By Lynne Twist
“I believe there are millions of people
taking responsibility, not just for change,
but also for transformation,
for creating the miracle of the butterfly.”
— Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money, p. 256
The caterpillar and the butterfly are familiar symbols of transformation, but not everyone knows that at one point in its life cycle, the caterpillar (according to evolutionary biologist, Elisabet Sahrouris) “becomes a voracious, over-consumptive glutton, consuming everything in sight and within reach.”
But this feeding frenzy isn’t without purpose. At some point, an amazing, almost magical process begins; and the caterpillar becomes a “nutritive soup” out of which emerges the miracle of the butterfly.
“Inside the caterpillar, imaginal cells begin to stir.
Imaginal cells are specialized cells, and in the minority,
but when they connect with each other
they become the genetic directors
of the metamorphosis of the caterpillar.”
— The Soul of Money, p. 256
Lynne sees this natural transformation as a fitting and reassuring metaphor for our time. It is a way to see the world, a kind of evolutionary phase, that includes the over-consumptive greed, and the rest of today’s challenging conditions.
Lynne reminds us that this part of the metaphor reflects a more human kind of “nutritive soup.”
“When I look at the inspired, devoted, and brilliant people
at work in so many ways to repair and nourish the world,
in families, communities, and sustainable enterprises
everywhere on Earth, I see the imaginal cells of our own transformation.
That’s us, people like me and people like you. . .
people creating new ways, seeing new possibilities.”
— The Soul of Money, p. 256
In this way of seeing, even the fall of unsustainable structures in politics and the unraveling of corporate corruption, for example, become positive signs. Lynne sees millions of people taking responsibility not just for change, but also for transformation, for creating a miracle like the butterfly in human society. People everywhere around the globe are connecting with one another as the genetic directors of our own living system.
As we continue to connect with each other in this way, we can create from our gluttonous caterpillar and generate the miracle of the butterfly.
How? Through committed, conscious actions.
“I challenge you to use your money,
every dollar, every penny, every purchase,
every stock and every bond, to voice this transformation.
I challenge you to imbue your money with soul—your soul
—and let it stand for who you are, your love, your heart,
your word, and your humanity.”
— The Soul of Money, p. 257
