Attention to Omens: The Snake
“I’ve kicked the habit…
Shed my skin”
Peter Gabriel
“Sledgehammer”
I came home last night after looking at a new house and meeting some potential roommates, and what did I find in my studio? A snake! A tiny garter, pencil thin.
For some reason, I knew instantly this was a sign.
This had never happened before. It was fascinating. I was hypnotized by its sinuous, serpentine motion as it snaked across the floor.
If this was an omen, what did it mean? Was I about to be tempted? I spent some time last night and this morning studying the significance of the serpent as a symbol or archetype. Apparently, it meant a lot of different things to different people through the ages, but there were two that spoke to me the most. Well, a third possibility is the return of my ex-girlfriend Natalie, a dark, dangerous beauty who’s spirit animal was definitely the serpent.
But that’s another story… . So, two meanings, from this symbol:
One, I had just the day before been reading about awakening Kundalini at KL Masina’s be Conscious now weblog, so I was fascinated to find out this morning that the snake is associated with the stirring of Kundalini energy. Definitely relevant. And not surprising then, that it showed up, as this is how life tends to unfold.
Two, I had just been looking at a house and potential roommates. So that brings us to another association with the snake. Change. The snake sheds its skin. It changes.
I’ve been changing too… quite a lot in the past year, culminating in the past few months, in which change has accelerated.
I eventually brought Snake outside and set him free in the beautiful, wild Berkshires, but I regard this as an auspicious omen. A good sign.
4. July, 2007 at 22:06
I loved how your snake “snaked” across the floor… because snaking it what snakes do…
But seriously, I have only seen one of two snakes on my life, and there is something so slithery and crawly and free about them…
Loved the photo of the ex too - she looks like she might have been a python, one of the smaller ones. Absolutely gorgeous.
I did some research on the symbology of snakes when I was writing an article on the Garden of Eden. I found it fascinating that the snake was represented in the Bible as a tempter… but in yogic, hindu or vedic thought… the snake represents Kundalini, one of the forms of the mother goddess Kali.
The snake is about leaving the earthly plane and seeing clearly through the illusion…
But why a snake? Why not some other creature? What is it about a SNAKE?
Here’s a quote from my article:
“The choice of the serpent as the temptation is not accidental. The myth would not be the same if a cat, or a cow had suggested to Eve that she eat of the fruit.
The snake is one of the most symbolic of all animals, and it is found spread across a myriad of cultures and societies.
It is not even uncommon to find myths and stories combining the serpent with the tree - as well as the story of Adam and Eve, a serpent and a tree features in Greek mythology, the story of Buddha and Mayan mythology, plus many others.
It is a universal symbol of connection with the divine, of knowledge, of transformation and rebirth.”
So much meaning, such a small, thin, garter snake!
Many blessings,
K-L
5. July, 2007 at 00:05
Wow, KL. Thanks so much for bringing us deeper into this idea of the snake as archetype and symbol. I love the quote from your article. This response is a part of my post now.
5. July, 2007 at 00:16
Hey,
My pleasure!