Spring: a time of transformation.

Here Comes the Sun

“And here is the serpent again,

dragging himself out from his nest of darkness,

his cave under the black rocks,

his winter-death.

He slides over pine needles.

He loops around the bunches of rising grass,

looking for the sun.”

                                                Mary Oliver

                                                “Snake”

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made.”

                                                Genesis 3:1 (New Oxford Bible)

            I have a confession to make.  I’ve always had a soft spot for snakes.  I remember finding one on a dirt road when we were living in the country; a beautiful black snake, perhaps four feet long, that had gotten itself stuck half-way down a chipmunk hole.  It had swallowed the chipmunk and then was too fat to squeeze back out.  I pulled it out of the hole and sent it on its way embarrassed but happy, I think.

            The Genesis story is a confusing one for me because God dealt unfairly with the snake.  After all, God created the snake---made it crafty---and even put it in the garden.  What did God expect a sly snake to do there but make mischief?  God punished the snake for being true to its nature.  One can only surmise that the snake’s purpose was to awaken Adam and Eve to a new consciousness.  That’s my interpretation, anyway!

The story of the snake was no doubt included in the Bible because snake is a potent symbol in all cultures, from Greek to Asian to Native American.  It symbolizes many things including rebirth, fertility, eternity, patience, healing and transformation.  Snake is the Celtic symbol for intuition, and diplomatic and eloquent speech.  The fact that snakes shed their skins and emerge sleeker, newer creatures makes them, like the butterfly, a symbol of rebirth. 

You may be wondering what snakes have to do with spirituality.  I’m sure you’d rather contemplate butterflies, but I’m an equal opportunity type person.  Snakes are a legitimate symbol of renewal and this turning of the year from winter into spring is our most intoxicating time of transformation.  The earth beneath our very feet is waking up from the long sleep, and bursting forth in song and bloom.  We are emerging from our winter skins and heading for the sun.  We are trying out our slither and our slide and feeling crafty and diplomatic.  Next time you see a snake, don’t kill it—bless it and send it on its way. 

                                    In the spirit,

                                    Jane