfly is very symbolic.
This process has a lot of spiritual associations. For one, it reflects how things always change, no matter how you might wish they didn’t.
But while things do transform, they are not always lost, they just change state to some extent.
As life gets you down, and problems appear around every corner, you will want to give up. But this is just your cocoon stage.
The butterfly represents a new state of being, where you find fresh beginnings, opportunities, and a new sense of purpose and truth.
At this stage, you have to let go of things that no longer serve you, including old habits, beliefs, and blocked energies, so that you are free to move forward.
But this isn’t the only spiritual meaning. Butterflies appearing in your dreams point to a new start somewhere in your life.
This could be a complete career change, the breakthrough you’ve been looking for, a new way of life, or meeting someone who will completely change the way you live.
Spiritually speaking, the butterfly breaks down any wish you might have to stay in your comfort zone, and encourages you to move beyond it. Everything you want, after all, lies outside of it.
Butterflies in dreams can also symbolize:
- A new truth to lead your life by
- Transformation
- A shift in priorities
- Success
- Achieving your wildest dreams
- Recharging after a period of turmoil
- Renewed confidence, passion, and drive for life
- New opportunities and relationships
What Do Different Colored Butterflies Mean In Dreams?
The meaning of your butterfly dream largely depends on the appearance of the butterfly itself, and it also serves to make the symbolism that much clearer.
It’s worth taking a look at the few most common butterfly appearances in your dream, which will help get you started in interpreting it.
White Butterfly Dream Meaning
White butterflies in your dream represent spiritual renewal or evolution.
As white is also linked to the crown chakra, which is the font of your spiritual energy, this dream can also be a message from your innermost intuitive self, or your spirit guide.
Black Butterfly Dream Symbolism
A black butterfly appearing in your dream represents the shadow aspect of yourself.
It may suggest that you need to practice shadow work, where you work to uncover the innermost parts of yourself, those which you keep repressed and unacknowledged.
The butterfly itself signifies the transformation which comes after completing this journey, where you are the surest and most intuitive form of yourself that you are capable of being.
Dreaming Of A Black And White Butterfly
Black and white butterflies in your dream represent the duality that exists in life. The good and the bad, the shadow and the light, and the strong and the weak.
It’s a reminder that you need both the good times and the bad, the challenges and the things you’ll sail through, in order to appreciate everything life has laid in front of you.
A Blue Butterfly In Your Dream
If you see a blue butterfly in your dream, this is a sign of reassurance. It suggests that you’re on a worthwhile journey, and that you’re moving towards something positive.
Its presence also means that although you’ll encounter obstacles, you’ll learn from them, meaning that no experience is wasted.
Blue butterflies in your dream also signify luck and prosperity, and diverging from people’s expectations in order to live your life fully.
Purple Butterfly Dream Meaning
A purple butterfly appearing in your dream signifies your instincts, sensitivity to energy and vibrational changes.
If you see a purple butterfly in your dream, this indicates that while you may be going through some challenges, these obstacles are strengthening your trust in your own intuition.
You’re picking up on signs that suggest there’s a big change in store for you in the near future.
You may also see more people coming to you for advice, attracted by your confidence, perseverance, or higher vibrational energy.
Alternatively, a purple butterfly symbolizes someone who used to be a center figure in your life, but you are now learning to let them go.
Green Butterfly Dream Symbolism
Dreaming of a green butterfly is a very good sign for the near future. It represents victory, overcoming obstacles, reaching your goals, and realizing your greatest dreams.
A green butterfly is also your dream urging you to practice gratitude, and this will allow even greater things to come to you, as you’ll raise your vibration, allowing them to manifest quicker.
Yellow Butterfly Dream Meaning
A gold or yellow butterfly featuring in your dream points to using your imagination, your creativity, to attain a new level of self-assurance and confidence.
Tapping into your creative side in all aspects of your life will spark happiness and optimism, as well as being guided by your own intuition, instead of what other people think is best for you.
Yellow or gold butterflies in your dream are a reminder to carve your own path through life, so if you dream of them, it’s time to start thinking big.
