Black and white butterflies such as Zebra Swallowtails impress with their contrasting appearance.
Large White or White Admirals are other black and white butterflies that are more common than many belief.
Seeing these butterflies or dreaming about them has rich spiritual meaning or is associated with spiritual meaning in some parts of the world.
There’s a spiritual meaning to both black and white as well as to the combination of black and white colors you need to look at whenever you’re interested in the symbolism of black and white butterflies.
Table of Contents
Black color meaning
Black is one of the colors often associated with bad signs. However, these bad signs always need to be interpreted together with white color symbolism for a full picture.
Here’s how to think about a mostly black butterfly.
Sobriety
Black is the symbol of sobriety. People wear black clothes when they want to look smart or when they attend a formal event.
Sobriety can be interpreted as an attribute you might be lacking in your life.
Young people might dream about black and white butterflies in a time when their lives need a bit more sobriety, probably for a career move.
Elegance
Black is the essential color of elegance. While tied to sobriety, elegance is an attribute of its own.
You might need to learn how to wear a suit or a formal dress whenever you dream about black and white butterflies which are mostly black.
Elegance can also be translated into attitudes towards peers. You might need to be less reactive and learn how to have controlled elegant reactions whenever you dream of a black and white butterfly.
Mystery
Black is also the color of mystery. We associate people dressed in black with mysterious figures.
This might mean you need to share less whenever seeing a black and white butterfly and become a bit more mysterious or interesting to others.
Death
Black is the color of death in most cultures. It symbolizes the ending of lives either for people or for animals.
Seeing a black and white butterfly landing on you might mean a close person is about to pass away.
White color meaning
White is the complete and only true opposite of black. It symbolizes purity, tranquility, and a uniform warmth which is why we wear white clothes in the summer.
Purity
Purity is among the considerable meanings of black and white butterflies. A pure butterfly symbolizes a pure person.
Having a black and white butterfly land on you can mean you’re a pure person or that you need to become a pure person, less inclined towards temptations and lust.
Peace
White is also the color of peace. People raise a white flag whenever they want peace in conflict.
A black and white butterfly can symbolize it’s about time for peace in your life. You might need to end a never-ending feud with family members, friends, or work colleagues.
Peace is always achieved from the inside first. This is why you need to reconcile with your own decisions and expectations whenever seeing a black and white butterfly yourself.
Warmth
White is also the color of warmth. It’s associated with summer, more than spring. White clothes are worn in the summer while white snow makes cold winters bearable.
Warmth might be a lacking attribute you may need to work on yourself whenever seeing, dreaming, or thinking about a black and white butterfly.
The symbolism of dreaming black and white butterflies
Black and white together might have slightly different symbolism compared to analyzing these colors separately.
You may need to think about these colors on their own as well as together whenever seeing a black and white butterfly.
Dreaming about a black and white butterfly can have a similar meaning to seeing one in person.
However, its symbolism can be even greater if you remember it since we tend to forget our dreams quickly.
Black symbolizes death but black and white symbolize art in its purest form.
You might panic thinking someone is going to die whenever you dream about a black and white butterfly.
However, black and white color combinations can also mean you need to embrace your artistic side a bit more.
The artistic side involves appreciating something beautiful more or appreciating something unique or creative more.
Take a close look at your inner peace and balance your reactions
A common interpretation of dreaming about black and white butterflies involves making an effort to improve inner balance.
You may be able to maintain balance for a short period but you need to be able to live with it.
The balancing nature of black and white color combinations symbolizes the pace we need to have in dealing with everything life has for us.
Maintaining balance is even more important in the face of adversity. You might need to learn how to stay calm and take rational decisions or react rationally in the face of adversity.
Take a step forward to reconcile with close people
Inner balance often requires dealing with problems first. Most people avoid confrontation but dreaming about a black and white butterfly can mean you need to tackle all those unpleasant conversations.
You may need to reach out to a person with who you haven’t spoken for years. You might need to call old friends or family you’ve been having communication problems with over the years.
Inner balance and the opposing nature of black and white colors mean you need to be at peace with yourself which is only complete when you’re at peace with everybody else around you.
Consider your outer identity more
Apart from looking within, black and white butterflies also involve looking at your presentation.
These aren’t colorful butterflies representing youth. They are elegant butterflies which might mean you need to learn how to dress elegantly yourself.
