Dragonfly, Damselfly, Power Animal, Symbol of Change, Piercing Illusions, Light, Understanding Dreams

By Ina Woolcott

Damselfly/Dragonfly's Medicine Includes - Mastery of life on the wing, power of flight, power to escape a blow, understanding dreams, power of light, breaking down illusions, seeing the truth in situations, swiftness, change, connection to Dragon, transcendence, winds of change, wisdom and enlightenment.

On a summer day or early evening, a beautiful sight to behold is the dragonfly. Dragonfly has the ability to reflect and refract light and colours. It is often linked with magic and mysticism. With their shimmering wings and delicate form, they appear to come directly from the land of Faerie. Their spectacular colours shine with iridescence in the sunlight. These colours take time to develop, giving the idea that with maturity our own true colours come forth. Just as light can bend and shift and be adapted in a different ways, so can the archetypal forces associated with dragonfly. Dragonfly yields the message that life is never what it appears to be. This is a power animal which can help to put us in touch with nature spirits.

Dragonfly is one of nature's shape shifters. The dragonfly inhabits two realms, air and water. The first two years of their life dragonflies live in the water, on the bottom of ponds and streams, and are called nymphs. As they age they go through metamorphosis and take to the air. As water represents the emotional body and air represents the mental, those with this power animal will frequently find themselves trying to maintain balance between their thoughts and emotions.

Children with dragonfly power animal are often very emotional, feeling things deeply and responding to situations with great passion. Generally, as they reach adulthood, through experience, they learn how to balance their emotions with greater mental clarity and control. This gives them the compassion required for any type of work relating to healing or counselling.

If you find yourself flooded by emotion and would like nothing more than some detachment from your problems so that you can solve them, Dragonfly entering your world will be a blessing. For in this context Dragonfly represents transformation. You can work with the dragonfly to help you kick-start the changes you know are necessary, but have been avoiding or neglecting. The number 2 is significant to Dragonfly, so think in terms of two-year periods when you begin a change.

When we have made ourselves believe that the limitations of physical existence prevent us from changing and growing, Dragonfly medicine teaches us to pierce our self-made illusions. Dragonfly can cause us to question the illusion which we call reality, particularly that part of our realities which hinders our ability to grow and create transformation/change in our lives. Dragonfly conveys knowledge about greater dimensions of reality, and helps us travel to a realm of light and colour in which spiritual expansion is possible.

Neither insects or birds have the flight manoeuvrability of the dragonfly. They can twist, turn, move up or down, change directions in an instant, hover and even fly backwards. If dragonfly is your power animal, this will bring the gift of skill to your life. Dragonflies are masters at what they do, and they do it relentlessly.

Dragonflies can reach speeds of up to 30 miles per hour when flying. They can spot movement forty feet away. Flying around and into things from different angles, they challenge rigid awareness and prompt the energy of change. This power animal is especially helpful for those who feel stuck, or are unable to grow spiritually and for those who feel blocked in their creativity. Dragonfly helps us remember that 'ordinary, every day' physical reality isn't all that is available to us. Its rainbow wings remind us we live in a world of magic.