Snake Medicine
Love them or hate them, snakes invoke strong imagery. In cultures around the world, the snake has represented creativity, fertility, transformation, and health. However, ophidiophobia, or fear of snakes is one of the most common phobias in the world. This dichotomy can prove challenging when snake spirit shows up in our spiritual journey. Should we fear or welcome snakes’ medicine in our lives?
We see snake gods/spirits pop up in mythologies and spiritualities around the world.
Jormugandr – Norse – A great serpent so giant that he can wrap around the world and contain the waters.
Glykon – Greek – Ruled the earth before being overthrown by Cronus.
Wadjet – Egyptian – Presided over the growth of the earth, protector of mothers during childbirth, and wife to Hapy god of the Nile.
Quetzalcoatl – Mesoamerican – God of vegetation, earth and water, and the morning and evening star. .
Unktehila – Lakota – Water serpent connected to storms and who battles the Wakinyan the Thunderbird
Nu Gua – Chinese – Creator of humans, the restorer of order, and bringer of harmony.
Degei – Fiji – Gifted humans with important crops and then retired from the world of man to dwell in the earth and pass judgment on the souls of the dead.
Nagas – Hindu – A group of snake deities who reside in the underworld and represent transformation and the cycles of life and death.
Wagyl – Abiriginol – The rainbow serpent, creator of the earth, weather, rain, and fertility god.
The Serpent – Judaic/Christian – Trickster who tempts Eve. He is often associated with corruption and evil. However, the serpent is also the bringer of knowledge to humankind..
Though their stories differ, we see start to see a theme; earth, water, giving life, judging the dead, sharing knowledge with man, and aiding in our transformation.
In my own life, I have seen snake show up unexpectedly in significant moments of change. Most memorably, the snake showed up during an event marking a big step in my spiritual journey. On the summer solstice 2019, I graduated from my Master Reiki program. The graduation was marked with ceremony and rites of passage. Our instructor organized most of the rites of passage, but spirit orchestrated the most potent rite. In the beautiful national forest surrounding Mt. Rainer national park, my co-priestess and I were walking along the road between our campsite and community camp. Halfway between the two campsites, we came across an injured snake in the middle of the road.
At first, we thought it was dead, and I went to pick it up to move it out of the roadway. As I touched its tail, it moved, a little wiggle, a small breath. I could see blood dripping from its head and could feel that it was dying. Carefully I carried the dying snake to the side of the road and laid it in the moss. My friend and I began performing reiki on the snake. We were under no illusion of magically healing this little creature but hoped to ease its passing. As energy passed through me from spirit to snake, I felt my hands begin to radiate heat. In pulsating waves, they became hotter and hotter until it felt like I was holding sun-baked stones. A bubble of peace and love surrounded us, and as the snake took its last little breath, my hands went cold. My friend and I buried the snake with leaves and moss. Said prayers over the small burial mound and continued on our way to the community camp feeling transformed.
A dying snake is a far cry from the gods of old and perhaps looking at the snake as a spirit guide is more appropriate. According to whatismyspiritanimal.com, snake spirit appears to help us cast away emotional, physical, and spiritual illusions, unhealthy beliefs, and unreasonable expectations. As well as help us to stay grounded through our transformations. It seems snake as a spirit animal holds the same message as snake spirit gods just in a smaller package.
While for many of us snake comes into our lives externally there are a few who carry snake with them. Those born under the snake in the Chinese zodiac are a perfect example of one who carries the snake spirit within. Chinesenewyear.net describes those born under the sign of the snake as humorous, sophisticated, alert, and observant. They are great at holding their ground, calmly and quickly thinking of solutions, making new plans, and navigating opportunities for growth. If you are born under the sign of the snake or live with someone who is, you will find yourself regularly facing opportunities for growth and transformation.
Whether god, spirit animal, or zodiac sign Snake has some powerful medicine. Foretelling, initiating, and at times, even guiding the life-altering changes that mark our journeys. Perhaps, whether or not we should welcome or fear snakes medicine depends on how we feel about change.
