Peacock: Wholeness

While in Hawaii several years ago I visited a house whose owners had peacocks on their property. It was the first time I'd ever seen these birds outside of a zoo, and I was struck by their shimmering iridescence as they paraded through the lush, tropical grounds. I was equally struck by their raucous cries, which held a hint of laughter, almost as if to suggest that nothing, including beauty, should be taken too seriously.

This is one important aspect of wholeness, for wholeness implies an integration of one's many aspects, without an undue focus on what appears to be missing. Peacock's laughter and the brilliant eyes on its feathers remind us to focus on what is, and to appreciate what we have.

This bird, like Swan, also reminds us that true beauty comes from within, for the peahen, though more drab in appearance than the peacock, has just as commanding a presence.

The peacock is also associated with the idea of resurrection in India, China, Egypt, Greece, and also in Christianity. It is the bird closest in description to the mythical Phoenix, which rises, reborn, from the flames and ashes of its funeral pyre.

The cycle of birth, death, and resurrection is in itself a whole. Thus, peacock medicine relates to an appreciation of all aspects of this cycle, and also to the faith that we never truly die.

We can also work with peacock medicine to make us aware that one may experience resurrection within a single lifetime. By being committed to our personal transformation we can shed the old and drab feathers of the past and claim our the true beauty of our individual natures.

Peacock is one of the Wild Earth Animal Essences.