Entering The Year Of The Snake
Today is the Chinese New Year. We are leaving the year of the wood dragon, entering the year of the wood snake today. While I'm not terribly well versed in the Chinese zodiac, I find it interesting, especially this year as I was born in a snake year, I love snakes, and I am actively shedding skins that no longer serve me.
The metaphor of the snake is pretty straightforward - in order to grow, it must shed it's skin. Some reptiles, after shedding their skin, require time in seclusion and protection as their new skin toughens up enough to deal with the world. This can be a very fitting metaphor for our own growth as well.
One of the things I love about the snake is that it is misunderstood. People think all snakes are scary and dangerous, but most are completely harmless. There are thousands of snakes all over the world, and only 10-15% are venomous. Or people think snakes represent devilish and demonic energies. I strenuously disagree with the characterization of evil that has been placed on the snake by organized religion. You may refer to my previous blogpost regarding the snake as a symbol of this earthly realm, its wave-like motions representing the back and forth nature of duality. Knowledge of duality is what the myth of the snake offered, allowing humanity to "fall" from the perfection of infinite spirit, into the world of death. The story of Adam and Eve has many layers of meaning, only one of which is represented in the Bible. Myths are meant to be multilayered, for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. But I digress . . .
Why do I love the snake because it is misunderstood?
Probably because I think I'm often misunderstood. Part of that is my doing, having adorned myself in costumes built of outside expectations and assumptions. And part of that is the nature of being human, having rich internal worlds that no one else can see or feel. I often recognize that other people's reactions to me, in words or behavior, show that they see me very differently than I see myself. I hope that as I shed these skins, some of which I've been wearing for decades and truly do not fit anymore, the me that I see will be more visible to others.
I also love the snake for its sheer beauty, and I'm fascinated by its existence. Snake skin is stunning in its geometrical patterning, beautiful colors that help it either blend in or stand out, and how soft and smooth it is. If you've never held a snake and let it wrap itself around your arm, you are missing out. Far from expectations of rough scaly skin, they are sleek and polished. Their soft bellies hug the earth and the trees - how wonderful that must feel. Imagine not having any limbs, moving through the world like water in animal form!
The act of shedding skin is a reminder of the cyclical nature of life - parts of us die so that new parts can be born. Life, death, rebirth. I often describe my energy work as peeling an infinite onion - as awareness is ready to awaken, a new layer is unpeeled. I could just as easily liken it to shedding skin, letting go of what no longer fits, emerging as a being who is still wholly you, but new in all the right places. As those layers shed, being conscious of taking the time to nurture the newly exposed skin, reveling in the breathtaking beauty of each awakening. We might embody the wisdom of the snake, pressing our bodies to the earth and the trees, connecting fully to the everyday magic in nature.
The Year of the Wood Snake is slated to be a year of opportunity, renewal, and potential. How will this show up in your life?
