Hi Joe,
Glad to see you understand the virtues of Dragonfly! :c)
I agree with everything you've said, even the part where you didn't say they were negative. But what you did do was only give two choices. The butterfly with it's transformation or the dragonfly as a "Symbol of illusion" with it's illusion of transformation. Which would you rather be? To folks that may be new to this of course they would choose beautiful butterfly. Just didn't sit right with me for some reason the way you "set up" the question. There's so much more.
And you're right again, dragonfly as every totem, has many different sides. But I think all totems have the ability to create illusions. It really depends on how we work with them. Sometimes these illusions are teaching tools I think. Sometimes they help teach us to create illusions ourselves. (Maybe that's how come I seem to always pass for a straight man even though I'm gay? lol)
As the butterfly has various stages, so too the dragonfly. The adult lays the eggs on or in a plant near the water. The young nymph hatches and falls into the water where it will spend from one to three years where it molts many times. Then in the heat of the day it will emerge where it's old skin dries and hardens and the beautiful dragonfly will emerge as an adult. The big difference I see here is that the butterfly is very showey in its progression where the dragonfly sort of works behind the scenes and has a much shorter life span to get things done. Because it only has the summer to mate and lay eggs before it dies in the winter.
When one looks at the metomorphsis of both there is clearly no illusion in transformation. Both are transformed.
And while sitting here pondering both, I can personally see more illusion in butterfly. It's so easy to get caught up in its beauty that you might not pay attention to other things.
So thanks Joe! These are my thoughts and ramblings. There are no set rules. Just as we are all indiviual beings we all will experience things in a different way. Your post has prompted me to look deeper and I realize that it's just dragonfly's way of getting my attention. I've been looking for them for days, but still a bit too early here in central PA.
In spiritual matters I feel we can only share our experiences. Sharing experiences is like putting down stepping stones on a path. One may follow those stepping stones if they choose, but I've always found it more fun to explore the forest and stay off the path. lol. And I hope others do as well!
All best brother bear,
Randy
