Snake Teaching

I’m sure many of you are wondering what the snake could teach – what this creature could possibly show you.

Let me tell an anecdote of the beginning of my experience with snakes.

When I was a girl, I succumbed to the myths around garter snakes: their tongues would sting you, they felt slimy to the touch, and their bite was poisonous and could kill you. Most people were terrified of snakes and upon hearing these myths, I learned to feel the same.

Then one day I had an opportunity to find out these myths were just that – untruths – and I grew to love snakes. I wanted to learn as much as I could about snakes and read everything I could get my hands on. I relished the fact I had learned these creatures were very misunderstood.

I would go out and catch garter snakes, keep them for a while to observe, and would later let them go. The one thing I was fascinated by was the molting process. I had read about it and then was able to witness it for myself, up close. It was fascinating.

The molting process

One of the first things I would notice before the snake’s molting was that the eyes began to look cloudy. At the same time, I noticed the snake’s color and markings looked dull and misty. During this time the snake’s vision was even more compromised than its already poor eyesight. Perhaps the snake needed to rely more on other senses at this time such as the sense of smell.

When the snake outgrows the skin and needs to shed to accommodate the snake’s growth, the snake might feel uncomfortable and knows the old skin needs to go. She rubs her nose on a rock or rough surface to begin to tear at the old skin as she begins the molting process. The skin is then shed all in one piece like removing a sock.

Once the skin is shed, the snake does not mourn the old skin or look back on it. She moves on, leaving the old skin behind. The snake’s new skin is a little sensitive and delicate right after the molt. The new skin is now bright and clear, sharp in its colors and markings. The snake also now has clearer eyesight.

So then, how can we apply this teaching in a personal and spiritual way?

Out with the old

I find that as I grow and evolve, I must let go of the old self, and perhaps an old pattern. And what happens before I go through such a change? I may be in the dark with clouded vision. When I am about to go through a time of growth and change, this can be a period of being unclear. I am moving out of the familiar and into a new place of the unknown. This is a time when I may need to sharpen other senses, like my intuition. Like going through the dark, I need to stop and allow this change to happen, as I am growing and evolving. This can be a time of vulnerability, so I need to rely more on something greater than myself. I cannot rush the process as it takes as long as it needs and I must trust in that process.

In with the new

The time comes to let go of the old and leave behind an old pattern. I must remember to not look back at the old self as it is an old way of being that no longer serves. Now my vision is clearer and I can see ahead in a fresh way. A bright new Self has emerged.

When we go through this process and move into a new way of being, others might want to pull us back into who we once were. We may be sensitive to comments, judgements, and criticisms and need to use our clearer vision and new growth to withstand this and move on. We cannot crawl back into the old skin no matter how much we might want to. This could be a bit like mourning because we might not have fully accepted the loss of the old and may find it difficult to move into the new and unknown.

Leave the comfort zone behind

I sometimes find this molting and new growth can become a period of depression. My mind might be holding me back while my spirit needs to move on. This can be a great conflict. I can get so attached to a comfort zone that the thought of moving out of it can be unnerving and frightening.

Let the snake teach you

I believe the snake offers a good teaching despite being feared and detested by so many people. We can learn a lot from the snake if we can transcend what is regarded as repulsive and frightening.

Indigenous cultures hold the snake in high regard as the protector of medicines.

Beware of myths such as those of the snake. The snake has been misunderstood and has gotten a lot of bad press. If our minds are open to this creature of nature, we can gain much as with other marvels of what nature has to teach us, no matter how any creature might look to us. What one finds frightening and repulsive, another may find beautiful and fascinating.

Can you refer to the snake teaching to reveal a bright new Self after going through a challenging time? How do you want to view it? The choice is yours.

Joyful journeying.