Seeing Butterflies after Someone Dies
Few animals symbolize the transition from one phase of existence to the next as well as butterflies. Transitioning from the lowly caterpillar to a fluttering, beautiful creature, the butterfly reminds us that change is inevitable but not necessarily bad. Seeing butterflies after a loved one passes can be another sign from them that they've made the transition to the spirit world and are ready to move on.
The Meaning of Pennies from Heaven
Another common sign from loved ones in heaven is finding coins, especially pennies. While our one-cent pieces may not be highly valuable these days, they are an easy way for our friends and family on the other side to let us know they are still with us. Finding a penny is popularly a sign of good luck to come and finding pennies after someone dies can remind us how fortunate we are to have known them.
One theory of why pennies and other coins may start appearing is that they are low value and easily misplaced, so for a spiritual being to take them from one point and move them into our path causes no real harm to anyone. Plus, coins tend to be shiny and are more easily noticed than other potential symbolic objects. While we can't explain the process of the phenomenon, we understand the spiritual meaning behind finding pennies is that of comfort and good fortune.
Feathers in Unusual Places
Many cultures consider feathers representative of angels and the spirit world. Finding feathers, meaning noticing feathers in unusual places or even just seemingly placed perfectly in our path, symbolizes communication from the other side. If you've recently lost a loved one or have been thinking about a deceased person quite a bit and a feather appears, you can be assured that it's a sign from them that they are watching over you.
While many people put an emphasis on white feathers in particular, any feather can carry a message from a deceased loved one. The focus should be more on the timing or location of finding the feather. Did it happen on a day that would have been significant to their life or your relationship? Was it found in a place that had some meaning to them? Or did it seem to appear when you needed a sign the most? While messages from loved ones can have multiple meanings, the most likely correct one is the one that gives you the most comfort.
More Personal Symbols
Pennies, feathers, butterflies, and cardinals all have their places in popular lore about after-death communication, but don't get hung up on looking for those specific signs. Often the deceased can send messages that are much more personal than those traditional symbols. Podcaster and author Nicolle Morock recently explained how loved ones communicating after death can be much more intimate with their messaging:
"Sometimes, a person will see something completely out of place that they associate with their friend or family member," Morock told us. "For example, say your grandmother absolutely loved ladybugs. Maybe she had little ladybug symbols all over her kitchen - printed on towels, figurines on the windowsill, salt and pepper shakers, whatever - and then you start noticing ladybugs everywhere. They could be real bugs or images of them in your house, on signs while you're out and about, maybe on a t-shirt you see in passing. All those ladybugs could be your grandmother saying 'hi'!"
