Understanding the (True) Meaning of the Peacock Feather
The peacock is one of the most beautiful and exotic birds in the world.
For a long time now, he has been able to arouse the curiosity of human beings, shaking our senses and even giving rise to a certain admiration. Some say that the peacock feather brings bad luck while others see it as a sign of a blessing, of great happiness to come.
When we see the magnificent colors of its feathers, we have a whole lot of ideas. Used by some as a good luck charm, others made it a symbol of magic and the sacred. It is true that the design of his feather strangely resembles an eye, and that it is therefore easy to link it to divination and clairvoyance...
In short, like the ancients before us, let us try together to answer this question: “What is the meaning of the peacock feather?” »
Contents :
Symbolism of a magnificent animal
Symbolism of a magnificent animal
Yes, the beauty of the peacock has fascinated us since the dawn of time.
Associated with panache, self-esteem and, more negatively, narcissism, this bird loves to be the center of attention.
When it spreads its grandiose tail, it offers the world a true work of art from which it is difficult to look away.
Its bright colors are like magnetic, and evoke ideas of mysteries and magic.
Despite their obvious beauty, peacocks are also associated with a whole bunch of other things.
For example, we can cite:
- Longevity and even immortality
- Nobility of soul
- Spirituality and wisdom
- Luck and destiny
Clearly, those who claim that the peacock feather brings bad luck are wrong.
Different cultures have found it to have sometimes very different characteristics. We will talk about some of them a little later in this article.
If we had to summarize the meaning of the peacock, we could say that it is very rich and that it makes this animal one of the most powerful (from a symbolic and esoteric point of view) of all creation.
So, what is the meaning of the peacock feather?
So look at these peacock feathers that we offer on our site, and you can only admit that something strange emerges from them.
But what is this thing?
In fact, there are a whole bunch of legends and beliefs that explain the meaning of the peacock feather.
Between a symbol of protection capable of chasing away spirits and a representation of love between two people, here we will talk about the most plausible hypotheses.
The peacock feather is above all a good luck charm!
Finding a peacock feather on the ground in a park is often seen as a sign that luck is on your side … and that’s definitely the case!
You should know that this idea was so true throughout history, to the point that nobles around the world began to raise peacocks in their gardens and palaces.
The thinking was simple: since the peacock feather is such a powerful good luck charm, there is no harm in giving destiny a helping hand by making sure to find as much as possible.
In short, even today, many protective amulets, spells and magical recipes use peacock feathers for their great powers.
A great symbol of beauty
An obvious meaning of the peacock feather is that of beauty.
In fact, these feathers are even considered to be among the most beautiful things that nature has created.
We have been telling you for a while that the characteristics of the peacock go far beyond the material world and what our eyes can see, and that is indeed the case here.
The beauty of peacock feathers is not only physical, but also more mystical. Many of us see them as an expression of the splendor of the divine in its essence.
We are talking here about an eternal, immutable beauty, the kind that artists seek to transcribe in their works.
The peacock: an animal linked to couples and love
In many cultures, the peacock is the animal par excellence used to represent the love that unites couples.
This idea apparently comes from ancient Greece. Sages of ancient times actually associated the peacock with the goddess Hera. However, it was she who governed marriages and romantic relationships.
After several centuries, this vision of the peacock did not change that much... From there to being proof of a certain truth, there is only one step!
For the record, it is customary in some families to step on a peacock feather on their wedding day to ensure that they are happy for as long as possible.
The peacock feather in world religions and philosophies
We could not talk about the meaning of the peacock feather without talking about its place in religions. If you still don't believe it, it will be clear here that the peacock feather does not bring bad luck, far from it.
Well, yes, most of the currents that have existed on earth have been interested in the meaning of this strange feather and, as you will see, have always seen it as something positive. Even more than that, a whole bunch of spiritualities consider peacock feathers to be very sacred.
We will now try to dissect all of this together.
A leading element of Feng Shui
Feng Shui is a Chinese doctrine that focuses on energies (then called "chi"), how they flow and the effects they can have on humans.
If you are curious and want to learn more, you should take a look at our lucky charms and symbols from the Feng Shui tradition.
In short, from the point of view of its practitioners, peacock feathers are powerful lucky charms capable of bringing us protection by chasing away negative energies.
According to tradition, receiving a peacock feather for the New Year is also an effective way to ensure a happy year.
What is the link between God and peacock feathers?
Peacocks are among the animals most often mentioned in the Bible.
The Catholic Church has also spoken of them throughout history under the term animals “with eyes that see and serve God and the Church”.
Very concretely, the meaning of the peacock feather for a Christian will be that of the omniscience of God, and in fact that He constantly observes us with love and attention.
The peacock could sometimes also be used to represent the immortality, holiness and resurrection of Christ. The idea behind it is that its flesh would be rot-proof (that is, it would never rot), hence its link with the resurrected Jesus.
The peacock in Greek mythology…
As we said, the peacock is closely related to the Greek goddess Hera. To learn more about this ancient divinity, here is a descriptive sheet made by the mythologica site.
According to legend, one day she wanted to create an animal with a thousand eyes that could serve as a spy in the world of men.
After several attempts, which were “monstrous” to say the least, she had the idea of putting her eyes on the feathers of the animal's tail: the lucky peacock was born.
In any case, this story shows us an important characteristic regarding the meaning of peacock feathers: they seem to be linked to clairvoyance and the knowledge of hidden things.
…and in Eastern philosophies
Eastern philosophies readily attribute great powers to peacock feathers.
The palaces of the maharajas (Indian kings of old) were often the playground of peacocks who moved freely there.
Hinduism associated these animals with Lakshmi, the goddess of luck, patience and kindness, but also with the very powerful Krishna, who often wore peacock feathers on his headdress.
Brahma himself, the creator god of Hindu mythology, is closely related to peacocks which he sometimes uses as mounts.
All this may seem folkloric but, for an Indian, the message is really very profound...
Buddhist spirituality has rather described the peacock feather as a symbol of openness to the world and accession to higher levels of consciousness.
To explore the subject further, here is an extract from a text talking about the place of the peacock in the Orient.
In any case, the meaning of the peacock feather is definitely a very interesting question…
Lucky charm featured in this article
Lucky Peacock Feathers
See more