Orange Butterfly Dream Symbolism
Orange butterflies indicate that your wildest, most distant goals are closer than you think.
These insects (see also article about dreams of bees) are all symbolic of manifestation. Taking positive action in order to move a small step closer towards your goal.
After a while, when you look up, you may be surprised at how much further you’ll have moved towards your goal.
Dreaming Of A Red Butterfly
Red butterflies are associated with the root chakra, which also shares this color.
Dreaming of red butterflies tends to occur when you’re in a transitional period in waking life, and you’re not sure where things will end up.
It’s a warning that you need to take time to ground yourself, whatever that means to you.
Perhaps an event in waking life has made you feel as though you’ve come away from what keeps you grounded or makes you feel protected.
Something that you may have taken for granted in the past might be threatened, like your sense of wellbeing, your drive for life, or a breakdown in an important relationship.
Dreaming Of A Brown Butterfly
A brown butterfly in your dream suggests that you need to take time for yourself and recharge in some way.
Make sure that you treat yourself with the same respect and attention you give to others.
If you’ve started any unhealthy habits or patterns of thinking, work to adjust things now, while they will be easier to break, rather than later on.
Brown butterflies may also signal a new way of living or new life coming to you.
Seeing A Multi-colored Or Rainbow Butterfly In Your Dream
A butterfly featuring different colors is a great sign, especially if it was a rainbow butterfly.
This positive symbol reveals new wisdom, a better, clearer perception, and a renewed joy for life after a difficult period is over.
The Butterfly Spirit Guide
If you have recurring dreams of butterflies, and you feel drawn or connected to these insects (see also article titled ‘Dragonfly Dream Meaning – Top 10 Dreams Of Dragonflies And Their Meanings‘) in dreams, the butterfly might be your spirit guide.
This is especially apt for those who, when they have a dream of a certain animal (see also article titled ‘17 Meanings And Symbolism When You Dream About Horses’) or insect, they feel called or greatly protected.
These positive feelings will often last for several days after a dream of a spirit guide.
Spirit guides are the spirits of animals (see also article titled ‘16 Meanings When You Dream Of Gorillas’) which have transcended the physical realm, moving into the spiritual planes. These spirits serve as guides and guardians throughout life.
Your butterfly spirit guide visiting in your dream usually carries a message gained through a wealth of wisdom, and may take some time to unravel.
They reveal answers that you’ve been looking for in terms of relationships, purpose, health, your work life, and help to clarify that which is unclear.
In addition, they can provide guidance about your future, so you can be prepared for what lies ahead of you.
You may find that your butterfly spirit guide appears more often during times of change and uncertainty.
Especially big milestones, such as moving house (see also article titled ‘What Does It Mean To Dream Of A New House?‘), starting a new career, getting married, having children, or going through a divorce.
The butterfly may be appearing to tell you that you’re ready to make changes to your life, but it may come as a concrete reassurance that you’re on the right path.
It will appear in the way that you need it, so you’ll be able to adjust anything that needs it.
If you feel that the butterfly might be your spirit guide, it is worth keeping a dream journal in order to keep track of your dreams, and consider what each one tells you.
It’s worth noting that guidance and insight that your spirit guide offers you sometimes only becomes clear with time, and the timing may not be right at all.
Keeping a dream journal helps with this, as it allows you to remember the details of your dreams which point to the meaning, which would otherwise fade over time.
You’ll then be able to look back over several of your dreams, and find the unique signifiers that your spirit guide uses to communicate with you.
Common Butterfly Dreams And What They Mean
Butterflies can manifest in your dreams in countless different ways, and each tiny detail can be significant.
But there are particular concepts and themes which feature in butterfly dreams, cropping up regularly enough that they are worth examining.
Here are a selection of those dreams, in order to help point the way to your dream’s meaning.
Seeing A Cocoon In Your Dream
If you dream of a cocoon, this reveals how you need to take some time for yourself to tend to your spirit.
You need to do some inner reflection, or meditation, as you are in a transitional period where you need to make sure your energy is stable.
Your vibration is increasing, which has the potential to help you let go of anything that no longer serves you.
