Eclipse Dream

On the night of the historic lunar eclipse, I’d set an alarm for 2:30am to wake up and go outside. When the alarm went off I woke up but didn’t get out of bed – it was too warm and I knew I had to work early the next day… so I decided to go back to sleep. I’d seen lunar eclipses and blood moons before, even though this one was the longest in hundreds of years, I just didn’t feel like going outside in the cold that night. Instead, the eclipse came to me.

I had a mesmerizing dream that night and in it was a lunar eclipse. When I woke the image was so vivid I had to draw it.

I was standing in the dark looking to the night sky when the moon began to eclipse – a bright yellow crescent formed behind the darkened moon. And then a blue butterfly came fluttering towards me. I held out my hand and it landed on my finger. Holding it there, I looked at the butterfly and the moon in the background. The colors were so memorable… I decided to paint it after sketching with pencil.

November is one of my favorite months – and while I don’t know the meaning behind my dream, I know the timing of it feels significant. Another dream I’ll never forget.

I worked in the evening 2 days before the full moon eclipse and saw a beautiful sunset and moonrise that made everything glow pink. The sky was so open and refreshing.

Then 2 days after the eclipse I was off work and went shopping at the thrift store with my mom, just to find this familiar phrase. It made me smile…

There is some sort of energy that pulls me in, like the moon does to the tide. A certain time when I’m much closer and much farther away – in terms of love. But it’s constant, that’s all I know.

On November 11th I saw 11:11 both in the morning and night by chance, and 4:44. I guess numerology is finding a way to reach me too, forcing me to pay attention to whatever I’m receiving.

Well, 2 days before 11/11 I found a Gulf Fritillary caterpillar, only the second one I’d seen this year when usually there are so many on my Passion flower vines (their only food source). I think it’s because there were more wasps this year, which prey on the eggs and chrysalis. I decided to make the caterpillar a home full of leaves and vines to keep it safe, since temperatures also started going down below freezing. That evening I saw a pink sunset from my backyard.

It’s kind of late in the season for caterpillars but the butterflies are known to lay eggs up until November.

I named him Spike. Then 4 days later, while outside with the container so Spike could get some sunshine, I was picking new leaves and said out loud: “I wish I could find you a buddy” – seconds after I spotted another tiny caterpillar! Being only the third I’d seen all year, I went ahead and kept it safe too, and I named her Faye. I don’t know their genders, that can only be determined once I see the butterfly wing patterns, but I think Spike and Faye can go either way.

They became best friends and would eat from the same leaves together, growing fast.

Faye even stayed nearby while Spike began transitioning into his chrysalis form.

I watched it happen too, Spike wiggling around until he was fully transformed! I then took the vine he hung from and taped it into a new container so I’d be able to continue replenishing the leaves for Faye without disturbing him.

Faye is doing well and hopefully will be on her way to becoming a butterfly too soon. These caterpillars look mean but their thorns are actually soft and they’re not poisonous. The only thing I’m worried about is them emerging during winter when there won’t be any flowers… but instinct is an amazing thing. Maybe they will be able to fly south and find food.

I love seeing Gulf Fritillary in my garden and hope next year there will be more again.

So butterflies have made their way into my life too. I’m just happy to be able to help a little bit. Nature always takes over. I can only control so much… the rest is all chance, or part of a divine plan.