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The Peacock's Tail

The peacock's tail has become a well known symbol in alchemy, although it is a later addition to the alchemical symbols. Dom Pernety explains it as: "These are the colors of the rainbow which manifest themselves on the matter during the operations of the stone." he doesn't seem to place that much importance to it, but he does place the peacock's tail after the raven (Blackness, first stage), and before the swan Whiteness, second stage). the phoenix represent the third stage of Redness.
The image of the peacock's tail with its iridescence of a multitude of colors, might have found its origin in the spiritual experience of alchemists. I primarily speak of meditation experiences in this article, but some of the alchemists probably also experienced the energies of the astral world, which is often characterized by its brilliant colors, and some clairvoyants have said that the clothing of some astral beings are iridescent.