Thursday, 6 August 2009

What Is It About The Dragonfly?

I learned something new about the dragonfly today.

No, it is not another species of dragonfly that I found or the dragonfly life cycle or what they eat.  What I learned today is the symbolic meaning of the dragonfly.  Let us first take a look at some facts about the dragonfly...

Dragonflies are adaptive creatures.  They start their life cycles in the water as nymphs when the eggs hatch.  The nymph feeds on aquatic insects in the pond as it goes through several instars to develop.  Once it is fully grown, it will crawl out of the water when the weather is right, then shed its skin to complete its metamorphosis into a dragonfly.

The dragonfly will hunt for food and upon developing its full colours and maturity, will begin to look for a mate and the whole dragonfly life cycle starts again.  It has a short lifespan and knows what it must do.

Although the dragonfly may mean different things in different cultures, its symbolism is mainly centered on renewal, positive force and the power of life.

The growth stages of the dragonfly is symbolic of achieving a sense of self with maturity.  As a creature of the water and then moving to the air, it represents deeper thoughts coming to the surface, potentially life-altering thoughts, thus making the dragonfly a symbol of our thoughts.  As a creature of the wind, the dragonfly represents change and is a reminder to us to heed where the wind blows.

The dragonfly deals with the mind, dreams, balance, thoughts, awareness and living life to the fullest.  In addition, it is a symbol of strength, happiness and courage in many cultures.

When we look at nature, there are a lot of things we can learn there.  And it looks like the dragonfly too holds some of the greatest lessons on life for us!

 

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