Snakes and the necessity of continual growth

Today we talked about how much we can learn from the life of a snake. The readings explain well what we talked about, but basically we discussed how rare it can be today for humans to put forth the effort to thoroughly grow. The process of shedding aspects of ourselves that no longer serve us can be long and painful, but if we put in the work of self-examination the rebirth is so worth it.

Here is an excerpt from the book The Crossroads of Should and Must by Ella Luna

"The snake is the ancient sacred symbol for transformation. In order to grow, it must shed its skin. The process is painful, dangerous, and necessary for growth. The snake's insides are literally outgrowing its outsides, and it must remove its restrictive, outermost layer.

The snake rubs and scratches, feeling that something's not quite right. During the process, its coloring sometimes shifts to an indigo blue huge. If for some reason the snake cannot shed its skin, over time it will become malnourished, possibly even blind, and it will die from its inability to grow.

But when it successfully completes the process, the snake emerges stronger and healthier-- a new incarnation.

This shape-shifting life cycle represents rebirth and renewal, the enigmatic power of life to thwart death. It is a metaphor for the experience that you, as an extraordinary human being capable of miraculous growth and transformation, have the opportunity to experience in your own life."

Above is the ancient symbol called the 'ouroboros.' It represents the never-ending cycle of death, shedding, healing and rebirth. The shedding of our past and parts of ourselves that no longer serve us is necessary to complete over and over again throughout our life. It never ends. We are continually given opportunities to look at ourselves and decide what to let go of and it is our decision if we want to accept the process of growth. No matter how painful it may be, we always come out stronger in the end.

"The best indicator of your level of consciousness is how you deal with life’s challenges when they come. Through those challenges, an already unconscious person tends to become more deeply unconscious, and a conscious person more intensely conscious. You can use a challenge to awaken you, or you can allow it to pull you into even deeper sleep."

-Eckhart Tolle

“Out of the most effective destruction sounds a living praise like a hymn to the new creation which follows the destruction”

-Kandinsky

Prayer:

Grant that I may be given appropriate difficulties

and sufferings on this journey so that my heart

be truly awakened and my practice of liberation

and universal compassion may truly be filled.

~ Tibetan Prayer

Snakes are very dear to me and one of my favorite metaphors. They represent ultimate duality and the idea that what can kill you can also save you and bring you the highest level of healing. Actually, science is starting to prove this too! Scientists are starting to discover that venom that usually poisons us can also be used medicinally for healing.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/venom-medicine-how-spiders-scorpions-snakes-and-sea-creatures-can-heal-328736

so cool.

^^^so inspired.

Here's more pictures of them... They come in so many different colors and patterns it just blows my mind. I could post 1000 pictures on here and still not even touch on how many varieties and beautiful designs of snakes exist out there. I just love them so much.