But in order to fully move forward, you need to do some of the work to get there. It won’t happen magically by itself.
The cocoon implies that you have all of the energy you need to move to a higher vibration than before, but you need to channel this energy into something positive.
This will prevent restless and self-destructive behavior, too.
New opportunities in waking life may be a cause of uncertainty, and you can’t help but think back to times when you’ve taken a chance, and it’s gone horribly wrong.
Old worries and insecurities have the potential to rise up here and hold you back.
But they are the memory of such things, a learned pattern of behavior that you are equally capable of unlearning rather than repeating the same things.
A dream of a cocoon urges you to step into solitude, to remember how to be on good terms with yourself. Figure out what you want, and make a plan on how you might get there.
It’s worth taking a step back from routine and everyday distractions in order to take stock of your spiritual health, and meditate on your innermost dreams and what you want out of life.
While that might not seem like a fun time, and you’d rather spend lots of time with others rather than yourself, it can be extremely beneficial, offering you fresh insight, tranquility, and a new purpose.
It may even be that you won’t get to the next stage of your life’s journey without it, where you essentially limit yourself by turning to everyday distraction and gratification, living like a caterpillar.
A Large Butterfly In Your Dream
Dreaming of a large butterfly can be confusing, worrying, and cause uncertainty with no specific cause.
Almost as if you’re expecting something, but you’re not sure what shape it will take.
Well, if you dream of a large butterfly, this suggests there’s something very important on the horizon.
Change is coming. Have you heard of the butterfly effect? Not the movie, but the chaos theory that the movie is based on.
The butterfly effect suggests that small changes in the outset of something have the potential to drastically change the outcome.
So, in dreams, a large butterfly points not only to change looming on the horizon, but it also focuses your attention on the small, everyday choices that you make.
This dream is telling you that it is up to you how this change will affect you, and whether this will be good or bad.
Just before dramatic events we tend to get an inkling or sign that something is about to happen.
Given enough time, this might be in your dreams, and more immediately, this could be a physical sensation, like the hair on your neck tickling, or your leg jumping.
Change always brings a period of adjustment, where we feel as though the ground has moved from under us, and we’re no longer sure where we stand.
This uncertainty is partly why we fight change so hard. It’s in-built into us as an evolutionary trait, which is ironic, as sometimes the only way you will grow as a person is to adapt to change.
More than one large butterfly in your dream signals a life-changing event, urging you to adapt to change, rather than be tempted to fall back into bad habits to avoid it.
Eventually, you will be able to look back on these changes and be glad that you didn’t let your fear paralyze you.
Dreaming Of A Butterfly Landing On You
A dream where a butterfly lands on you reveals your skill of manifesting what you want to happen in waking life.
Through your hard work and resilience, you always move towards your goals, and you are never stuck in the same place for long.
You know exactly what you need to do to achieve your goals, and you don’t waste time trying to figure things out.
This is especially true when someone tells you that something cannot be done, or it cannot be achieved because of you, and you prove them wrong.
Your spirit is what recognizes these opportunities for what they are, and it’s through the physical world that you manifest your goals.
This dream urges you to explore what it is that you really want out of life. After all, you have all the tools you need in order to make it a reality, and you’ve done it before.
If you’ve been daydreaming about starting afresh somewhere new, or you have been aching to transform your life in some way, your dream is telling you that there’s no better time to start moving toward what you want than now.
Maybe you’re afraid of what may lie ahead if you stray from the safety and comfort of routine, imagining that it will be worse than where you are now.
Take some time to think about how you might get what you want from life, and how you can take proactive steps to make that happen.
You have enough experience and wisdom that will help guide the way, and all of that has been leading to this period, when you decide where you go next.
This dream is telling you to take a leap of faith.
A Butterfly Landing On Your Face In A Dream
Interestingly, a dream of a butterfly landing on your face isn’t as positive a dream meaning.
This dream may come as a warning. If you dream of a butterfly landing on your face, it’s a good idea to take a good look at what you’re trying to move towards.
More importantly, why you are trying to manifest this thing into your life.
While it’s not a crime to want your life to be better by any means, you may be trying to manifest something into your life for the wrong reasons.
