Swan
With its grace, lightness and immaculate whiteness, the swan is the epiphany of light, both daytime, solar and masculine, and nocturnal, lunar and feminine. The swan can embody these two lights, carrying opposite directions. However, the swan can also symbolize the synthesis of the two lights, solar and lunar, at the same time. When this occurs, he becomes androgynous, creating an aura of sacred mystery.
swan symbologies
The swan symbology is present in different cultures, since ancient Greece, and there are many mythologies involving the swan. The swan can have different avatars according to the culture, such as the goose, the seagull and even the dove.
When the swan embodies sunlight, it symbolizes fertilizing masculinity and action. When it incorporates lunar light, the swan symbolizes femininity and contemplation.
For the philosopher and poet Bachelard, the swan synthesizes masculine and feminine, it is the image of the hermaphrodite figure. The swan represents the desire that the two polarities of the world, manifested in sunlight and moonlight, merge.
For alchemists, the swan contemplates the union of opposites, fire and water, and is used by them as the emblem of mercury due to its color and the volatility of its wings.
The swan represents the first desire, which is sexual desire, and its song represents the vows of love between lovers and the death of love. The swan dies singing and sings dying.
In the Far East, the swan symbolizes elegance, courage and nobility. It also symbolizes music and singing.
black swan
The Black Swan is a Scandinavian tale that features a symbolic inversion of the swan image. In the tale, a bewitched virgin princess appears transformed into a black swan. The bloodthirsty virgin, to get rid of the curse, dives into a purified water tank, being exorcised and becoming a white swan, finally being able to live her love.
What is the spiritual meaning of the swan?
romance and loyalty
Swans are often portrayed as a symbol of love and romance. You could have seen the swans intertwining their graceful elongated necks to form a heart. They are also a significant part of the decor at weddings.
The intertwined necks of swans resemble the connected mind, body and soul of two soulmates. Also, swans mate for life and only look for another mate when they lose their current mate. That fact alone signals true love and loyalty. Thus, swans resemble a beautiful and loyal partnership.
Fluidity and intuitive capabilities
Swans are deeply connected to water and symbolize many water traits such as depth and fluidity. They remind you to go with the flow in your life.
Another water-related trait that a swarm symbolizes is female intuition. Swan spirit animals also guide you to follow your instincts.
Their long necks are reminiscent of their ability to peek into the future and know in advance what is to come. Thus, they help us disorient our confused feelings and teach us to follow our hunches.
grace and beauty
Swans are of heavenly beauty. And, the way they glide swiftly from one stone to the next, it’s undeniable that they epitomize grace and elegance.
You may have heard of the story “The Ugly Duckling”, where a baby swan grows up as a loner among baby ducks, and only after it grows up does it realize its beauty and worth.
Despite their splendorous outer appearances, swans remind us to look beyond the deceptive outer label and embrace our beauty and grace that glows from the inside out.
a mother’s love
Female swans usually lay around 3-8 eggs, which she lovingly and protectively incubates for around 37-38 days on average. These mother swans are extremely protective of their babies and are fiercely aggressive when anyone tries to harm their magnets.
The way swans care for their babies for months is phenomenal. So, in addition to romantic love, swans are also symbolized by motherhood and represent the beautiful and unconditional love a mother has for her babies.
angels
Even though your swan detection may have been in the water most of the time, swans fly. In fact, some of the largest swans are recorded to reach up to 1.5 meters, with their wingspans ranging in excess of 3 meters.
The large white fluffy wings of swans are considered to be angels. Therefore, these birds are believed to have the spiritual meaning of an angel.
Poetry
The Romans associated swans with Apollo, the god of music, prophecy and poetry. Also, some Irish poets used to wear swan feather capes.
There is the famous Irish folklore that mentions how some children turned into swans and whenever these children turned into swans and sang, all who heard it were relieved of all their worries and were put into a peaceful sleep.
the calm
Whenever you witness a beautiful swan doing its thing or simply existing in a nearby body of water, you can’t help but feel the serenity around it and within it.
The environment becomes peaceful, and your troubled heart and mind, as well as your scattered vibrations, slowly relax and are grounded by the calm you feel within you.
Furthermore, many iconic painters and artists past and present have depicted swans as peaceful creatures in their artwork.
Biblical Meaning of the Swan
In Christianity, swans symbolize God’s purity, grace and love. It is mentioned in the Birds of the Bible that Jews were forbidden to eat swans.
The dying swan is considered by some Christians to be a reminder of Jesus on the cross and is associated with the spirit of Jesus. However, swans are symbolized somewhat differently in Deuteronomy; they are portrayed as “unclean birds”.
Swan as Totel or Spirit Animal
Those under the swan or spirit animal totem do not give up on relationships easily. Even though it’s easy to walk away from complications, they choose to untangle the mess in a relationship and fight for their loved ones.
The swan reminds us of the power and blessings of relationships. At the same time, this totem teaches us to embrace our personal loneliness.
This totem also helps us broaden our perception and grants us the power and instincts to distrust what lies ahead. You are aware of your abilities and have a better flow in your life.
Positive Traits
You exude captivating beauty and elegance by being yourself. Not just outer beauty, you have equally exceptional inner beauty. Having a swan spirit animal also means that you are a creative person.
You are also someone who keeps your words, which is why many people trust you. Likewise, when in a relationship, you are loyal and committed.
Whether in a romantic or family relationship, you put your people first and are ready to sacrifice everything for them without any hesitation.
Negative Traits
Animal swan spirit enhances your creativity and fluidity. But at the same time, you will feel an inexplicable urge to do everything perfectly, even if the situation or work does not require it.
You also identify as someone who loves peace and quiet within and around you. It seems like you have it all figured out for many, which makes them very selfish and unsure of you.
However, when you feel the calm tremble around you and within you, you will feel scared and vulnerable, which can be a disadvantageous position for you, as those around you are likely to be looking for a vulnerable moment to bring you down.
Swan’s Omen
Meeting with a swan is an omen of a beautiful partnership. It means that you will soon meet your soulmate if you haven’t already. And the relationship will be loving and trusting. Likewise, if you suddenly see a swan, it could also indicate a sexual encounter.
However, seeing a black swan symbolizes something different. In most Asian and European communities, meeting a black swan is often considered a bad omen.
On the other hand, black swans are symbolized by their rarity, considering them a metaphor for rare events of Slavic and Scandinavian people. Similarly, they also use the “black swan” metaphor to denote sudden and unexpected changes in the world.