Dreaming about black and white butterflies means you need to take the ironing board out and learn how to look sharp, especially if you’re the type of person wearing jeans and sneakers all day.
The elegant nature of black and white butterflies can rarely be replicated by butterflies of different colors.
This means your dream is a good wake-up call to look towards what makes you appear elegant as well. There’s a certain level of maturity elegant dressing is associated with.
You might find that your presentation might help you deal with all types of other problems you might have in your life.
Dressing elegantly can put you in a position where others take you more seriously. This can eliminate many conflicts such as those in your career.
The yin and yang energies of life
Black and white are interpreted as the yin and yang in many Asian cultures. This is a symbol of opposing values, energies, and places that might work together in synchrony.
You might be thinking about the completing energies in your life even if they first appear to be different.
Partners might have different views on how to get along or how to raise children but their views can still work out a single solution to common problems regardless of their differences.
You might also need to think about common goals as a family if you are seeing black and white butterflies when you take into account yin and yang principles.
These principles can also be applied in other areas of your life such as career and friendship. Not all similar people working together or being friends are necessarily happy.
It might be the right time to let somebody back into your life even if you have very different opinions on politics, economy, and personal life.
Opposing views might be good
Opposing views or juxtaposing opinions define modern societies. People of different backgrounds need to learn how to work and live together in harmony.
Black and white butterflies have colors that have completely different meanings, yet, they look appealing.
This is what can be extrapolated from the meaning of the black and white butterflies you dream about. It’s time to see different views, different career paths, or different levels of education better.
All endings are a new beginning
Black symbolizes death while white symbolizes life. It might be a sign a death of a certain person in your life is a new beginning.
Deaths are always seen as a negative experience. But it can also be a new experience or the beginning of a new journey for those that live on.
Seeing a black and white butterfly might mean you need to start moving on after losing a close person. This might not be easy but it might be necessary for you to move on.
The symbolism of a black and white butterfly landing on you
Seeing a black butterfly landing on your shoulder or an arm is a special moment given just how majestic they are. Here’s what you can make of the event.
Balance is needed in your life
Black and white together are a clear sign you need to be, become, or continue on your journey as a balanced person.
Not everybody can deal with negativity, closed doors, or a chain of unfortunate events.
But the black and white symbolism of these butterflies shows you just how much you need to appreciate what you have in your life and to think about the positives to remain a balanced person.
A person with inner balance might also positively reflect on the people around them. Others might start seeing you as a balanced person and think about you as an example or someone worth having in your life.
It’s time to leave arguments behind
Inner peace or balance are key elements to leaving arguments behind.
The completing nature of black and white which symbolizes a capacity to make something good out of something bad can mean you need to be the bigger person in your life.
Leaving arguments or feuds behind is never easy. However, it tends to be easier whenever one person decides to take the first step towards reconciliation.
It might be a bad sign with a good spin
Black and white symbolism can never be all-good. It’s often based on something negative.
But you need to interpret that negative element with a good spin.
Seeing a black and white butterfly is about putting a good spin on a negative event even an event that might hurt you on some level.
The symbolism of black and white butterfly tattoos
Tattoos are seen as one of the ultimate forms of art by some people. Black and white butterfly tattoos are the symbolism of art.
Butterfly tattoos symbolize a sensible person, a human that hears others or that has a kind understanding of others and their problems.
Black and white butterfly tattoos you might think about getting symbolize your sensitive nature and our art appreciation.
Black and white butterflies also symbolize an elegant nuance to a sensible character.
You might feel you are just as vulnerable as a butterfly but a tattoo of a black and white butterfly can symbolize you take your vulnerability with grace.
Summary
Black and white butterflies are some of the most contrasting types of butterflies.
Each color has a distinct meaning taken on its own. When taken together, black and white colors have slightly different meanings.
Black is mysterious and even death-announcing while white is pure and a sign of rebirth. A balancing nature between black and white can be extrapolated to a balancing character.
You might have this character or you might need to strive towards it.
One of the most important lessons about dreaming black and white butterflies is how to get the most out of a situation that seems bad.
Putting a good spin on events that aren’t positive is tied to seeing black and white butterflies.
Lastly, seeing or dreaming of these elegant butterflies also means you need to learn to become elegant on the inside and the outside yourself. Age-appropriate dressing or mastering formal dressing is a skill that’s sometimes worked on when seeing or dreaming about these butterflies.