THE PEACOCK:There was a Peacock Throne in ancient Babylon, where these birds were kept as sacred creatures. In Persia, the peacock specifically denoted royalty. The largest bird in the Old World, next to the ostrich, the peacock is shown in Egyptian art as a companion of Isis. It is also sacred to the goddess Hera/Juno, and before her the Etruscan goddess Uni. The Greeks and Romans said that the "eyes" on its feathers symbolized the fifty priestesses who served each temple of this goddess. The peacock was a sacred bird in China and Japan, representing dignity, rank, and beauty. As an emblem of the Ming dynasty, the peacock feather was awarded to show imperial favor and high rank. As a bird of paradise (sopul-bird) and a symbol of good luck, the peacock was, and still is, allowed to wander the grounds of Indian temples and royal gardens. There is an old Hindu saying that the peacock has angel's wings, a devil's voice, and a thief's walk. Sometimes the HIndu goddess Sarasvati was shown accompanied by or riding on a peacock. When the god Kama was portrayed riding this bird, it represented impatient desire. The peacock is said to dance when rain is coming and to hate gold. During the sixteenth century in Europe, liars, cheats, and traitors had to wear a peacock feather. SuperstitionsThe folk saying "strutting like a peacock" or "proud as a peacock" refers primarily to males, but can apply to women who dress in flashy clothes and act as if they are the center of everyone's admiration.The bad luck associated with peacock feathers originated from the peacock's status as a protected and revered creature of the Great Goddess. In much of England, to bring a peacock feather into the house is to bring an illness and death. The "eye" on the feather is associated with the evil eye which can cause terrible things to happen. The peacock's flesh is so hard it won't rot. Magickal AttributesDignity, warning, self-confidence.Use the symbol of the peacock "eye" to see into the past, present, and future. ChantThe peacock's eye I see before me,A door to present, future, past, A guide to divination true, A spiritual power that will last. My inner eye is like the peacock's, Open to the tide of life, Whether it be joy or sorrow, Success or change, abundance, strife. |
