Heliolatry and Butterflies

Happy Summer Solstice, everyone. I've got a great story for you!

First of all, heliolatry was the word of the day today from Dictionary.com, and most appropriate on this longest day of the year. Sun worshippers everywhere rejoiced! I was no different, waking up at an ungodly hour to get to Times Square at 6:45 am to participate in the Solstice in Times Square Mind Over Madness Yoga Event. Every year the Times Square Alliance hosts hundreds of yogis all day long to practice and welcome the solstice. I was thrilled to find my friend Christy in the crowd, and we were able to catch up with each other, mat to mat.

We reached our hands up to the sky

and our instructor invited us to keep bringing in the light, and drinking in the light. The sun had not yet risen above the skyscrapers and the jumbotrons, and the day still had the feeling of sleepy predawn, despite our poses, our twists and our balancing.

A double decker tour bus passed by and tourists of all stripes cheered us on. Our instructor yelled out "Hello, Tourists! Wish you were with us!" and they just cheered louder, which made everyone involved laugh. At that moment, the sun hit the horizon of the buildings and spread across us all with a tremendous glow, heralding the fact that the day had finally arrived.

I looked down at the top of my mat to find that a Red Admiral butterfly had settled itself right on top of my yoga bag, right in front of my face, and stayed there, for a good minute or two. It was utter absurdity to be face down in the middle of the street in Times Square doing yoga. It was equally absurd to be staring right into the beautiful wings of a Red Admiral butterfly, and yet, it was there, and all possible, and it really happened.

If you'll recall from a few posts back, my friend Diana said that when an animal shows up out of the blue, they have a message for you. So I looked up the symbolism of butterflies and time and time again, I came across the fact that cultural myth and lore honor the butterfly as a symbol of transformation and change. I also read that when a butterfly shows up, it means that change does not have to be traumatic, but that it can occur gently, sweetly and joyfully.

I had purchased a piece of artwork from my friend Emma a few months ago, of North Carolina butterflies. With the piece, she included this note:

Is your new found interest in butterflies based in any way in the concept of metamorphosis? They're pretty amazing creatures, and the more you look into how they do it, the more otherworldly they get. Did you know that they have two completely different sets of cells...and DNA...that live side by side: caterpillar cells and butterfly cells? While the caterpillar is being born and growing up, the butterfly cells just lie there, tiny and quiet and waiting. When metamorphosis time comes, they grow and grow and grow and change everything about the animal. The caterpillar cells aren't discarded though--its all of the energy and strength that they have collected over the butterfly's lifetime that give the creature the power to make the change. Hallelujah, butterfly.

Hallelujah, indeed!