Transformation

I think most people know about the transformation concerning the butterfly. The butterfly lays eggs on a leaf which then hatch into caterpillars which eat the leaves around them then later they form into a chrysalis and hibernate. The next spring they emerge and transform into butterflies. Some other insects lay eggs in water which then change into larvae. The dragonflies and damselfies do this and can live in the water for a long time generally around one or two years but it can be longer. When ready they crawl out of the water and find a strong leaf or stalk where they begin to remove their outer layer and out comes the dragonfly or damselfly. I have seen the emergence of the dragonfly and it is amazing to watch. As it emerges, it slowly puffs up its body and opens its wings which are iridescent and absolutely beautiful.

Birds lay eggs which hatch and the baby birds eat greedily until strong enough to get their feathers and learn to fly. I have many young birds in my garden and have watched them as they learn to fly and to perch on the bird feeders. All of the natural world can show us transformation. Seeds grow into plants and then flower and make more seeds. It is never ending.

I feel we could learn a lot from watching the transformations taking place in our gardens, ponds and rivers. But we have to learn how to transform ourselves, it does not happen naturally. There are so many influences on our lives that we tend to go with the flow instead of being who we really are. It is too easy to follow the rest and be like them so transforming into a better person with our own beliefs and ways of living can be hard to do. Many do not like to stick out in a crowd! But we are not meant to be the same, we are all unique and need to work on that and transform ourselves into that unique person that we were born as. Take the opportunity to start this process now and see the future unfold as you wish it to be.

Butterflies and transformation

There is something about a butterfly that inspires me. During the week I and a friend have spent some time trying to take photos of these wonderful things. There have been a lot of the large white and the small white butterflies around the garden, mainly on the lavender bushes and the Buddleia. But the coloured peacock ones were absent until Thursday when they arrived in their dozens. Taking photos of them requires patience as they fly off as soon as you get near. However photos were taken and one will be on here too. But what is so amazing about the butterfly is how it develops. From tiny eggs, caterpillars emerge. Sometimes these are quite beautiful while some are not so good-looking and gardeners do not generally like them as they eat the plants. Caterpillars change their skin as they grow, just like snakes do and then they turn into a pupae for the winter. Then in the spring a butterfly emerges. Transformation at its best. Other insects do this too, damselflies for example.

Which makes me think about transforming my own life? What can be transformed in your life? Sometimes, it is just about changing the way we view things, a change of perception, sometimes it can be a deeper change in how we do things. What transformations can you make in your life and how can you do them?

Two peacock butterflies in the photos, how amazing are their spots and what beautiful colours. You can see why they are named after the peacock.

Nature

When I first moved into this house, the small garden was rather overgrown. After some severe weeding and pruning I found a buddleia hidden away. Pruning back other shrubs gave this wonderful bush room to grow and breathe. Butterflies love this bush and it is often called the Butterfly Bush. My son was here last weekend and was busy using my camera to take photos of the butterflies on the buddleia. They are so wonderful to watch, to spend time in contemplation, seeing how they collect nectar from the flowers. Nature never ceases to amaze me and I wish that all of us could see the magnificence of it all.

Butterflies are about transformation and this is what is happening to our world today. There are many changes afoot and many more to come so we must be like the butterfly, ready to change, to transform ourselves into something better, more caring and more aware of all around us. What do you see when you sit and contemplate on this photo of the butterfly?