As a creature of the night, moths have long fascinated people, especially ones that are interested in mysticism and witchcraft.
In fact, many witches believe that moths are messengers from the spirit world, bringing important messages and insights from beyond.
Moths have an eerie and dark appearance to match, unlike their daytime counterpart the butterfly.
However, moths, too, begin as caterpillars, retreat into a chrysalis, and are reborn in a completely new form.
Moths, much like the other small insects and animals such as hummingbirds, bees, spiders, are found around the world, and have influenced mythologies and popular beliefs to create unique symbolism in every nook and corner of it.
To start with, in the ancient Greece, moths were perceived to be representation of our souls and the afterlife. This myth probably came from the visual depiction Greeks initially drew of the soul – stick figure with wings. Even the word “psyche” means bout butterfly and soul.
Across the ocean, certain Native American tribes considered moths to be the messengers of the spirit world, in charge of very important messages, both in rituals or outside of them.
Moving along to the far east, and going more positive in meaning, the Chinese considered moths to be symbols of good luck and fortune – so much so, that they were painted on luxury goods as a sign of wealth and abundance.
Difference of Butterfly and Moth Meanings
This process of going from a caterpillar to a butterfly or a moth ties the symbolism of these two creatures together – it represents the transformation possible within all of us.
This transformation includes change, rebirth, immortality, as well.
But where are the differences?
Well, butterflies are associated with the day, and moths are symbolic of the dark.
Therefore, butterflies are considered to have a positive meaning, connected to angels, happiness, love, good luck.
In theory, moths have evolved before butterflies, which makes the older sibling.
Their image is related to their noctural lives and eerie presence. Not all are dull-coloured, but the most common one are, contributing to their image of being gloomy, dark, connected to the death and afterlife.
