It is often said that butterflies are seen when the soul departs, since ancient times, the winged form of a butterfly was a symbol for the human soul. One conversation with my elder brother he said that "the butterfly was there not because it is the soul of the departed but the soul was there, it is just that the butterfly can't resist the scent of the soul that is why they are there."
When a close fraternity brother of mine died when he was murdered almost a year ago, 8 hours after he died on Sept. 25, 2012 his soul came to our house this may sound not real to others but it happened, when my mother told me someone is in our door and it is brother Giovy I went to the door and cried because I already knew and have received messages that brother Giovy already passed that same day and as I approached the door I said "Bro..." I heard no voice or response but the door opened by itself and he left a rosary hanging at our door, my mother witnessed all that had happened that day as I went out crying and rode my bike to where the body of a friend was. My mother told me that when I left a butterfly was in our house for an hour. A brother left me a message in a form of a rosary, 10 white beads and a cross, which I gave to his brother also a fraternity brother of mine "Gavin", his message was so simple "Prayer" and "Peace", I do not understand his message yet during that time because we are so devastated of what happened but it became clearer in days to come. Some say it is a frat war so some are claiming for it but if the rival fraternity was involved why is it that it is only Brod Giovy who was gunned down and those brods who were with him were not, I still salute brod Giovy for his message to me because if not for his message many lives will be lost, and lately it is sad to know that those who are involve in Brod Giovy's murder were the bad eggs in our fraternity and were those who are claiming for a frat war. Our prayers overcome the evil.
In ancient Greek the word for butterfly is "Psyche", which translated means "soul". Moreover, there is an Irish saying, “Butterflies are souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory.” In addition, as there are three steps of metamorphosis in a butterfly’s life, that is, caterpillar, pupa and winged insect, it also represents spiritual evolution and transformation. In the Christian religion, the metamorphosis a butterfly undergoes is symbolic of the spiritual evolution all Christians go through. Butterflies represent rebirth and a new beginning. For Christians, it is considered a soulful symbol.
Whenever I visit brother Giovy's burial ground it is always a surprise to me that I was accompanied by butterflies a month ago I was accompanied by 3 white butterflies going to his burial ground and yesterday as I visited him to offer a prayer a brown butterfly appeared and accompanied me as I went out his burial grounds.
The butterfly exists in four distinct forms. The fertilized egg is planted in our mother's womb. From our day of birth we are like the caterpillar which can only eat and creep along. At death we are like the dormant pupa in its chrysalis. After that, our consciousness emerges from the cast off body, and some see in this the emergence of the butterfly. Therefore, the butterfly is symbolic of rebirth after death.
Garland of Roses
Jay Dilan
July 1, 2013
And through a soul of a friend you came to me
A cross and a single white decade of beads
Which is also refered to as chaplets
A message of prayer and a symbol of peace
And so it change a view of my perception of what life really is
A sequence of prayer was prayed
A commemoration of the greatest story ever told
A participation in the life of a mother
Whose focus was her Son
And shows the one road to the Father
And through the garland of roses
A light has shine upon me
A light that cloaked me with a powerful armor
And so the body may die but the soul will not perish
As Sacred Scripture tells us, "For my yoke is sweet and my burden light."