07/09/2026
The chrysalis protects the butterfly
during its complete
and total transformation.
If you see this illustration like I did
and you feel as if you are stuck
With no one to help you out
(But know in your soul, you can only help yourself)
Have comfort knowing…
without knowing or having proof,
that your struggles
are the necessary
preparatory hard work
that you need to do solo
to help yourself to fly.
In alchemy,
dark comes before there is light.
One cannot spiritually bypass
their own shadows
and think that they can
reach their highest self prepared.
The struggle is the preparation, my loves.
I designed a labyrinth before realizing it was the chrysalis it was.
It is called ‘Catalyst Chrysalis’ labyrinth and it is so helpful for people who are feeling anxious or overwhelmed with the necessary changes their personal growth is asking of them to do. Shedding and struggle is painful but it is actually growing pains and you need the hidden gifts inside the chrysalis to prepare you for what is outside your awareness.
I have some paint your own options for my original ‘’Catalyst Chrysalis’ Labyrinth available if you want to explore working on this healing path of shedding old to prepare for the new. Painting it to suit your personal journey is a healing journey in itself that is a great way to start your transition/ transformation.
Visit www.healingheartsstudiollc.com
They are found in the ‘Gifts of heART’ section.
Sincerely,
Donna Lindeen Harrington
Healing heARTs Studio
You watched a butterfly struggling to push through the tiny opening of her chrysalis. She was stuck. She was fighting. It looked painful. You couldn't stand it. You took a small scissors and carefully widened the opening so she could get out.
She emerged easily. Her body was swollen. Her wings were tiny and shriveled. She crawled across the table. She never flew. She died within a day.
The struggle you interrupted was the mechanism that saves her. As a butterfly pushes against the walls of the chrysalis, the effort forces hemolymph — the insect equivalent of blood — from her swollen abdomen into the veins of her wings. The pressure inflates the wings, stretches them to full size, and prepares them for flight. Without the resistance of the chrysalis walls, the fluid never moves. The wings never inflate. They harden while still folded. The butterfly is perfectly formed except for the one thing she needs to survive.
You didn't help her escape. You bypassed the system that builds her wings. The kindness was real. The result was permanent.
This is one of the most common intervention mistakes made by butterfly enthusiasts, classroom teachers raising monarchs, and anyone who has watched a chrysalis and couldn't bear the struggle.
If a butterfly is taking longer than normal to emerge — more than a few hours — the chrysalis may be too dry. Gently misting the outside with water can help. But cutting, pulling, or widening the opening removes the resistance the butterfly's body requires to prepare for flight.
The struggle is the construction. Remove the struggle, and the wings never form.
