A flutter of color is coming your way; at first, you barely register it. A beautiful butterfly has caught your sight, and you can’t look away.
It looks so free and vivid!
Some part of you says that there is more to this interaction.
This moment means more than on the surface; part of you remembers how you have been feeling lately.
You’ve been grieving, maybe trying to move on from the death of a loved one.
The butterfly reminds you of where you are in your journey, and now you’re curious about it.
Is the universe trying to tell you something? Is it a message from the other side?
You start to wonder and decide to look it up! You’ve come to the right place.
Keep reading to go through the different meanings the butterfly symbolizes after someone dies;
Are Butterflies Related To Death?
Seeing a live butterfly fly freely around us can sometimes remind us of death instantly.
If you’ve lost someone close to you recently, you will know how fragile life can be.
It only makes sense for you to wonder if butterflies are related to death, and your instinct is right.
Butterflies and the association of death go hand and hand with many humans.
Seeing a butterfly after someone’s death is a sure sign that the deceased has passed on to the other life, free!
Butterflies represent the freedom of the soul once it moves on from this realm.
Their flight represents the accession of energy.
Butterflies represent a fragile short life and a soul’s important power and beauty while it lives.
Significance Of Butterflies And Death
Butterflies, since ancient times, have represented the journey of the soul and how it goes through death to transform.
A butterfly moves through its life originally as a caterpillar to move into a chrysalis of darkness and isolation.
This represents the journey you take to change and transform yourself.
It will include darkness, hibernation, mystery, and even the unknown, but what will come out is a new, evolved self.
Butterflies represent:
- Death of an older self that no longer serves us;
- Metamorphosis of our beliefs and structure;
- Nature’s plan to bring change to our life;
- Freedom of the soul;
- Trusting your instincts to grow.
A butterfly’s life can teach humans important lessons about what it means to live a thousand lives in a single human life as you change and transform.
Butterflies And Deceased Loved Ones
All energy in the universe stays constant.
So when someone passes away, they shift the state of their energy into something else.
Historically, many cultures believed their deceased loved ones would return as a butterfly to see them.
The butterfly represents their soul, taking another form to communicate with them.
If you see a butterfly and it gives you the energy of a passed loved one, trust your instinct.
Butterflies also represent your deceased loved one is happy in heaven, as a soul.
They communicate through this form that they are now free!
Spiritual Meaning Of Seeing A Butterfly After Someone Dies
This isn’t a coincidence if you see a butterfly after someone dies.
Butterflies hold the association of spiritual enlightenment, metamorphism, and rebirth.
The universe asks them to carry many messages to your doorstep.
After someone passes away and you see a butterfly, you are redirected to the cycle of life.
Death will be inevitable as soon as one is born. However, that does not mean life does not hold its meaning.
Life is merely about the journey than the end of it.
When a caterpillar has to turn into a butterfly, it turns into complete goo into a chrysalis.
It does not know that it will fly or how it will fly, but when it comes out transformed, it knows how to be.
The universe is asking you to trust yourself and your journey.
The divine also reminds you that every soul has a journey and that your deceased loved one was on their own journey.
They are now reunited with the universe! You can take comfort in this knowledge.
A huge part of spirituality is accepting what you can control, and the butterfly brings you back into your present to remind you what you do have!
Butterflies Symbolism In Death: 7 Colors and messages
Butterflies hold so many messages from the universe and symbolize many things the divine wants to communicate to us. Here you can see what meaning is coming your way.
You’ll know when you read it and feel that it is yours!
White Butterfly:
The white butterfly comes with a message of purity of spirit.
The universe recognizes the soul that has passed on to be very pure.
You are being told that the deceased is being recognized for their spirit and rewarded as such in heaven.
This white butterfly could also be an angel that the universe has sent to you to show support.
After death, one can feel alone and small in the big universe.
The white butterfly is here to tell you that you are a pure soul having a human experience.
The universe wants you to know that it is looking out for you.
The divine is watching you!
The white butterfly could also be your loved one trying to bring you to a realization, as white represents enlightenment.
