It’s common to see a gecko scampering up the walls of your home or darting across the ceiling. These small reptiles are harmless to humans and have lived alongside us for thousands of years.
Across many cultures, geckos are seen as a sign of good luck. Other people see it as a symbol of peace, gentleness and positivity. Let’s talk about various gecko symbolism.
What You'll Learn Today
- What Does A Gecko Symbolize?
- Geckos and Adaptability
- Growth & Regeneration
- Solitary and Gentle
- Geckos As Messengers
- What’s The Meaning of A Gecko Tattoo?
- Is a Gecko A Bad Omen?
- Myths & Superstitions Involving Geckos
- Is Seeing A Gecko Good Luck?
- Geckos and Adaptability
- Growth & Regeneration
- Solitary and Gentle
- Geckos As Messengers
- What’s The Meaning of A Gecko Tattoo?
- Is a Gecko A Bad Omen?
- Myths & Superstitions Involving Geckos
What Does A Gecko Symbolize?
While you may get startled at the sight of a gecko in your home and try to get rid of it, most cultures consider a gecko to be a symbol of good luck.
In South America, seeing a gecko in your home or even a hotel room is a sign of good fortune.
American Indians in Arizona also regarded geckos as bringers of good luck and Polynesians like Hawaiians considered them to be spiritual guardians and even saw them as sacred animals.
Part of the reason geckos are seen in such a positive light is their harmlessness. There are myths that geckos carry harmful pathogens and can poison food and toothbrushes.
That’s not true. If anything, geckos help keep homes free of dangerous insects like mosquitoes. So even scientifically, having a gecko in your home is a good thing.
If you see a gecko in your home, let it be. It just might bring good luck.
Geckos and Adaptability
Geckos are highly adaptable. They are native to Southeast Asia but have spread in many parts of the world including the Americas, Africa, Middle East and other parts of Asia.
They’ve especially adapted to living in urban areas. They can also survive in deserts, forests, savannas and rocky areas.
This ability to adapt and survive in different environments is often seen as a symbol for resilience and change. We should aim to be as adaptable as the gecko, able to change to various circumstances and showing resilience even in the face of challenges.
Geckos not only adapt to different environments, they thrive wherever they go.
Growth & Regeneration
One of the most fascinating adaptations of geckos is their ability to regenerate a new tail.
When a gecko is caught by a predator, be it a house cat or a snake, it’ll drop off its tail and easily get away. Within 30 days, it will have a brand new tail.
Notably, the tail is part of the reptile’s spinal cord. So the gecko is growing a new spinal cord.
This ability is a symbol of regeneration and growth in our own lives.
If you lose something important, it doesn’t mean that you stop growing whether it’s in your career, character, or wealth.
You may not get back exactly what you lost, but you could get something better.
If you borrow from the adaptability and resilience of the gecko, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you can recover from losses.
It’s a reminder not to give up when misfortune strikes, whether it’s a job loss, a heart break, or losing money.
Somehow, you’ll find a way to get up again and regenerate.
Solitary and Gentle
If you spend most of your time alone with your thoughts, a gecko is probably a good choice for a spirit animal.
Geckos exudes a certain quiet intelligence. It often hides in crevices and you’ll only notice its presence when it climbs up the wall or produces a chirping sound.
Because geckos are harmless to humans, they also symbolize gentleness and peace with those around you.
Geckos As Messengers
Some cultures believe geckos are spiritual messengers sent to us to deliver specific messages.
If you repeatedly see a gecko in your house or keep seeing geckos everywhere you go, it’s worth thinking what message they may be bringing.
Often, some quiet time looking at your life will make it clear what you need to do.
Geckos mostly bring messages of hope, light and positivity. They can also be a sign that you need to be more resilient, improve your growth in a certain area of life, or become better at adapting.
What’s The Meaning of A Gecko Tattoo?
Over time, people have found many ways of carrying the good luck associated with geckos around with them.
These include gecko totems, jewelry, pictures and even tattoos.
A gecko tattoo not only looks cool, it can carry a lot of symbolism. It can represent good fortune (and a protection against bad luck), resilience, ability to change, and intelligence.
You can also get a gecko tattoo to symbolize your quiet and gentle personality.
Is a Gecko A Bad Omen?
Not everyone sees geckos in the same positive light as most cultures.
In some parts of the world, geckos are associated with death and seeing one in your house is a bad omen.
Other cultures consider geckos to be unclean and you shouldn’t touch one. Even the bible casts geckos and lizards as unclean animals in Leviticus 11:29-30.
And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.
In many cultures that dislike the sight of geckos, it’s usually because of misconceptions. They wrongly believe that geckos cause skin diseases or leprosy.
But, as science has proven, geckos do not cause any diseases and are completely harmless to humans.
Myths & Superstitions Involving Geckos
Here are some fun myths and superstitions from around the world involving geckos.
- In Thailand and Sri Lanka, if you hear the chirping of a gecko before you leave home, it’s a sign that something bad will happen to you. So you should stay home.
- In the Philippines, the chirping of a gecko means a visitor or letter is about to arrive.
- In some Indian cultures, the sound of a gecko is a sign that whatever some had just said is true. That’s because in some Indian languages, the chirping is similar to the words ‘correct, correct, correct’.
- In parts of the world, a gecko falling on you can be a good or bad omen. In others, it’s a good omen if it falls on your right shoulder and a bad omen if it falls on your left shoulder.
