Pheasant – Spiritual meanings:
It is about grounding
“Be rooted in the ground like a tree, yet free to soar like the birds.” – Ancient proverb
Every time I come across a pheasant it feels like an open invitation to ground in the earth, my spirituality.
Unlike soaring birds like eagles or hawks, the pheasant is of the ground and its proximity to earth shows me that real spirituality does not always sit in high places.
I find myself getting lost in these higher, more abstract thoughts about the divine, but this pheasant really aims to signal me that spirituality is in the every day.
Which is not to say I oughta stop seeking out the Divine.
It is what I always did instead.
This has to do with integrating this wisdom into my life as a daily practice.
And so I strive to move gracefully and with intent, as does the pheasant, ground-sourcing my philosophy so my beliefs breed in reality.
It is about hidden beauty
“The most beautiful things in the world … must be felt with the heart.” – Helen Keller
Pheasants are famous for sporting brilliant colors that cause them to disappear into the dense brush and fields they frequent.
That when I come across one I think that beauty and wisdom can be slow to uncover.
As pheasant waddles into my awareness I am assured there are things happening that I cannot see, as well they are happening at a rate of vibration faster than the one current in which I am coasting.
I must wait with faith that my gifts and wisdom are not lost and my spiritual aesthetics will shine in time.
On my journey, even when I cannot see immediate results of it.
It is about caution
“Caution is the eldest child of wisdom.” – Victor Hugo
Pheasants move carefully but when they rise, they are loud and bright.
The pheasant teaches me to be careful and then also to boldly step into what needs to be done.
A call to strike a balance between the two.
Vulnerability
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” – 2 Corinthians 12:9
Although beautiful, the pheasant is a prey animal and always on the lookout for potential predators. However, I know that there is true strength in being vulnerable.
I do not need to hide my vulnerabilities, no more than the pheasant.
Now I can accept them, adjust them and become stronger as a result.
The more I accept my inherent frailty, the more primed I am for life’s sensations to move within me, provoking reflection and growth.
Adversity
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” – Nelson Mandela
Pheasants exist in environments abundant with many predators.
Each of us knows that life can be tough sometimes and these are only some of the times when you may feel it.
But, I am equipped for adversity because I can walk step with courage.
The pheasant is a sign that I have what it takes to get through whatever shit storm awaits.
Energy
“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23
So when I think of the pheasant, I see it protecting its territory and nest with ferocity.
I learn to protect my energy and my rescources.
When I have a pheasant come across my path, it tells me that it is time to be more conscious of how I am protecting my energy.
My journey is no small thing and I must guard my energy boundaries to keep on finding the way.
This is not a self absorbed, cold approach to the world.
This is understanding my own limits so that I can do my best to prevent burnout.
So by shielding my energy, I can then still give but in overflow rather than lack.
Life’s Seasons
“To everything, there is a season…” – Ecclesiastes 3:1
The pheasant lives in great part by the changing seasons.
It teaches me that I should flow with life, not against it.
I am also a creature of my environment, and I need to know when to move forward or take rest.
Trying to make the wrong type of energy happen at the wrong time only serves to frustrate me.
If I can learn to accept these peaks and troughs, then I feel the more balanced.
Camouflage
“God is in the details.” – Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
I am fascinated by how well the pheasant can camouflage with its surroundings. However, this camouflage is like a shield.
If a pheasant is crossing my path, I stay in the background instead of always being on stage.
No it is not that I am hiding, I just save my energy to the right things.
Some things require no immediate answer.
Because sometimes doing nothing and waiting for an opportunity of power is way more relevant than just hurrying up.
The blending-in, camouflage layer of things simply come down to energy management and conscious choice about when to show up and when not.
The Fire Within
“Set your life on fire. Seek those who fan your flames.” – Rumi
The pheasant with his colorful feathers helps me realize of my own vibrant fire that is settled deep beneath the surface.
I feel stagnant, uninspired and disconnected from my purpose at times – but the pheasant brings flashes of something alive raging inside.
Fire is the symbol of transformation, courage, and life force.
The energetic flight of the pheasant has not escaped my notice.
This is the time to be active about all those goals and dreams I have put on simmer.
Again, not rushing recklessly into things. However, with a slow-burning deliberate action led by fire in my heart.
The pheasant teaches me to let that fire burn bright.
Ancestral Wisdom
“We are the ancestors of the future.” – Toba Beta
These birds always make me think about the wisdom of our ancestors.
WIth my ancestors I have a very deep connection.
The pheasant is a messenger that I never walk this spiritual path alone.
I have the wisdom and experiences of my ancestors supporting every step.
This is simply a message from my ancestors teaching me under their direction.
As in dreams or intuition led, and flashes of insight arriving all at once.
It’s a summoning to embrace my legacy, and pay homage to those before me.
The Feminine Energy
“The feminine energy is the foundation of balance.” – Taoist Proverb
When I see a pheasant, especially a female, it is calling for me to go for the feminine energy in myself.
It is creative maternal energy which, guided by intuition, understanding and receptivity, creates the balance.
A hen nurturing her chick is a reminder for me, whether male or female, to take care of my own inner self.
I live in a culture of doing, and perfectionism.
I forget that feeling my emotions is important; laying down takes laziness away from me and adjusts me to the flow.
This isn’t a question of passivity, but the opening for creativity and intuition to come forward.
I need to honor that softer, contemplative part of me so that the other 40% of my personality will allow the inner landscape to have more serenity and rest.
Higher Perception
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.” – 1 Corinthians 13:12
Pheasants have such keen eyesight, which represents increased ‘vision.’
It is a metaphorical perception.
Things aren’t always what they seem, and to dig a little deeper to discover the meaning behind any situation or experience I have.
There have been days when I have searched but without really seeing.
I have started to to attune my perception, to learn the more delicate channels through which the spirits may move with me.
If a pheasant is crossing my path, I know to open up my eyes and my heart.
I’m Bulgarea Candin Stefan and I have started Spiritual Whirlwinds to pass my learnings from my spiritual journey. Spiritualwhirlwinds.com provides a space of spiritual awakening with guided meditations, e-books, mantras, and pendulum readings.