Symbolism of the Peacock

This graceful power animal offers lessons about self-love, honour, integrity and the importance of facing life’s challenges as well as the unknown with courage and confidence. When the peacock struts gracefully into your life you may be entering a time of rebirth.

Individuals whose power animal is the peacock possess a firm connection between the past and present and recognise its effect on the future. They readily see the importance of integrity and honour. Confident in all they do, those with a peacock totem also recognise the need for light-heartedness and laughter.

Commonly, the peacock animal totem is accepted as being symbolic of integrity and rejuvenation. In addition, this proud member of the pheasant family also represents:

• Beauty
• Balance
• Wise Vision
• Awakening
• Immortality
• Spirituality
• Self-confidence
• Awareness
• Leadership
• Self-love
• Resurrection
• Laughing at life

The peacock is native to Southeast Asia and countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, China, and Sri Lanka. Many religions even consider them to be sacred and are considered to be a good sign and omen. Here we take a look at how some religions around the world look at this pheasant bird:

Buddhism – When open a fully flaunted peacocks tail looks of a huge Chinese hand fan. This symbolises openness and acceptance to Buddhists. One of the references a peacock symbolises is long life or immortality. This is because the peacock was well known to eat plants that were poisonous in nature and would kill if ate by humans. Buddhists thought that because of this peacocks could not only live, but do so with ease even though they were enduring major suffering. To the Buddhist the peacock in every sense of the word signifies purity, hence why their feathers are often used in purification ceremonies.

Hinduism – In the Hindu religion there are two well known figures known as Lord Krishna and Lakshmi. The goddess Lakshmi in Hindu signifies having a compassionate heart, being kind, virtue, patience, and good fortune. Lord Krishna was well known to garnish peacock feathers all around his head and were decorated on his flute. Some even said by that the peacocks personally gave their feathers as a gift to Lord Krishna. 

Christianity – A peacock is the symbol of purity. Christians believed that once someone has passed their soul rises and goes to heaven. This is why early Christians would spread the feathers of a peacock over the deceased since it symbolised a pure soul that was immune to corruption. The feathers were used as a measure to prevent the decaying of the human body as well. The peacock represents immortality, resurrection, and the spiritual teachings of Jesus Christ and the christian church.

India – Just as the peacock was immune to poisonous plants in China the same is so with snakes in India. Known as the “Snake Slayer” they are thought to be immune to the poison contained in a snake’s venom and it is even believed that when a snake is killed and eaten by a peacock, the venom travels into the feathers providing a special radiance

Greek mythology – In Greek mythology the peacock is associated with Hera the wife of Zeus and the queen of the Ancient Greek gods. Legend has it that Hera transformed her guardian Argus who had a hundred eyes into a peacock. The feathers of Argus were a mark of the beauty of heaven and the eyes representing the stars in the sky. This is why for the people of Greece the peacock represents heaven and its all mighty all seeing vision, wisdom, and knowledge.

Asia – In certain parts of Asia there was a mortal known by the name of Quan Yin. The peacock is associated with Quan Yin and her great qualities of charity, compassion, integrity, and good faith towards her fellow man. Quan Yin was very well known because she had the ability to become immortal yet deflected to stay mortal for the greater good of humanity and to assist with their personal and religious growth.

In many cultures the peacock is also compared very closely to the powerful and well known bird The Phoenix. Mainly due to the fact that they are both extremely confident and the provide courage to take something from the past, learn from it, better yourself, and then use to open new doors. They represent the quote “When one door shuts another one opens” to perfection. The peacock is associated with rebirth and resurrection as is the Phoenix who was risen from death and reborn again. The peacock is a perfect reminder that you can rise again no matter what you have been through

What are your true colours? By letting your true self show and showing your real colours you allow and inspire others to do the same. This is the definition of leadership. Not telling someone to do something but instead leading by example. You can’t change others but you can change yourself and inspire others to change themselves.

The colours of the peacock symbolise this. The solar iridescence and beauty of the peacocks feathers are associated with Royalty and the purity of royal blood and the leadership that comes with it. The eyes of the peacock symbolise the all-seeing and wisdom of the heavens.

In short, the peacock is a very special a beautiful animal signifying many great internal and external qualities. We like to wear different peacock items ourselves to remind us of the many qualities that we possess.