Light as a feather, fluttering in springtime and summer, having had encounters with butterflies in just about every place I have been, I always feel blessed by their gentle presence.
Butterfly, Schmetterling, Farfalle, Papillon…I love their many names, their movements, the science and the mystery behind their lifecycles.
My late ex mother in law Janine Kirkpatrick’s art faithfully depicting endangered butterflies I find particularly moving. Beloveds do come to mind as a butterfly flits by, and art, literature, poetry, music, and movement all help me embody the qualities of the butterflies I marvel at.
I’ve been with butterflies in the Amazon basin jungle, as they flitted above rivers and road-crossing streams and were captured under glass, others eager to lick our salty feet on the Appalachian Trail, migrating Monarchs in California and friends all along the coasts, parading across the black sand beach at home on the Big Island, in New Zealand, the UK and Europe, even a rescue on the bus in Cologne for which I tell the story below.
Most recently a friend’s literature reading at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne, with two artists sharing work about silk moths (and trade) and a few mothy family members, nudged me to share these as well as many more flights of fancy and airy inspirations to delight.
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” – Mohammed Ali
Butterfly Poems
In spring and summer, I find Butterfly poetry especially evocative, just lovely for romancing everyday life, inspiring creative dance sessions with children, adults, or solo, or other flights of fancy and artistic pursuits:
- “Seven White Butterflies” by Mary Oliver, which I read in the Spring Poetry Selections video below
- “Spring” by Mary Oliver features both birds & butterflies, also in Spring Poetry Selections
- “My Butterfly” by Robert Frost is a sad, serious verse
- My own Haiku #250 from 2021:
Insects on the wing
flowers bloom, dragonflies zip
butterfly garden
Butterfly Books
There’s surely a host of beautiful books about and featuring butterflies, but here’s a start to my own list in addition to the books containing the poems above:
- Veronica Speedwell, lepidopterist romantic mystery series by Deanna Rayburn
- Schmetterlinge von Hermann Hesse, collection in a gorgeously illustrated edition I got in hardback with a gift certificate from one of my ballet classes
Butterfly Escape Story
Last Friday, a client of my partner Ela’s graphic design firm Pixelchen und Karton and a professional colleague of mine in the wellness and movement space invited us to her new institute space in Rondorf, a pretty suburb of Cologne. We embraced it as a little end-of-week escape.
We get on the subway in early afternoon, Ela in the summer version of her graphic designer outfit, laptop in its vintage leather case, me in my dancer/yogi athleisure including a flowy new top from Petra, Ela’s fashionable mom. It is lovely to be outside, and warm enough that people are fanning themselves on the train. Coming above ground again, we don our sunglasses and get off at one of the city’s historic gates, Chlodwigplatz, walking kitty corner to join a group of folks waiting for the bus to continue our journey.
The bus in the other direction passes, another number goes by, then ours, the 132 comes, a big one with accordion in the middle and air conditioned. It’s nearing a roller-coaster thrill bouncing along the ancient city streets at the hinge point for a while, but I still notice a peculiar movement pattern in the corner of my eye. A butterfly is fluttering outside the window! No, inside the window! Throwing itself against the glass desperately, then landing, being jostled into flight again, folks seated along the window moving a bit out of the way, perturbed but tolerating its violent flapping. The poor thing! Ela and I are both concerned about the creature’s plight as we continue the rollicking ride.
A few stops later we are able to sit down facing rear, and we continue to observe the butterfly’s pathetic struggle back and forth along the window, flapping, landing, flying again. There are no flowers here, no nectar, no plants of any kind, no water, and no friends it seems. And it’s apparently not going to make its way back out on its own. Stop after stop people get on and off, the increasingly fatigued-looking insect thrashing onward, and I vow to do my best to help it safely disembark. Ela says if its still on the bus at our stop, I can try to save it.
Finally we’re at the stop before we have to get off and I’m sidling back to a thankfully empty seat near it, explaining to a person seated across that I was going to try to catch it without hurting it. They had concerns that the wings would be damaged, but I just knew that if I didn’t try to get it out it might be smashed or die on the bus from other causes. I reached across and almost snatched it, darting quickly away, flying wildly once more. “Willst du wirklich nicht mit?”
