Let butterflies inspire you

The Atalanta, also known as the Red Admiral, is a common migratory butterfly that can be found all over the Netherlands. The butterfly mostly occurs in groups. A typical trait of the male is patrolling from late afternoon to early evening to guard its territory and chase off other animals, including rival males. They take a dominant stance and can sometimes be quite bold, but at least they know exactly what they want. They let the warm rising air carry them to great heights so they can survey everything… Atalanta is also the name from Greek mythology of a young woman who wanted to prove that women could be heroes too, and that this was not reserved for men alone. She was known for her speed, physical strength and hunting skills. Just like the Red Admiral, which also likes to play the hero every now and then…

Where do you find your fighting spirit? How do you stand up for yourself and your ‘territory’? (Or could you sometimes use a little boldness?). There is a hero in you too!

Heroic – physical strength – speed – self-confidence – fighting spirit –

This special butterfly owes its name to its irregular wings and its golden appearance (aurelia = gold in Latin), with which she seems to command nothing but allure. She catches your attention with her beauty and her unique jagged outlines.

In what way are you unique? Which of your qualities set you apart from others?

You will mainly find the jagged Aurelia in the shrubbery near open spaces such as in a forest, park or garden. She loves having room to fly out, alongside her sheltered and safe hiding place under the bushes and dry leaves. She appears when it is time for you to create your own space in your busy mind.

Find your own open space…

– Uniqueness – individuality – space – self-confidence – strength –

The colourful and well-known Dagpauwoog (peacock butterfly) owes its Dutch name to its day-active way of life and the typical eyespot on its wings, just as the peacock wears one on its tail feathers. The Dagpauwoog thus symbolises the pride and beauty of a peacock, with which it brings colour to its day. Unlike some other butterfly species, the Dagpauwoog has no real preference for a habitat and calmly lets the wind carry it towards new worlds. As long as it's sunny and there are enough flowers. What trust, don't you think? It trusts the wind and knows it will all work out.

Do you dare to trust life and where it sometimes takes you?

And what does beauty mean to you? What are you proud of? Look beyond the form and see beauty in everything.

– Pride – beauty – ‘seer’/inner knowing – trust – surrender –

As the name suggests, the Essenpage (ash swallowtail) prefers to stay among the leaves of ash trees in the south of France and Portugal.

What does this preference for the ash say about the Essenpage?

According to old folk mythology, the energy of the ash brings you into contact with your true self, so you can find out what really matters to you in life. In the old days, a girl could take home an ash leaf she had found and put it under her pillow at night. She would then surely dream of her future husband.

What do you find important in life, and do you still live by it?

Do you find it hard to make decisions?

Are you still following your natural course, or is it time for some change?

You will probably never come across the Essenpage on Ameland, but perhaps you can still let it inspire you a little today?

– your own course – inner values – making decisions –

The Heivlinder is a butterfly that is doing poorly nationally, but on Ameland it is still often found in dunes with lots of drifting sand. On the inside of its wings it has a beautiful orange pattern with an ‘eye’ on each wing. Remarkably, it only rarely opens its wings, so you hardly ever see the colours. With its wings closed it is a very inconspicuous grey butterfly that you can barely spot on the warm sand. Even the caterpillars of this butterfly don't like too much attention. During the day they hide deep among the tufts of grass and only come out at night to feed. Do you come across a Heivlinder among the dunes these days? Then you're in luck! What might this butterfly want to tell you?

Do you show your inner ‘colours’ to the world? Or do you prefer to stay inconspicuously in the background?

The colour orange stands for richness and warmth. The eyes on the wings stand for inner ‘seeing’.

Which qualities do you keep hidden under a safe, grey, inconspicuous veil? Take some time these days to reflect on yourself and your qualities. Is it still necessary to keep your wings closed? Or could you show a certain part of yourself, your opinion for example, a little more to the world?

– Inconspicuousness – hidden talents – still waters run deep – wisdom – outer simplicity – inner richness –

The White-letter Hairstreak is a small butterfly that is easily overlooked because of its hidden way of life high in the crown of the elm tree. In the morning and evening she sometimes comes down to visit the flowers.

In symbolism, the elm also stands for individualism and following your own path. It's lovely that this is reflected in the butterfly's behaviour.