Perhaps you’re wholly focused on material gain for the sake of it, instead of the fulfillment and freedom the security could give you, and what you could give to others.
Remember that while no one can tell you how to live your life, it is very easy to be distracted and persuaded to go after the wrong things without realizing.
Always go for the things that fill your life with meaning – whatever that means to you – where each day is filled with love, purpose, and spiritual connection.
Holding A Butterfly In Your Hands In A Dream
Hands, or more specifically, your hands, are an interesting dream symbol all on their own. A dream of your own hands draws your focus to the tools you physically and spiritually use to shape your life.
They are symbols of hard work, of resilience, creativity, productivity, love, ingenuity, intelligence, and habit.
When combined with the butterfly dream symbol, where you dream of holding a butterfly in your hands, your dream is telling you to act.
You’re in the greatest position right now to manifest your wishes, and what you want your reality to look like. But only if you move towards your goals.
Hands shape every action that we do, and in dreams, they signify how your happiness, and sense of achievement, all comes from the work that you put in.
They also signify the importance of giving to others, and receiving what the universe gives you, shaping out of it what you can.
Catching A Butterfly In Your Dream
If you dream of catching a butterfly, your dream is directing your focus towards your judgment of timing.
The butterfly represents your ability to manifest, and the will to act. Most often, this dream occurs when your drive for success is at its highest, and you’re in a great place where you can listen to your intuition without ignoring it.
This puts you in the right position to get what you want, but you still have to act at the right moment.
The dream is telling you that now is the right time to reach for what you want most.
But do you really know what you want? Are you just picking something that seems like something you should want? Is your judgment clouded by doubt and uncertainty?
If that sounds like you, and you have a dream of catching a butterfly with your hands, it’s time to look at the opportunities headed your way.
These chances – should you act on them – will teach you to trust your capabilities, your instincts, and when your gut is telling you to act.
So when the signs feel right, be brave, and dare to go after what you really want. It might open up a whole new world for you.
Dreaming Of A Butterfly In Your House
Dreaming of seeing a butterfly in your house draws your attention to how grounded you feel, spiritually, mentally, and physically.
It directly relates to your spiritual energy, and how this makes you feel, and whether it is blocked, or open.
If you are someone who believes in chakras, this relates to the first chakra, the root chakra.
This particular chakra draws your attention to your connection with reality, the earth, and the relationships that keep you feeling secure.
Typically, houses in dreams refer to your ‘safest’ space, that which you search for in times of great need, or great joy. It may refer to a physical space, but more often than not, it points towards relationships.
You may dream of a butterfly in your house when your spiritual energies are at their highest, or equally, at their lowest.
Your dream is focusing your gaze on how grounded you feel – regardless of what situation you are in now – and what in your life determines your stability which you work from.
It pulls your attention towards your support systems, and how good, or bad they are right now.
Your ability to thrive is directly dictated by these aspects, to an extent. Exactly how much entirely depends on you, but you should never discard them, as you don’t know when you’ll need them.
But that’s not the only aspect worth considering. Sometimes, it’s more important to have people to celebrate with when you achieve something fantastic, to really drive home exactly how much you’ve worked, and let the reality of your manifestation settle in.
Otherwise, you may find that you push yourself too hard, that success is only a moment to nod at and move towards the next achievement.
Butterflies in dreams often serve as lessons to guide us forward. If you feel emotionally unfulfilled, it may be time to get involved with the local community.
Maybe you feel held back by mistakes you’ve made in the past in trusting people, and you’re reluctant to put that kind of trust in people again.
This dream urges you to join in with people or events that compliment your spirituality and personality, which will help heal any past hurts.
Remember that some of the most worthwhile things can only come when you have both faith and trust. If you invest in these qualities, they will come back to you tenfold.
Nightmares Of Butterflies, Negative Butterfly Dreams And What They Mean
Unfortunately, not all butterfly dreams can be positive. As with even the most positive dream symbols, there is always a negative side to balance it out.
It may be that you struggle to focus after a negative dream of butterflies, or it leaves you feeling scared or anxious.