It slows a little and I lunge in again, managing to gently encircle it with both hands, enough space around it to not damage its precious wing scales, antennae, or legs, but fingers closed enough where it couldn’t slip out. It flutters against my fingers, a chaotic tickle, then stands still. I walked to the door and waited by Ela. Finally the bus comes to a halt and we get off, it pulls away. The wind breezes by and we stand in the sun again, where I gingerly open my hands.
Our friend the butterfly stands there, clinging to my finger. Now it does not want to let go, having surrendered its fate to me, perhaps even grateful to be bathed in light again, with fresh air and open sky. I try to get it to step onto a pole, a wall, but it won’t budge.
I tell it that its ok, time to be free again! All of a sudden it is up and away, carried above a garden wall and into a back yard, hooray! It is absolutely worth it to try to make the life of another creature better.
Butterfly Music
These tracks help me channel my flighty friends:
- “Butterfly” by Daigo Hanada
- “Butter Flying” by various artists
- “Butterfly” song by Crazy Town
Butterfly-Inspired Movement
Sensational Caterpillar Walks
Seated Butterfly Creative Stretch
Catching Butterflies Creative Dance
Butterfly Creative Ballet Port de Bras
Yummy Ballet Seated Stretch video
Yummy Ballet Reclining Stretch
Shake it Off: Stress and Tension Relief
Enticing Emboite Allegro
Batterie: Balletic Leg Beats
Qi Gong The Butterfly
Meditation & Relaxation
- Butterfly Meditation on Spotify
- Butterfly hug for bilateral stimulation, nervous system regulation from The Holistic Psychologist
Questions for Reflection
- Which natural phenomena do you find refreshing, peaceful, or moving?
- How does the life and movements of the butterfly inspire you?
- What are your favorite butterfly or flight-related movements, songs, poems, books?
- Which animals speak to you?
- What flighty creations are you moved to make?
Resources for Further Exploration
- Spring Flings & Bright Things: a Bucket List of Fresh, Joyful Seasonal Experiences Being a (late) spring baby myself, I’ve always been especially drawn to the season, the themes of new life, rebirth, emergence, vitality, fertility, the increasing warmth and light, and joy! From the first early blossoms and rays of Sun leading up to the Spring Equinox, to the long, bright days of the Summer Solstice, I do my best to make the most of this richly potent season of growth and development.
- Summer Fun in or out of the Sun: a Bucket List of Hot-Weather Hits Warmer weather lends itself to many activities I enjoy, such as time outdoors, bicycling, picnicking, and eating fresh produce. I try to seize the sunny fleeting days wherever I can and not miss out on my favorite bits before they’re gone again. Less decoration and dressing up, more dressing down, decluttering, deep-cleaning, taking in the natural beauty. Here is a collection of resources and activities that might provide a jumping-off point for your own longer-day adventures.
- Seaside, Oceanic & Watery Inspirations – Dance, Yoga, Music, Poetry & Creativity Though watery ocean, lake, river, and rain concepts can ignite the imagination yearlong, I find them particularly fun in the warmer months, for children’s and all-ages dance, yoga, meditation and visualization, poetic and artistic inspiration. This is a (growing, dynamic, never comprehensive) collection of resources I personally treasure and love to share as a teaching artist but may also be useful to families with children, other creatives, or to delight your own inner artist child.
- Jolly Roger July & a Piratical Summer – being freedom, treasure & adventure in treacherous times I may not want a life on the open sea myself, but I was raised on sailing and pirate stories and appreciate the ethos of freedom, treasure, and adventure. What better time to embark on a fantastical journey of imagination than summer?
- Creative Ballet Port de Bras – Arm Artistry Exploring Nature has many more mindful movement explorations
- Wonderful Warmers Whet the Appetite – Movement, Dance, & Ballet Warm-Ups to Get Ready & Feel Good
- Cool Downs to Cleanse the Palate – 5 Ways to Cool Off & Wind Down
- Coming from Your Powerful Core: Calibrating a Centered State of Being for Yoga, Dance, & Life
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Thanks for reading and moving together in spirit or in fact. Take care of yourself, pay attention, and hope to see you again.
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties,
taking leaps of faith into fulfillment through coaching, yoga & dance education