Although White-letter Hairstreaks gather in large numbers, they do not need a large habitat. Some populations are known to have just a single tree at their disposal.

Do you sometimes avoid input from the outside world?

Or could you show a little more of yourself outside your familiar world?

How much living space do you really need to feel good?

And does that match what you have? Would you like to change anything about it?

– on one's own – detachment – content with little –

After the Fritillary, the Silver-spotted Skipper is the most special and rare butterfly cherished on Ameland!

The Silver-spotted Skipper thrives on dry, poor open grasslands, dunes and varied heathland. On Ameland you will therefore mostly come across it around the closely grazed heath and dune areas, especially near Hollum and Ballum.

In the Netherlands, however, it is threatened with extinction, largely because the vegetation in the dune areas is becoming overgrown. This is partly due to a decline in the rabbits that graze this area and thereby create a mix of open patches and low vegetation.

This little brown butterfly (belonging to the skipper family) has a beautiful comma-shaped marking on its hindwings. In classical Greek, comma means: pause, moment of rest. Only later was it used for the familiar punctuation mark. Brown is also the colour of the earth, which symbolises stability and grounding.

Do you take a break every now and then? Or is that as rare as the Silver-spotted Skipper population? It is the moment of rest that allows you to recover and to process all the impressions you have gathered. After a pause, new space has been created. You feel stronger and fresher again. Do you allow yourself enough of these moments of rest in your daily activities?

And even on holiday you need a pause now and then. That wonderful ‘break’ that brings you right back to your own ‘zero point’. Perhaps a lovely sauna session or massage is a good start ;)

– Rest – being rare and special – taking a break – stability – being grounded –

The Koningspage is an exceptionally beautiful black-and-white butterfly that is rare in the Netherlands. It has a striking wingbeat, like the flapping sails of a sailing ship. It feels most at home in hilly areas and is found mainly in the German Rhine region.

With its name, this butterfly refers to the young 5-year-old pages of the royal family who were trained by the knights to become squires. Once the page had built up enough physical strength and had proven that he was able to fight in battles, he became a squire at the age of 15. A position to be proud of in those days. That is how the Koningspage flies too… Full of pride and allure.

What can you be proud of? What have you already achieved through hard work and great effort?

When the obstacles on your path make you feel unsure, look back and see how far you have already come. Chest out, and move forward full of pride. It gives you dignity. You will brave more than you think. Just as the striking black-and-white colour contrast on the wings of the Koningspage shows: no day without night, no light without darkness, no victory without effort…

– Dignity – effort – perseverance – pride – victory –

The Clouded Yellow is a fairly scarce migratory butterfly, found mainly in the south of the Netherlands and along the coast. So they are lovely little gifts if you happen to come across one. The Clouded Yellow is not fond of company, so you are more likely to meet them on their own than in groups. They are active and fast fliers and fly off immediately when disturbed. So it is certainly not a butterfly that lets itself be approached easily. They love to rest for a while in open spots among herbs or flower-rich grasslands. Orange Clouded Yellows almost always sit with their wings closed. Unlike other butterflies, they even sunbathe with their wings closed…

Do you also like being on your own? Or could you show yourself and your lovely qualities a little more to the world? Who do you let in, and who not?

Sometimes it also feels really good to withdraw into your own world. That is where you find your calm again…

– happy alone – reserved – selective – sensitive – individuality –

The beautiful Zilveren Maan is a species of fritillary that has died out on Ameland. In the 1970s this butterfly could still be found near Ballum, but then, perhaps after large-scale heath sod-cutting, it died out. In the rest of the Netherlands, too, the population is declining sharply, probably due to the soil drying out. This butterfly prefers damp, nutrient-poor grasslands. A nice detail to know is that water / moisture symbolises both the metal silver and the Moon. And with that also purity, femininity, motherly feeling and a warm heart. In addition, the colour silver stands for magic, dreams and strong intuition. Take a moment to reflect on these themes. What might this butterfly want to tell you?

As a woman, do you give enough attention to your feminine side, or as a man to your emotions? What is your bond with your mother like? Is something needed there? And do you actually trust your intuition? Over the coming days, pay attention to your dreams and what they want to tell you…

When you come across a Zilveren Maan, it is a very special encounter because it has become so rare. I wish it for you…

– Purity – Femininity – Gentleness – Motherly feeling – Intuition – Magic –