21 Yellow Butterfly Meanings: Spiritual, Love, Manifestation & Wellness

Yellow Swallowtail Butterfly
Yellow eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus Linnaeus), Orlando, Florida.

What does it mean if a yellow butterfly flies in front of you? Or if one shows up in your life in some other way? In this post, we’ll explore all aspects of yellow butterfly meaning, from spirituality to love and relationships, money, health, and more.

Types of Yellow Butterflies

Before we get into more detail about yellow butterfly symbols and meanings, you might be interested in knowing what types of butterflies are yellow or have predominantly yellow markings. Here are a few:

  • Clouded sulphur butterfly
  • Yellow swallowtail
  • Tiger swallowtail
  • Longwing
  • Birdwing
  • Yellow monarch butterfly
  • Magnificent owl

Spiritual Yellow Butterfly Meanings

Yellow Sulpher Butterfly
A yellow sulpher butterfly (Phoebis sennae) pollinating a purple wildflower in late summer. Photo: Christina Marie Saymansky.

Yellow butterflies have long held important spiritual meanings to people in many cultures around the world. Of course, how you interpret a yellow butterfly sighting is very personal. Indeed, it’s based on your own experiences and what you’re going through at a given time. So, the following meanings are suggestions. I write them in hopes that at least one of them will provide you with an “Aha” moment or deeper insights.

Connected to a Divine Source

I believe we all have the capacity to tap into universal wisdom and to understand what our spirit guides are telling us. At the same time, I respect that wild animals and insects, such as yellow butterflies, have the right to exist of their own accord. They are not here for us. And yet, they have much to teach us.

Just as we are, I believe they are connected to a divine source. So, just like a friend or family member you’re thinking of might call you out of the blue, yellow butterflies have messages for you because they are connected to the divine. With that being said, here are some ideas about what it can mean when you see a yellow butterfly. For a higher level overview of butterfly symbolism, please visit my post on butterfly meaning.

1. A loved one who has passed is sending a message of greeting to you.

What do yellow butterflies mean after someone dies? For some believers, angels do their work with the help of animals, insects, and other natural phenomena to send messages to us from the supernatural world.

So, a yellow butterfly flying in front of you, landing on you, or appearing in some other way in your life (even a yellow butterfly pin or gift) can be a sign that someone who has passed is with you in spirit, looking after you, and sending a message that they are happy and at peace on the other side.
Butterfly Jewelry

2. Your spirit guides want you to be happy.

Another message that a yellow butterfly can be showing you is that one of your angels. or spirit guides, wants you to be happy and to find joy in your life again.

The yellow butterfly signifies happiness like a golden sunflower. If you have been mourning or going through a particularly challenging time, the yellow butterfly serves as a reminder that life is for living. Find joy. It can start with the smallest things, like taking in a deep breath, being grateful for sunshine on your face, or listening to a piece of music that you love. The yellow butterfly signifies that a spirit is reaching out to you and reminding you that they want you to be happy.

3. You are going through a spiritual awakening.

Like the bud of a lotus flower that emerges from the mud to blossom into a beautiful flower, butterflies transform from caterpillars into gloriously beautiful flying insects. Because the yellow butterfly goes through metamorphosis, they are symbols of transformation and rebirth in many cultures.

When a yellow butterfly appears in your life, it may be a sign that you are undergoing a spiritual transformation. Be open-minded about challenges you are facing and view them as opportunities for personal and spiritual growth. You are undergoing a spiritual awakening. Like a new day dawning, you are more enlightened today than you were last year or even yesterday.

4. Your dreams contain messages from the spirit world.

When you see a yellow butterfly, it can be a sign that your dreams are bringing you powerful spiritual messages.

In fact, a number of Native American tribes believe the butterfly carries spiritual messages. For instance, the Blackfoot People of Montana, whose native yellow butterflies include the black and yellow anise swallowtail and the eastern swallowtail, believe that butterflies deliver your dreams to you.1 Your dreams can be your ancestors visiting you from the spirit world.

5. A joyful soul is ready to be reborn.

Sometimes souls come to Earth for a very brief time to bless us with their presence and teach us important lessons. But in the fleeting way of butterflies, they are gone too soon. It’s especially painful when these souls transition because they brought so much joy and laughter to our lives. And yet, souls do come back to the Earth, taking on new bodies and blessing us with their presence again.

As yellow butterflies represent the happiest of souls, they can signify that someone we loved, such as a child or animal who has passed, is ready to be reborn and experience life on the material plane again. This soul may be one of your soulmates. Keep the faith knowing that it is the nature of soulmates to reconnect.

