17 Monarch Butterfly Meanings: What Do They Symbolize?

What does it mean when a monarch butterfly crosses your path or flutters in front of you? In this post, we’ll explore monarch butterfly meaning, from their spiritual associations to their symbolism in love and relationships, money, and health.

“Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.”
– Nathaniel Hawthorne

Monarch Butterfly Spiritual Meanings

Wherever you go in the world, it’s likely that you’ll find someone who associates butterflies with angels. In fact, some people believe that butterflies are created by angels who are evolving to become one with God.¹ Thus, monarch butterflies have profound spiritual meanings to many people around the world. Below are some of those associations.

(If you’re curious about general butterfly symbolism, please check out my overview post on butterfly meaning. As well, if you love all kinds of orange butterflies, please see my post on orange butterfly meaning.)

1. Trust your intuition.

The color orange is associated with your second chakra, which is called Svadhiṣthana in Sanskrit. Your chakras are life force energy centers in your body. Svadhiṣthana is also referred to as the sacral chakra because it’s located in the area of your lower abdomen. This chakra rules your instincts and gut feelings.

So, on a spiritual level, monarch butterfly meaning is associated with the power of your instincts and intuition. When you see a monarch, it can be a reminder to trust your immediate feelings about a person, place, or situation. After all, your intuition is connected to your angels and your higher power.

2. Your angels are here to guide you.

If you have ever been trying to solve a problem and a solution suddenly popped into your head, or you got a reminder of something that enabled you to make the right decision, know that this can be a gift from one of your spirit guides.

Seeing a monarch is a little spark to let you know your angels are around you and that you are in the presence of the divine. Monarch butterflies are a bright and showy reminder that loving spirits are on your side.

3. You are a spiritual healer.

Orange is also the color of health and vitality. In fact, when people are ill, they tend to tolerate orange foods – such as oranges, mangoes, and peaches – more easily than other kinds.

So, on a spiritual level, monarch butterflies are associated with spiritual cleansing and protection. Many people notice monarchs and simply think they’re pretty. If you see them and feel a sense of the miraculous, you are in touch with the loving forces at work in the Universe.

People who are sensitive and in-tune with the metaphysical can often get overloaded with information and stimuli, like circuits that burn out when too much current courses through them. So, it’s very important that they take time out to recharge.

Sometimes, the best way they can recharge is by being with someone who “gets them” and can help them recharge. If monarch butterflies regularly make their presence known to you, it could be a sign that you are one of those people who helps sensitive people recharge spiritually.

For example, people in healthcare and therapy, spiritual leaders, masseurs and other healers, yoga and wellness teachers, musicians, and artists are all the types of people who help others recharge, not just physically, but at the soul level.

It’s important that sensitive souls like you who are spiritual healers also take time to recharge spiritually.

So, monarch butterfly meaning is associated with the practice of spiritual self-care. Seeing a monarch can be a little nudge from your angels to take a deep breath and to be grateful for the simple things in life, such as the fact that you’re breathing. Monarch meaning can also be a reminder to spend time with people and engage in activities that are good for your spirit.

4. An angel with a vibrant personality is greeting you.

Monarch butterfly symbolism can also be a sign that the angel of someone you love who passed away is sending a greeting to you. Know that they are content and at peace.

While white butterfly meaning is generally associated with angels, monarch butterfly meaning can indicate the spirit of a particularly lively person or pet is present.

5. When you raise your vibration, you protect yourself spiritually.

The orange and black stripes on the monarch’s wings are reminiscent of a tiger’s stripes. In this way, monarch butterfly symbolism shares synergies with tiger meaning. The tiger symbolizes majesty and protection, among other qualities. (It’s no coincidence that the monarch butterfly’s name means majesty!)

Thus, monarch butterfly spiritual meaning is associated with a heightened state of spiritual awareness and protection. When a monarch makes themselves known to you, you are being reminded to raise your spiritual vibration, especially when there is stress or conflict around you. As a healer, you have the capacity to bring calm and clarity to a situation.

