Snake vs butterfly

yannie

Today a snake and a butterfly crossed my path. (Well actually the snake was sunbathing in the middle of the path & noticed me when I was less than two metres away from it; & the butterfly flew by my side for a distance before settling in front of me long enough for me to admire, consider, then reach into my bag for my phone, before it flew ahead.)

This made me wonder - both the butterfly and snake symbolise transformation, but what is your take on the difference between the two?

Barleywine

yannie said:
Today a snake and a butterfly crossed my path. (Well actually the snake was sunbathing in the middle of the path & noticed me when I was less than two metres away from it; & the butterfly flew by my side for a distance before settling in front of me long enough for me to admire, consider, then reach into my bag for my phone, before it flew ahead.)

This made me wonder - both the butterfly and snake symbolise transformation, but what is your take on the difference between the two?

Interesting question. Seems to me a snake implies "regeneration" (it sheds its skin but still retains its original form), while a butterfly is more about "metamorphosis" (it sheds its cocoon but transforms itself in the process).

yannie

Barleywine said:
Interesting question. Seems to me a snake implies "regeneration" (it sheds its skin but still retains its original form), while a butterfly is more about "metamorphosis" (it sheds its cocoon but transforms itself in the process).

Ah yes. Some other associations that come to mind for the snake - outgrowing and shedding the old, because the old doesn't fit anymore. It is growth on top of regeneration.

That the snake was sunbathing also brings to mind "warming up". Body temperature that is dependent on external surroundings.

On a Sunday afternoon! The animals in my area. Really. Even the squirrel pauses mid-path and waits for me to walk on before it crosses. That's just odd.