6. You are a lightworker.

Seeing a yellow butterfly can also serve as a reminder that you are a lightworker. This means you are here to honor God, or your higher power, by being the greatest expression of yourself. You are a spiritual being with the capacity to create hope, light, and happiness in the physical world.

You may consider yourself a serious person at times. The yellow butterfly reminds you that the light still shines within you, whether you are down or ebullient with happiness. It doesn’t stop shining. Whether you fully realize it or not, you are a vessel of positive energy who is making life better for those around you.

Yellow Butterfly Meaning in Love and Relationships

Two Butterflies

Yellow butterflies can also represent positive signs for personal relationships. Here are some yellow butterfly meanings when it comes to romantic love as well as platonic relationships:

7. Look for a soul connection relationship.

Yellow butterflies can also represent meeting someone with whom you feel a soul connection. You might have an immediate feeling like you’ve known this person your whole life. Indeed, you will likely feel comfortable with them right away. These types of soul connections are rare, but when you have one, it’s a profound and life-changing experience.

A yellow butterfly can be a positive omen for new beginnings in romantic relationships too. So, if you see a yellow butterfly, it can be a sign that you will soon have this kind of experience when you meet someone new.

At the same time, if you are single and looking for a romantic relationship, a yellow butterfly can be a sign to ask yourself whether you feel this is a true soul connection or not. If it doesn’t feel that way, move on. As your soulmate is still out there looking to connect with you. While butterflies symbolize the idea of seizing the moment, this can also mean to not wasting your time!

8. Pay attention to those butterflies in your stomach.

The color yellow, and thus yellow butterflies, is associated with your yellow chakra, which is your third chakra and is called Manipura in Sanskrit.

Your yellow chakra governs the area around your abdomen, including your solar plexus. (Hence, the yellow chakra is also called the solar plexus chakra.) Your yellow chakra is where you experience your gut feelings. Thus, a yellow butterfly appearing in your life can be a reminder to go with your gut when it comes to relationships. This can include romantic, friendship, family, work, or other types of relationships.

So, if a yellow butterfly shows up in your life, it can be your angels’ way of telling you to pay attention to your gut feelings when it comes to a relationship. Don’t override that immediate impression!

9. Partner with people who stimulate you intellectually.

The color yellow is also a symbol of the intellect. Thus, when it comes to relationships, a yellow butterfly can signify the importance of partnering with people who stimulate you intellectually. The butterfly is like a hummingbird who bounces from flower to flower. Surround yourself with the type of people who you like to bounce ideas off of and who stimulate you.

10. It could be time to spread your wings.

The yellow butterfly reminds you to be around people and situations that stimulate you physically and intellectually. Conversely, if you feel something negative in your stomach, itā€™s most likely not the right situation or relationship for you. There is a difference between happy, giddy butterflies in your stomach and a pit of angst and dread! It’s very important to distinguish the positive vibes from the negatively stressful ones.

11. You could be expanding your family.

Butterflies symbolize fertility because they are pollinators. Like bees, hummingbirds, and bats, they are foundational for supporting life on Earth. In addition, the yellow butterfly symbolizes new beginnings. So a bright yellow butterfly appearing in your life can be a sign that you could become pregnant or that you might be expanding your family or circle of friends in some way.

This could mean birthing a child, adopting a child or a new pet, or blending two families. It might also mean that your social circle will be expanding. And because yellow is the color of joyfulness, the yellow butterfly is a positive sign that this expansion will bring happiness.

12. Embrace the changing nature of relationships.

As with dragonfly meaning, butterfly symbolism includes change and transformation. This is embodied in the Buddhist saying, “This too shall pass.”

Thus, yellow butterfly meaning can also be associated with the changing nature of relationships. This can occur as people grow and change together, grow apart, or even in death. While relationship changes can be unsettling and even painful, they are a part of life that everyone experiences.

The yellow butterfly may be a reminder to roll with these changes, even if they’re difficult. Change can lead to greater spiritual growth as we navigate our soul’s journey.

13. A personal transformation may lead to meeting your soulmate.

If you feel that you have not yet connected with one of your soulmates in this lifetime, a yellow butterfly can be a sign for you to do something different. As they are symbols of change and transformation, the yellow butterfly can be a nudge that it is you, not necessarily your circumstances, that has to change.

In many ways, connecting with our soulmates, whether they are romantic, creative, business, or other types of partnerships, is about increasing the odds that you will meet. For example, if you feel that your soulmate is the type who would attend a Harry Potter convention, perhaps it’s time to get your ticket and pack up your magic wand!

In other words, a little yellow butterfly fluttering in front of you can be a sign to make the changes necessary in your life so it will be easier to connect with like-minded souls.

