Pig Spiritual Meaning & Symbolism

Before it meant anything bad, the Pig symbolized success, survival, and plenty. That's why piggy banks look like pigs — all along, the creature has been connected to that sort of stable wealth. Then there's the wilder boar, which adds real toughness and determination. You know that feeling when you're so close to something but can't reach it, and the boar is a reminder of what it takes to finally get there.

The most trainable farm animals are Pigs; they're as clever as dogs but don't expect a good review at the end. The Pig goes about its business and just shows off how perceptive and smart it is — ignoring audiences — which can teach something about not being self-absorbed.

They're scent-based and very aware of changes coming. Some other symbols have been kind to them but sometimes it's been used as a symbol for being ignorant or deluded. It could mean just holding on to that value you have even though other people think it's dumb.

Pig as a spirit guide represents growth and financial development. A time of thriving for you is coming, which may or may not mean a financial windfall. Instead of hoarding your resources or becoming proud or smug, use this time of expansion to help others. Enjoy the blessings you are receiving.

Pig helps you develop self-reliance and prepares you for unexpected hardships. Although it is resourceful, Pig does not emphasize confidence or control in the face of challenges.

The scent of opportunity becomes more clear when Pig brings forth a new task or activity.

People who have Pig as their animal totem tend to manifest their desires with ease. This was shown in Greek mythology, where Demeter, the goddess of the harvest and fertile lands, had a companion Pig. People who gamble for a living carry small charms with pictures of Pigs as symbols of good luck and a flow of wealth. Pig's connection to fertility extends beyond procreation to creative projects, new ventures, or career beginnings.

If you have Pig as your totem animal, you lead with honesty, compassion and resourcefulness; you're not especially interested in putting on airs, and this is true for most animals but especially apparent in Pig. People with the Pig totem tend to speak their minds through a strong throat chakra connection.

If you need some grounding and strength, lean on the power animal of the pig. When things are so hectic you don't know which way to turn, a pig helps you take one step at a time. Pigs also lend boldness when you need it.

If you don't know what to expect on a day that feels up in the air, a pig can help calm your nerves.

As a power animal, the pig represents compassion and deep feelings. You'll see pink for the traditional soft cuddly pigs that are associated with unconditional love, and in other forms as black and white symbolizing yin and yang balance. A pig can also help take some of your anger away when you're too hot-headed to know what to do about it.

In Chinese astrology, people born in the Year of the Pig (or Boar) are likely to be charitable and drawn toward making life better for others around them. They're described as loving people without conditions, being steady in both good and bad times.

The Year of the Pig is considered a period of closure — it's a good time to wrap up ongoing relationships, decisions, or situations while also getting some luck and fertility boosts for those born in this year.

Dreams about pigs often involve pigs or hogs, and knowing what the message is depends on recognizing how each animal is acting and what's bothering you. A boar might be pointing to something or someone who's boring you, while a hog could represent someone who's eating up your time — literally if you're thinking of motorcycles.

Healthy pigs can represent coming abundance. Piglets can flag new children or projects. A pig wallowing in mud might flag that you should step out of a messy situation. Mud can also represent selfishness. Black pigs tend to point at withheld generosity, while white pigs may flag someone else's stubbornness rubbing off on you.

The pig symbolizes one of the grounded, generous animals in the animal kingdom. It reminds you to get your basic needs in order. Then share whatever abundance you've created. Keep working to reach your own potential without needing recognition from other people. And keep moving forward toward success rather than standing still.

Whether the Pig comes to you as a spirit guide or totem animal or a power animal, the message remains consistent: know your own worth, work toward your goals with care and purpose.

Before there were piggy banks, people used pigs as charms to bring them luck. In Germany, the phrase "to have pig" simply means to be lucky, and the tradition is much older than slang. In the Middle Ages, the gambling game Glückshaus had a pig on its square called the Lucky Pig. The tradition stayed strong in playing cards, which had pigs on their most valuable cards for hundreds of years. The tradition of using pigs as charms stretched two thousand years back.

Besides land animals, pigs have been brought onto ships as good luck charms too. Sailors used to get pig tattoos on one foot and a hen on another because they believed that pigs survived shipwrecks. After a ship sank, the pigs floated inside their wooden crates — and so people who tattooed pictures of pigs carried those same lucky pigs with them.

Whether it's a porcelain pig on a shelf or ink on your ankle, those good luck charms are actually spiritual: not random luck but something you can carry with you and keep close.

Not every culture includes the Pig as a symbol, and there are good reasons for it. Leviticus 11:7 forbids eating pigs because they have split hooves but do not chew their cud, which was one of the two criteria in the ancient dietary law for defining an acceptable animal to eat. Islam carries this prohibition directly into its own dietary practices.

But consider how it can be read spiritually instead: It suggests that someone or something may appear acceptable on the surface but lack essential depth. That's not so different from Buddhist traditions using the same pig to symbolize "delusion." If this unsettles you, let it settle in.