There is a famous Rudyard Kipling poem called “If.” It begins:

“If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too…”

And then ends in:
“… Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!”²

This poem embodies the spiritual meaning of the monarch butterfly in terms of raising your spiritual vibration. When you rise above challenging circumstances, you protect your spirit.

6. You are growing closer to your higher power.

As mentioned above, the name “monarch” means majesty and sovereignty, such as that possessed by a king or queen. So, on a spiritual level, monarch butterfly symbolism references your connection to your higher power, or God.

All butterflies symbolize transformation, as they undergo a miraculous metamorphosis from caterpillars to exquisite flying insects. So, when a monarch butterfly flutters around you or lands nearby, you are being reminded that you, too, are undergoing a miraculous spiritual transformation.

Every challenge you undergo as well as the joys you experience have lessons in them that help you to evolve on a spiritual level. When you face your challenges head on and appreciate the gifts in your life with gratitude, you grow closer to your higher power. So, you can see that monarch butterfly symbolism is filled with powerful connotations!

Monarch Butterfly Meaning in Love and Relationships

When it comes to love and relationships, the monarch butterfly has more important messages for you.

7. Trust your instincts when it comes to people.

The world is full of givers and takers and it’s important to be one of the givers. At the same time, as a giver, you need to be mindful of takers being attracted to your generous spirit. So if a monarch butterfly makes themselves known to you, it can be a sign to trust your instincts when it comes to people. This can be in a romantic capacity or in some other kind of platonic relationship.

After all, the monarch is a symbol of protection. So, sometimes they can serve as a simple reminder to protect your boundaries, whether they be emotional, physical, creative, or financial.

And if you feel that your instincts can be off target at times, then enlist the support of friends or family who have your best interests at heart. Their gut instincts can often be spot on!

The adage about “butterflies in the stomach” can refer to a giddy feeling of exhilaration – or it can serve as a warning. So, when a monarch butterfly shows up in our life, it can be a reminder to consider the first feelings you experienced when you met someone. Were they positive or negative?

Butterflies live for only a short time on Earth, so they remind us that life is short. So, don’t waste your time and energy on people who don’t have your best interests at heart. And for the ones you do, shower them with love and devotion!

8. Take a vacation with people you love.

In one of the most spectacular displays in nature, every year, monarch butterflies migrate up to 2,500 miles from the United States and Canada, where they breed, to the forests of Mexico, where they hibernate.³ In other words, these beautiful insects are on the move.

Thus, monarch butterfly meaning embodies the spirit of getting out of your comfort zone and seeing the world. Yet, the monarch doesn’t do it alone. So, if you see a monarch butterfly, whether in real life, art, or the media, it can be a sign to get your passport ready or dust off your travel bucket list and start planning your trip. Butterflies remind us that life is short, so don’t put off that visit with friends or a vacation to a far-flung place on the globe that you always wanted to see.

9. Your family or social circle is expanding.

As pollinators, butterflies are like hummingbirds, bees, and bats in that they symbolize fertility and abundance. So, on a relationship level, a monarch butterfly appearing in your life can be a sign that your social world is expanding exponentially.

This could mean that you will get married or become pregnant or it could mean that you will adopt a baby or even a pet. It can also mean that you will join your family with another one, such as in marriage or moving in together. Often when people have children or even adopt a dog, they start to meet a whole new set of people in their communities. Embrace these new social connections as they will bring more joy and vibrancy to your life.

Monarch Butterfly Meaning in Career and Manifestation

Here are some messages that the monarch might have for you in financial and career matters:

10. Trust your gut with money-making opportunities.

As in other areas of your life, monarch butterfly meaning can signify that you should trust your gut when it comes to money and financial matters. For example, you might have the opportunity to make more money at a new job or from a financial investment. Seeing a monarch can be a sign to ask yourself if the situation will be healthy for you in a holistic way. Sometimes the stress level involved is not worth the financial reward!

At the same time, butterfly symbolism is about seizing the day. So, if an opportunity comes your way that you recognize might now come again, the monarch butterfly can be a sign to go for it!

