The peacock has been revered for its beauty for hundreds of years in all corners of the world and has racked up quite a variety of meanings and symbols. It is certainly a majestic creature, featuring charismatically in many myths and legends, inspiring divinity, royalty, immortality, and honor.
Their bright coloring was believed to be a gift from the gods by the Greeks, Egyptians, and Romans. Thus, this made them highly valuable and a sign of good luck.
Peacocks symbolize rejuvenation, regrowth, respect, honor, integrity, and royalty. These birds can also be used to symbolize love, beauty, and passion. In addition, some cultures even believe the peacock to be sacred and it is worshipped.
Feeling the spiritual influence of a peacock may inject joyful medicines into your soul. The spirit of a peacock is one of beauty, so look to find the virtues in everyone and everything. This is a surefire way to find gratitude while allowing you to find happiness and wonder in the universe.
Its beauty brings with it a message of confidence. So, take inspiration from these proud birds and strut your way to what you want. Remember also that the male of the species has the most decorative plumage. So, it may be time to find more masculine aspects of your spirit to help guide you through. The eye shapes on the peacock’s tail feathers, on the other hand, often indicate that you need to awaken your third-eye chakra. Thus, helping you unlock your spirit to find what you need in life.
Now you have unlocked parts of your psyche to remove limitations you have placed on yourself, look to its medicinal symbolisms. Such imagery may suggest that you need to give the peacock spirit time to heal your soul and spirit to get you back on the track to wellness.
Honor and being true to your word are the biggest traits of people with a peacock totem animal. If you are one of these lucky people, then integrity and being true to yourself and others around you go deep into your soul.
Be cautious of your ego as pride easily gets in the way of your purity and your ability to help those around you. Use your knowledge and experiences wisely – with humility – to unlock your true potential as a healer in true peacock spirit.
Stay true to yourself and your beliefs to keep your beauty unmatched – both physically and the beauty that comes from within.
Power Animal
Much of the peacock’s power comes from their spiritual healing abilities. Your power with it in your spirit comes from confidence within yourself.
Keep the spirit of the peacock with you as you delve into the masculine dimensions of your soul. Take inspiration from the peacock and stay powerful with confidence in yourself – you can master the next step.
Harness the peacock’s powers of gravitas and calm. Shake up your tail feathers and remember that any troubles will pass.
The peacock is not native to the Americas and was first introduced in the 1880s in California. They were mostly kept as status symbol pets during this time and transported around the world to display their owner’s wealth.
As such, there are limited authentic interactions between peacocks and Native American traditions. There is some later work that uses later adaptations of peacocks and their symbolism and mirrors this to some tribe practices.
Some tribes in Central America – mostly the Pueblo people – saw it as a Sun Turkey and saw its detailed tail feathers as holding the powers of the Sun deities. These feathers were then used for later prayer sticks and this is why some cultures in Central America see it as a communicator between the Divine and her earthly subjects.
The eyes of the tail feathers are also used to ward off or banish evil in some Native American practices. This is a belief held by some sects of Islam, as is the role of the peacock as a healer.
Peacock Celtic Symbolism
The peacock is not native to Celtic lands but colonization and some migration were in place in the Ancient World so there are some references to the peacock in Celtic culture.
The birds were seen as purity and protection, with its feathers often on coats of arms. Its feathers were also believed to represent authority, knowledge, and of course beauty.
Christianity Symbolism
Peacocks are often used as symbols of immortality within the Christian belief system. This imagery stems from an incredibly old myth with biblical origins.
In the Old Testament, Adam and Eve eat the fruit of the forbidden tree and persuaded all other animals in the Garden of Eden to do the same. The peacock was the only animal who refused. This refusal was acknowledged by God who then blessed the species with an imperishable flesh that cannot decay.
From the New Testament, peacocks hold symbolic meaning that more closely resembles resurrection rather than just immortality. This is because its feathers fall out, then grow back with the colors and patterns as the original. Depictions of angels from the New Testament often have peacock feathers in their wings, reflecting its positive image within Christianity and possibly suggesting that the birds are messengers from on high.
More puritanical sects of Christianity focus on the peacock’s perceived vanity, using this symbolism to warn people against vanity, false pride, ego, and charlatanism. This is largely due to the bird’s excessive and beautiful plumage, as well as the complicated mating dances associated with the peacock.
From a spiritual perspective, you need to pause and think about peacock symbolism if you wish to study through the Christian lens. It appearing to you may be a reminder to focus on substance over beauty, no matter how distracting, or to remember how conceitedness and vanity can have negative effects on your decisions.
It may also be a reminder that your own staggering beauty is a gift from the Divine. Take the time to evaluate your thoughts on self-image and associated pride. Remember also that King Solomon brought the peacock as an indicator of wealth in the Bible – the presence of peacock imagery in your life may be a suggestion that you are too easily drawn in by Earthly distractions.
Dreaming of peacocks may also be a good reminder that false pride is detrimental to the health of your spirit. Avoid being overly showy in attempts to convince others of your worth. Take inspiration from the peacock’s confidence – you know your own value and do not need to convince others.
If you decide to get a peacock tattoo, remember that this incredible bird has different meanings in different cultures.
Christianity often sees a tattoo of a peacock as a symbol of rebirth or resurrection. It is a popular tattoo choice for those that have endured significant change in their lives and come through it a better person.
Hinduism associates peacocks with success as they believed that they walked alongside Lakshmi who is the Goddess of Fortune. From this background, a tattoo of a peacock may serve as a reminder to keep your goals in mind or to act as a talisman for good luck.