Black Butterfly:
Black is the color that absorbs every other color.
While many associate black with bad luck, it has a different meaning.
A black butterfly comes into your life after death to remind you that you have reached the end of the cycle and are due for a rebirth.
This black butterfly can be a message from your deceased loved one that it is time to embrace who you are.
The divine also bring a similar message to let things go that no longer serve you.
It is said we live through a million deaths before we actually die.
Read here the complete meaning of seeing a black butterfly.
Grey Butterfly:
If a grey butterfly finds itself in you in a dark period, this is a direct way of the universe trying to comfort you.
You may even feel lonely, hurt, isolated, and even hopeless during these times. The universe is telling you that it sees you!
With time your wounds will heal, and the darkness will clear just like black moves into grey before white.
The universe asks you to be patient with yourself and your feelings.
- Divine is telling you to hold on, no matter how difficult it may seem at this moment.
- Remind yourself that you are human, and forgive yourself if you have made any mistakes!
- There will be light soon through the dark, even if you don’t see it now.
Red Butterfly:
Red is the color of passion, of our hearts, and our blood.
When the divine sends a red butterfly your way, this symbolizes that you need to open your heart again.
When you get hurt in life, you will want to close your heart to never feel it again, but the universe is asking you to look at the wound to heal it.
You deserve to be happy, to let your feelings guide you!
Your loss doesn’t mean you will always lose things in life.
You need to have the courage to face life and follow your feelings again!
Orange Butterfly:
An orange butterfly that flies your way will be the universe’s way of reminding you of strength.
The universe is saying:
- You will get through this! Your grief does not make you weak.
- It takes strength to love and live again.
- Your deceased loved one’s energy is strongly around you.
The orange butterfly comes as a reminder to be kinder to yourself if you are going through a difficult time!
A passed-on loved one could also remind you that you are more capable than you think.
Yellow Butterfly:
Yellow is the color of joy, hope, and friendship.
When a yellow butterfly appears in your path, the universe reminds you that there are brighter times to come.
Time after a loved one’s death is only a distance till you meet them again as a soul.
The universe is reminding you that all souls reunite at one point.
Till the point you meet them again, do not let yourself become jaded!
There is joy and friendship in the world left still for you.
Do not let your hurt stop you from getting attached or hoping for more in your life.
You are still here!
Take your time to grieve but also cherish the time and life you still have in this world.
The world will get brighter again.
Purple Butterfly:
A purple butterfly is rare to catch sight of, so the message it holds for you is even more special.
Seeing a purple butterfly after someone’s death reminds you that you will always be connected to them spiritually.
You are connected to the universe around you, including the energy of your passed loved one.
The universe tells you that this person will always be a part of your memories and wisdom. No one can take their experience from you!
Moreover, a purple butterfly’s color is a sign of spirituality.
The universe is giving you a hint that the person who is passed on is now with the divine.
Their soul is not alone, and is happily surrounded with love for what the universe has in store for them!
Is Seeing Butterflies A Sign That Someone Will Die?
Seeing a butterfly will never be a sign that someone will die in your life.
In fact, the only sort of death that could take place is metaphorical.
If your instinct says the butterfly means death, it points to the simple end of something.
This could be a personal habit, previous cycles, the end of a long journey, or a goal.
The metaphorical caterpillar is going to grow into a butterfly.
This is a sign of growth, transformation, and of release.
It is never a bad sign to see a butterfly!
The butterfly represents death only in terms of being transformational.
So do not be afraid of this beautiful creature. It is only a messenger of the divine!
Final Words
When you see a butterfly after someone’s death, remind yourself of the circle of life.
It is okay to grieve and seek meaning in the world around you.
The universe also wants to let you know it is by your side.
May your grief take flight with time!
Julia is a world-renowned spiritual teacher from Sweden, who quit her job at Google to pursue her dream of becoming a digital nomad. I help spiritual seekers step into their purpose and power. Passionate about astrology, meditation, nomad life and the law of attraction.