11. Your finances will undergo a rebirth.

As they are symbols of renewal and transformation, in financial matters, seeing a butterfly can be a sign that you’ll have the opportunity to rebuild your finances after going through a loss.

The monarch butterfly can be a sign to be bold about taking action to rebuild your wealth and take it to a new level. This might mean being aggressive about cost cutting. Or it can mean putting the full force of your energy into expanding your money-making activities.

12. You have the power to create prosperity.

Like the bee, the monarch butterfly is busy. In other words, they don’t sit around waiting for the nectar to come to them. They go out and find it! Like a tiger, the monarch butterfly embodies the idea that fortune favors the bold.

After all, there are people who let life happen to them and then those who make life happen. The monarch showing up in your life can be a nudge from your angels to go out and make things happen!

13. Stand out and lead from the front.

As their name means majesty, the monarch butterfly symbolizes leadership and excellence when it comes to money and career matters. Thus, seeing a monarch butterfly can be a sign that it’s time for you to expand your knowledge and expertise in your chosen field, such as getting additional training or certifications. In this way, you can greatly expand your financial opportunities.

Monarch butterfly meaning also signifies excellence when it comes to money and career matters. Strive to be the best and to stand out. The monarch is not like a moth who camouflages themselves against tree bark. The monarch is bold and bright.

14. Envision outcomes with the Law of Attraction.

The brightly colored wings of the monarch butterfly remind you of the power of visualization. When it comes to manifestation and the Law of Attraction, achieving your goals starts with your imagination. If you can conceive it, you can create it.

The monarch butterfly also symbolizes having sovereignty over your own thoughts. You achieve this with practice. As you hone your visualization practice, you will see that you become increasingly adept at creating what you want to see happen in your world.

Monarch Butterfly Symbolism in Wellness

When it comes to health and wellness matters, seeing a monarch butterfly is always a positive omen. Here are some of those associations:

15. Your body has a miraculous power to heal.

As a part of nature, the human body has been perfecting itself for eons. In other words, your body is hard-wired to heal itself and to thrive. In addition, as mentioned earlier, monarch butterfly symbolism embodies the concepts of health and vitality.

The monarch is the color of the sacral chakra, which governs the reproductive, circulatory, and lymphatic systems, as well as anything to do with the abdomen. It also governs, as mentioned earlier, you gut instincts.

So, if you have been undergoing a health challenge, or someone you know is, seeing a monarch can be a reminder of the mind-body-spirit connection. As the saying goes, “What the mind conceives, the body believes.” When a monarch butterfly makes themselves known to you, even amidst what seems like insurmountable odds and scary diagnoses, you are being reminded of your miraculous power to heal.

16. Someone you love will be well.

Like hummingbird symbolism, monarch butterfly meaning also signifies healing. So, when a monarch butterfly appears in your life, it can be a sign that someone you love will be healed. Keep the faith and keep praying. Your angels and theirs are on their side.

17. Use your imagination to visualize health and vitality

Because they support life on Earth, butterflies share synergies with hummingbird meaning as symbols of renewal and healing. In addition, their spectacular beauty reminds us of the power of creativity and imagination to make us feel good.

So monarch butterfly meaning is also a reminder to use the powers of your imagination to visualize health and wellness for yourself and those you love. In fact, Olympic athletes and other experts in their fields use the power of visualization, which has been proven to boost performance.

You can incorporate visualization techniques into your life in the simplest ways, such as envisioning the glow of a warm orange light scanning and healing your body before you fall asleep at night. Or imagining the way monarchs pollinate flowers, which helps them to blossom and procreate.

Summary: You are loved and protected.

When a monarch butterfly flutters in front of you or lands on a flower nearby, you are being blessed with the presence of the divine. Know that you are protected and that your angels want to see you shine.

You might like these other articles on UniGuide:

• Sunflower Meaning
• Butterfly Meaning
• Yellow Butterfly Symbolism
• Orange Butterfly Symbolism
• White Butterfly Symbolism
• Tiger Meaning