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Did you know that the peacock/peahen can eat poisonous plants, and instead of succumbing to the poison, it transmutes it into the brilliant colours of its plumage?
Allow me to digress a little bit and tell you why I am fascinated by this power.
As you may already know, the Dark Mother, with her many aspects, embodies qualities we either fear and repel or feel deeply drawn to. Her magnetic force has been calling me since my womb started her journey through perimenopause. Because of my curiosity, and mainly because she unexpectedly came to me one day, I decided to explore her stories, myths, and legends.
In this exploration, I discovered a symbol that resonated deeply with the Dark Mother’s power: the peafowl (the male is a peacock, and the female is a peahen; both are peafowl).
The Peafowl, with its captivating plumage, is a universally admired animal. Its beauty transcends cultural boundaries, attracting people from all corners of the world. It symbolises beauty and elegance, a sight that enchants all who witness it. Many eagerly await the opportunity to see them opening their majestic and colourful tails in zoos, private gardens or the wild.
In many Eastern cultures, this magnificent bird symbolises the Goddess’s beauty, power, and grace. It is worth noting that the cult and worship of the Goddess in some countries never died.
In other Western cultures (mainly in northern Europe), the peacock is sometimes seen as a symbol of evil and bad luck and associated with energies that the patriarchal and religious world views as symbols of feminine evil, like the moon, the darkness, and the power of transformation held in a woman’s womb: the menarche, a woman’s moon blood, conception and childbirth, and into the rites of passage of perimenopause and menopause.
The peafowl can eat poisonous plants, and instead of succumbing to the poison, it transmutes it into the brilliant colours of its plumage. This incredible ability serves as a powerful metaphor for our own potential to transform adversity into beauty.
This incredible discovery made me think about many Goddesses who have been shunned and repeatedly portrayed as evil. One of these Mothers is Goddess Lilith, who can be associated with the peacock due to her transformative powers.
What is it about the power of transformation, renewal, healing, and compassion that women hold in their bodies and energy and that many men and women fear? Why are freedom and sexuality seen as a gateway to hell instead of what they indeed are: the portal to creation, transformation, and freedom?
Like the Peafowl, we, too, have the power to transform poison into beauty. This profound symbolism invites us to reflect on our own potential for transformation and the beauty that can emerge from adversity.
When I meet Lilith in that space within myself, where I find peace and understanding, I always ask her to remind me of the power I hold that can help me transform “poison” into beauty. Sometimes, it is unexpectedly easy, and on other occasions, it can be an arduous journey to the parts of me that I have yet to discover.
I suppose with practice, it’ll become more accessible to transform whatever “darkness” I encounter with my innate power of transformation and renewal, a power that all women hold in their hearts and wombs. Some days are better than others, but when it gets rough, I have learned not to run away and avoid the work I am supposed to do. I don’t mean this in a masochist way. I know there are days where my inner work consists of lying down and breathing, being myself and focusing on nothing but the care of my body and my mind. There are days when it is easier to see the shadow and all that comes with it, where projections are simply a reminder of the feeble structure of this illusion.
But working with Lilith has also been a powerful reminder that all that shines is not light, and all that looks dark is not always evil. This is a subject I talk about in my workshops and classes. People often think we must be constantly in our light and avoid darkness at all costs. An argument I find has so many fallacies that it cannot stand alone. Humans are dual beings, and they inherently possess the qualities of Light and Darkness. Our job is not to suppress one in favour of the other but to work with both to keep them balanced. Only by understanding and loving both aspects of ourselves will we reach a state of union within.
Michela Sborchia
© Michela Sborchia ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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