- If a gecko or lizard crosses your path, that’s a sign of good luck.
- While some cultures are afraid of geckos and kill them on sight, others believe harming a gecko brings bad luck to your life.
It’s common to see a gecko scampering up the walls of your home or darting across the ceiling. These small reptiles are harmless to humans and have lived alongside us for thousands of years.
Across many cultures, geckos are seen as a sign of good luck. Other people see it as a symbol of peace, gentleness and positivity.
Is Seeing A Gecko Good Luck?
While you may get startled at the sight of a gecko in your home and try to get rid of it, most cultures consider a gecko to be a symbol of good luck.
In South America, seeing a gecko in your home or even a hotel room is a sign of good fortune.
American Indians in Arizona also regarded geckos as bringers of good luck and Polynesians like Hawaiians considered them to be spiritual guardians and even saw them as sacred animals.
Part of the reason geckos are seen in such a positive light is their harmlessness. There are myths that geckos carry harmful pathogens and can poison food and toothbrushes.
That’s not true. If anything, geckos help keep homes free of dangerous insects like mosquitoes. So even scientifically, having a gecko in your home is a good thing.
If you see a gecko in your home, let it be. It just might bring good luck.
Geckos and Adaptability
Geckos are highly adaptable. They are native to Southeast Asia but have spread in many parts of the world including the Americas, Africa, Middle East and other parts of Asia.
They’ve especially adapted to living in urban areas. They can also survive in deserts, forests, savannas and rocky areas.
This ability to adapt and survive in different environments is often seen as a symbol for resilience and change. We should aim to be as adaptable as the gecko, able to change to various circumstances and showing resilience even in the face of challenges.
Geckos not only adapt to different environments, they thrive wherever they go.
Growth & Regeneration
One of the most fascinating adaptations of geckos is their ability to regenerate a new tail.
When a gecko is caught by a predator, be it a house cat or a snake, it’ll drop off its tail and easily get away. Within 30 days, it will have a brand new tail.
Notably, the tail is part of the reptile’s spinal cord. So the gecko is growing a new spinal cord.
This ability is a symbol of regeneration and growth in our own lives.
If you lose something important, it doesn’t mean that you stop growing whether it’s in your career, character, or wealth.
You may not get back exactly what you lost, but you could get something better.
If you borrow from the adaptability and resilience of the gecko, you’ll surprise yourself with how much you can recover from losses.
It’s a reminder not to give up when misfortune strikes, whether it’s a job loss, a heart break, or losing money.
Somehow, you’ll find a way to get up again and regenerate.
Solitary and Gentle
If you spend most of your time alone with your thoughts, a gecko is probably a good choice for a spirit animal.
Geckos exudes a certain quiet intelligence. It often hides in crevices and you’ll only notice its presence when it climbs up the wall or produces a chirping sound.
Because geckos are harmless to humans, they also symbolize gentleness and peace with those around you.
Geckos As Messengers
Some cultures believe geckos are spiritual messengers sent to us to deliver specific messages.
If you repeatedly see a gecko in your house or keep seeing geckos everywhere you go, it’s worth thinking what message they may be bringing.
Often, some quiet time looking at your life will make it clear what you need to do.
Geckos mostly bring messages of hope, light and positivity. They can also be a sign that you need to be more resilient, improve your growth in a certain area of life, or become better at adapting.
What’s The Meaning of A Gecko Tattoo?
Over time, people have found many ways of carrying the good luck associated with geckos around with them.
These include gecko totems, jewelry, pictures and even tattoos.
A gecko tattoo not only looks cool, it can carry a lot of symbolism. It can represent good fortune (and a protection against bad luck), resilience, ability to change, and intelligence.
You can also get a gecko tattoo to symbolize your quiet and gentle personality.
Is a Gecko A Bad Omen?
Not everyone sees geckos in the same positive light as most cultures.
In some parts of the world, geckos are associated with death and seeing one in your house is a bad omen.
Other cultures consider geckos to be unclean and you shouldn’t touch one. Even the bible casts geckos and lizards as unclean animals in Leviticus 11:29-30.
And these are unclean to you among the swarming things that swarm on the ground: the mole rat, the mouse, the great lizard of any kind, the gecko, the monitor lizard, the lizard, the sand lizard, and the chameleon.
In many cultures that dislike the sight of geckos, it’s usually because of misconceptions. They wrongly believe that geckos cause skin diseases or leprosy.
But, as science has proven, geckos do not cause any diseases and are completely harmless to humans.
Myths & Superstitions Involving Geckos
Here are some fun myths and superstitions from around the world involving geckos.
- In Thailand and Sri Lanka, if you hear the chirping of a gecko before you leave home, it’s a sign that something bad will happen to you. So you should stay home.
- In the Philippines, the chirping of a gecko means a visitor or letter is about to arrive.
- In some Indian cultures, the sound of a gecko is a sign that whatever some had just said is true. That’s because in some Indian languages, the chirping is similar to the words ‘correct, correct, correct’.
- In parts of the world, a gecko falling on you can be a good or bad omen. In others, it’s a good omen if it falls on your right shoulder and a bad omen if it falls on your left shoulder.
- If a gecko or lizard crosses your path, that’s a sign of good luck.
- While some cultures are afraid of geckos and kill them on sight, others believe harming a gecko brings bad luck to your life.
So did you like our explanations? If so, please leave a comment in the section below. And if you want to explore more of the spiritual world of symbolism, you can read my recent post on black gloves and their meaning.