You may even be embarrassed to admit a dream like this has shaken you. After all, butterflies are not typically regarded as monsters.
But it is interesting to note that any dream symbol can inspire fear. And more importantly, most of them do have a positive aspect, even when they appear as nightmares.
Let’s take a look.
Dead Butterflies In Your Dream
Dead butterflies in your dream signify the death of a major chapter in your life.
This means that a new beginning is on the horizon for you, but you need to make sure you’re ready for whatever comes.
It may be a good idea to take some time to welcome change into your life, by letting go of old habits, possessions that no longer hold any meaning, or forgive past hurts.
A Butterfly Attacking You In A Dream
A butterfly picking a fight with you in a dream is a strange one! As butterflies are usually peaceful insects (see also article titled ‘Dreaming About Cockroaches And What It Means’) that we associate with tranquility and joy, you may ask yourself where the hell this dream has come from.
A butterfly acting aggressively in your dream refers to your anxiety. Specifically, and annoyingly, your fears surrounding success, and the good things that may come.
That frustrating dual aspect of what if. Not just what might go wrong, but what if things go right?
If you’re unfamiliar with this feeling, it may surprise you to learn that this can hold you back just as much as a fear of failure.
It still boils down to the fear of uncertainty, and how you might dread change.
As butterflies in dreams represent manifestation, spiritual growth, and transition, this dream may be focusing your attention on your fear of these things.
You may even see them as a threat to your way of life or your comfortable routine, hence why the butterfly was attacking you.
Sometimes, spirit guides can represent the shadow aspects of yourself.
Instead of guiding you through tricky times or things you cannot see, the butterfly in this dream urges you to confront what you’re not willing to see.
If you have a dream like this, it’s worth taking some time to consider what’s holding you back from what you really want in life.
This dream may be urging you to change something, especially if you’re staying in an unhealthy way of life, a career that you hate, or a relationship that no longer works, or something else that seems to bleach all the color from your life.
The butterfly tells you that if you want something to change, you need to act on it, to push for it yourself, instead of falling into the trap of hoping against the odds, and not doing anything.
Killing A Butterfly In Your Dream
Dreaming of killing a butterfly suggests that you are standing in the way of your own success.
You’re either missing the opportunities you want, or you are recognizing them, and letting them slip away from you.
As the butterfly represents change and transformation, it represents your fear or refusal to move with change.
This dream urges you to find a way past this, as everything you want from the future is most likely beyond your comfort zone.
Dreaming Of A Butterfly Eating Or Biting You
A butterfly eating or biting you in a dream is an unsettling image to say the least.
From a shamanistic perspective, dreaming of being eaten or bitten by animals (see also article titled ‘Squirrel Dream Meaning: Top 30 Dream Meanings Of Squirrels‘) is a good sign, surprisingly enough. These dreams represent a ‘death’ of an aspect of yourself.
That doesn’t mean you need to start planning for a funeral. Death in dreams is symbolic, which paves the way for great change.
Nine times out of ten, a spiritual death is soon filled by something greater. Maybe you’re about to let go of an old way of life, of something that no longer serves you or gives your life meaning.
This will soon mean that you’ll have room for something that does both of these things.
Don’t forget, the cocoon of a butterfly is the ‘death’ of the caterpillar, but the start of the butterfly.
Eating A Butterfly In Your Dream
If you dream of eating a butterfly, this is symbolic of processing your recent experiences, and life as it is in the present.
Maybe you’re struggling from a large shift in your priorities, or change is knocking at your door, and you’re faced with a lot of uncertainty.
Try to think back to your dream, as the details determine whether it’s a good sign or not.
If you throw up the butterfly, feel guilty or disgusted, you have some work to do before you can grow spiritually. Not all aspects of yourself are accepting of this new change.
If you dream of not being able to eat enough butterflies, or it feels satisfying to eat this poor insect, this indicates that you’re ready to accept change, and your vibrations are about to get higher, facilitating your spiritual path.
Final Thoughts
Butterflies in dreams can appear in a myriad of ways, and there are many aspects which can change the whole meaning behind your dream.