If you would prefer a peacock tattoo with a spiritual meaning, why not opt for a white peacock. They have close connections with purity, as well as the more traditional peacock symbolisms such as beauty, honor, royalty, and others mentioned above.
Eastern traditions teach that Kuan Yin, the Goddess of Compassion, created the peacock’s tail to protect the Earth and all life on it. Within these customs, a tattoo of a peacock may act as your protector and keep your spirit away from negative energies.
Keep an eye out for peacock feather tattoos as these can divide people. Western traditions in particular hold that peacock feathers are unlucky. They bring doom on any unmarried women – whatever ‘doom’ means – and every theatre veteran will have tales of productions falling apart because someone had peacock feathers in their costume.
Other cultures hold that the peacock feather is the epitome of good luck. These cultures usually believe that different deities gifted the peacock their glorious feathers. So, don’t feel frightened of the eye.
If you are thinking about getting a peacock tattoo, think about what the peacock means to you on a spiritual level. As long as you are true to yourself and act with the integrity that this bird represents, you will find guidance and solace from your ink no matter what others believe.
The myriad of beliefs and depictions of the peacock’s spiritual properties mean that the peacock is easy to incorporate into your practice or rituals. Keep in mind their more universal qualities like immortality, beauty, and protection to help bring calm to your soul.
Think deeply about the meanings behind the peacock’s symbolism. The beauty of a peacock is perhaps indicative of the beauty within yourself, possibly from your virtue or kindness of spirit. In a similar vein, immortality could mean your continued persistence despite the odds or it may be a reflection of your own rebirth into the person you are today.
The interaction between the peacocks and the divine means that the peacock’s spirituality can connect you to other realms. An appearance of a peacock in your life may suggest that you need to take a moment to appreciate the relationship that you have with your Divine. The eye of the feathers may suggest to some that you need to watch out for your own spiritual awakening.
Spiritual awakenings tie in closely with the peacock’s associations with resurrection. Use the regal nature of the peacock to influence your own confidence so that you are evolving on a spiritual level in a positive manner. Remember to heed the warnings of the peacock’s pride – remain humble to avoid conflicts in your spirit.
The Mayan Zodiac states that the sign of the peacock blessed those born between 15 November and 12 December. These people often have the same poise, creativity, and self-confidence that is emblematic of the peacock.
These peacock zodiacs do well in management, with their apparent luck making things seem easy to outsiders. Female peacock zodiacs love originality and bond well with men of the same zodiac sign who blossom under the loving support of a partner.
Peacock zodiacs will find that their lucky number is five so follow this number whenever it appears.
Peacock Hawaiian, African, And Greek Myth Symbolic Meanings
Peacocks are not native to Hawaii and so there is no interaction between this bird and the practices of native peoples.
The peacock is also not native to Greece. But, Alexander the Great introduced it to the land through his conquest. As such, the peacock has a long and detailed history in the region – Aristotle, for example, made frequent reference to it as the ‘Persian bird.’
The Ancient Greeks thought of the peacock’s feathers as the eyes of the stars and the bird as being sacred to Hera, the goddess of women. The Greeks believed the peacock to be immortal, thanks to its connection with the gods and made it a punishable offense to harm a peacock in any way.
There are many etchings, carvings, and other art media depicting peacocks in noble Greek homes. This makes the bird easily symbolize royalty and regality. Many of these homes believed the peacock was a reincarnation of a phoenix and often associated it with resurrection.
The peacock is native to Central Africa. Further, many Central African tribes considered peacock sacred. Moreover, chieftains wore peacock feathers which extended the peacock’s reverence to their feathers. Meanwhile, other legends believe that the peacock saved the world by flying to Olodumare in the heavens. Once there, Olodumare restored the bird to its former glory as he saw honesty in the peacock’s eyes and made him an official messenger to the people.
In Africa, the peacock has strong connections to the divine. These connections are particularly strong to the goddess Oshun who represents purity, sensuality, love, and fertility.
The symbolic meanings of the peacock will vary depending on which culture you use as a lens. But, there are some meanings which people widely shared.
For those that believe that the peacock brings luck, primarily belief systems in the East, peacocks symbolize:
Success
Good fortune
Connection with the Divine
Protection
Remember that many of these meanings stem from interactions with the peacocks and goddesses.
Western traditions are less positive about the peacock, particularly its feathers, and can symbolize:
Bad luck
Doom
The evil eye that Lilith uses to spy on humans
Other, more positive, peacock feather symbolizations include:
Resurrection
Rebirth
Rejuvenation
Regrowth
More widely applied symbolisations include:
Royalty
Respect
Honour
Integrity
Purity
Final Thoughts
The peacock is firstly an incredibly beautiful creature. Allow its beauty to inspire you to find the beauty and virtuousness in everyone and everything. Adopting this new outlook is going to inject joyful medicine into your soul.
The peacock is also a symbol of rebirth, resurrection, or regrowth so do not be afraid if a peacock appears to you during a time of great change or turbulence. Instead, grasp hold of its spirit so it may guide you through your journey. This may be beneficial on a myriad of levels as the peacock not only symbols evolution and protection, but also success and good fortune.
The peacock has close connections with the gods and royalty, so be sure that you remain humble when seeking a spiritual connection. In the Christian tradition, the Lord rewarded the peacock for not eating the Forbidden Fruit in the Garden of Eden. Allow the peacock to be all the permission you need to go against the grain and stick to what you believe is right.
Diane has always been interested in spirituality and self-improvement. She is a happy and outgoing person. She started her spiritual journey with Chandra while looking for tools to bring positivity to their lives. She boosts her mind with self-care and affirmations. However, she also knows what crystals to wear based on her feelings. She also practices the law of attraction.
