Metamorphosis of Thought. Butterflies and the Suit of Swords
In the RWS tarot, the king and queen of swords wear crowns adorned with butterflies. The swords belong the the element of air and the realm of thought.
Butterflies are a potent transformation symbol. The butterfly is interpreted this way because of the nature of its life cycle. Butterflies transition from caterpillar, to pupa before they take on their final form... the vibrant and beautiful butterfly. I feel we resonate with the transformative life cycle of the butterfly because it mirrors the alchemical process of the soul.
Butterflies are the typification of growth. When we encounter a butterfly, we intuitively know it is time to bring our attention to our spiritual advancement. It is time to step into the cocoon and cross-examine individual personality parts in need of renewal.
Butterfly symbolism encourages us to enter into the process of metamorphosis. Our souls need to be continually evolving in this lifetime. The butterfly reminds us that there will be a time of self reflection and struggle, one which we must overcome before we can step into our vibrance.
Of all the suits, the swords are my personal favorite. They tend to get a bad rap due to their cold blades. I prefer to think of them as that one friend, the one who is brutally honest in the most beneficial way. While others sugarcoat and spiritually bypass, the swords acknowledge the tumultuous reality that is spiritual advancement.
They hand us the key which unlocks the only door where we might accesses our highest nature... when we open this door, we enter the realm of thought.
‘He who grasps the truth of the Mental Nature of the Universe is well advanced on The Path to Mastery.’ The Three Initiates
In hermetics, the universe is mental. Everything we experience in our personal reality is a byproduct of thought. Our thoughts create our reality.
A very natural conclusion to come to when toying with this concept is, ‘I want my universe to be happy, peaceful, and abundant. So I will only allow happy thoughts and high vibrations into my life.’
There are entire spiritual movements dedicated to this interpretation. Live abundantly, ignore the rest.
I personally do not align with this interpretation, here is why…
The tarot beautifully represents life’s complexity when lived to the fullest. The suit of swords contains many harsh realities which are inevitable in this existence. While the swords motifs are steely, they rule over the realm of thought. The swords reign over the mental universe. We can use their difficult energies to achieve personal metamorphosis. This is why we find butterfly symbolism in the suit of swords.
We do not need to rid ourselves of pain and low vibrations. We need instead look back to the butterfly... and know sometimes we must step into that cocoon. This is not a moral or mental failure... this is part of our soul’s evolution. We need to use logic and reason when we are in these tough places... so we might eventually break free from the cocoon and emerge the butterfly.
When I see the king and queen of swords with their butterfly crowns, I think this pair has survived all the swords 1-10. They achieved this by using their intellect, and understanding. They accepted its all part of this life’s journey. They now sit on their thrones as the ascended masters, guiding us through the lower cards. If we listen to their wisdom... we too may wear the crown one day.
