Monarch on Ironweed

 

To spread butterfly wings, you  must transform again and again. —Robert Moss 

Continuing with my goal for the year of trying to paint with gouache, my next subject was this monarch on an ironweed plant.  I was inspired by a photo I took on a walk at Armeleder park in late September.  The butterflies were everywhere!  Below you can see my reference photo, plus other gorgeousness from that day! 

You can’t stay a worm if you want to become a butterfly. —Robert Moss 

As you know, I always look up the spiritual significance of my subjects.  And I loved the meaning of both the monarch and the ironweed.

Monarchs are well known for their migration of thousands of miles across North America.  For this reason they represent the ability to navigate difficult life obstacles.  In addition, their transformation from caterpillar to butterfly also makes them an icon of personal evolution, inner growth, and shedding of past habits.  If a monarch lands near you, it can also represent a sign to follow your intuition.  It may all sound cliche, but all of this applies perfectly to my recent life circumstances.  In May I left a spiritual community that was dear to my heart.  I spent a very long time trying to stay, but finally got too uncomfortable in that chrysalis.  I am still letting my wings dry and we will soon see how these new wings work. 
 

I also looked up the spiritual significance of ironweed.  According to Google:

• "Because ironweed grows tall, stiff, and straight in harsh or neglected conditions, it symbolizes endurance, fortitude, and an unyielding 'spiritual backbone' during difficult life circumstances."

• In "backbone work" ironweed can help a person gain personal power and assert control or boundaries.

• Also, "The deep purple color of its blossoms is traditionally associated with authority, dignity, and spiritual identity, helping individuals stand firm in their personal truth." (Google: Source 1, 2, 3)

Historically, I have been a people-pleaser.  So standing up and stating an unpopular truth has not been a strength of mine.  But, I believe life tends to give us practice in areas where we are weak.  And I sure got a wallop of practice in this regard when leaving the aforementioned community.  I had no idea of all this when I started this painting.  Whether you believe in this stuff or not, I personally like to take it all as a wink from the universe.  Apparently, both the monarch and the ironweed were the perfect role models for me, helping me transform, navigate, and grow a backbone.

”You have grown a backbone where your wishbone used to be.
You have learned how to say no, you have learned how to walk away.”

—Kirsten Robinson