14. It may soon be time to renew a commitment.

Yellow butterfly meaning includes rebirth and renewal. Thus, when it comes to relationships, it’s possible that the yellow butterfly symbolizes a renewal of your vows with another person, or deepening your commitment to each other. It can also mean, simply, that it’s time to take the relationship to the next level.

While the butterfly symbolizes change, yellow butterfly meanings can also signify that you are going through an evolution with your partner, as in emotional and spiritual growth.

Yellow Butterfly Meaning in Career and Manifestation

Yellow Swallowtail
Eastern tiger swallowtail butterfly (Papilio glaucus) with extensive blue scaling on the hind wings. Photo: Mark Castiglia.

When it comes to career matters and manifestation, the yellow butterfly symbolizes pure gold. Here are some associations with yellow butterflies and financial matters:

15. You could soon experience honors in education or your career.

Like winning a gold medal, yellow butterflies symbolize honor and recognition. If you feel like you have not been receiving the credit or rewards that you deserve for your hard work, the yellow butterfly is a positive sign that you soon will.

16. Use your will to manifest what you want to create.

As the yellow butterfly is associated with your yellow chakra, seeing one fly in front of you or appearing in your life can be a sign to use the power of your will to create more good fortune and abundance in your life. Your yellow chakra represents your willpower and how you assert yourself in the world. A little yellow butterfly can be carrying a message for you that says, ā€œFortune favors the bold.ā€

17. Be optimistic about the future.

If you see a yellow butterfly, it can be a sign that better financial opportunities are coming your way. This might be in the form of a new job offer, a new client, or a raise. It can also be in the form of additional income streams. Be open to new opportunities and making adjustments in your life so that you can take advantage of them.

18. You have the ability to turn your ideas into gold.

The color yellow is the color of bright ideas and light bulb moments. And just as Native Americans pay attention to the messages they receive in their dreams, the yellow butterfly can be a reminder to you that even the smallest ideas that pop into your head can become something important. As noted in UniGuideā€™s post about angel number 1212, an idea can start small and then, like a spiral, it can expand to become something much greater.

19. Good luck is coming your way.

Yellow butterfly sightings can also indicate that good luck is coming your way. As they are symbols of abundance, fertility, and gold, yellow butterflies are positive omens for good fortune and growth. Trust that the universe is wise, generous, and loving and envision the future you want for yourself. The wind is at your back.

Seeing a Yellow Butterfly and Wellness and Vitality

A male goliath birdwing butterfly (Ornithoptera goliath samson.) Photo: Danita Delimont.

In health and wellness matters, here are some associations with the yellow butterfly:

20. Be mindful of the amount of stress youā€™re dealing with.

As the saying goes, ā€œWhat the mind conceives, the body believes.ā€ A yellow butterfly fluttering by you or landing nearby can be a reminder that your body is listening to all of your thoughts and is reacting to them. So, be mindful about thinking positive and healthy thoughts. Attitude matters for your mental as well as physical health.

21. Visualize healing, wellness, and vitality.

Because they support life on Earth, butterflies are like hummingbirds in that they are symbols of healing and renewal. As mentioned above, your thoughts have an extraordinary influence on your physical wellness. As a symbol of hope and optimism, the yellow butterfly is a reminder to practice visualizing positive outcomes with our health and vitality. After all, Olympic athletes use the power of visualization, imaging how every minute curve on a racecourse will turn out. The yellow butterfly is a reminder to use the miraculous power of your imagination to visualize healing and vitality.

Summary: Embrace the Joy in Life

In summary, when you see a yellow butterfly, it is a positive sign of hope and happiness for your life. Yellow butterflies embody the symbolic and spiritual meanings associated with all butterflies. Yet, they also signify true happiness and a bright light for the future.
Butterfly Jewelry

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8 Responses

  1. Thank you for this amazing information. I have just had a visit from a beautiful yellow swallow-tailed moth/butterfly … I’m not in a good place at the moment and this has made me feel heard and listened to … I’m so glad your looked up there meanings … mwah

    1. I have had the same lately! I am grieving over the loss of my mom and younger brother (about one year apart) ā€“ and on my walks with my dog, a yellow swallow-tail often appears. I feel he/she is sign that I will find joy again, to just keep the faith. Take care!

  2. I have been seeing butterflies while going on a mile walk with my mother. I saw a beautiful yellow butterfly planted on a flower in the grass just yesterday. So I am confident that great news is on the horizon.

  3. I saw a yellow butterfly, twice while I jogging and it was a beautiful animal and the color was so appealing as well, what a beautiful feel, that is why I decided to google search the meaning and signs of seeing such a beautiful yellow beautiful for my first time.

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Kristen M. Stanton

Hello. Thanks for visiting UniGuide. My name is Kristen and I started UniGuide as a tribute to nature, animals, and spiritual exploration. I hope you enjoy your experience here!