Mystery of Transformation
The Butterfly Chrysalis ~ During the time that a caterpillar egg is an egg, it looks nothing like a caterpillar, and the butterfly seems a far cry from the larva that precedes it. Do caterpillars recognize butterflies as their future selves? Do butterflies identify caterpillars as past relations? The most mysterious phase of this shape-shifting creature's process is the chrysalis, the jade green cocoon in which the crawling, leaf-eating caterpillar transforms into a floating, nectar-drinking butterfly. In our human lives, we sometimes find ourselves in the chrysalis state. During those times we don't have much to offer the outside world because, whether we realize it or not, much of our energy is consumed with an inner transition. We might feel sluggish or disinterested in the outside world. We might feel impatient with ourselves, wondering why we don't have the energy we used to for our usual routines. But if we remember the chrysalis-the dark, inner sanctum that provides ...
