Snake

Spirit Animal Meaning Symbolism& Totem

Contents

Snake Spirit Symbols

Introspection, Insight, Mysteries, Wisdom, Truth, Change, Transformation, Creative Power, Creation, Rebirth, Resurrection, Elusiveness, Healing, Transmutation, Fertility, Desire, Decisiveness, Patience, Meditation, Regeneration, Venom, Vigor

Snake Message/Meaning/Medicine

The Snake Spirit has a deep and rich past and carries with it many meanings and symbols. If this totem has slithered into your life you can be sure that change is coming.

Meditation, Introspection :

Do you feel disconnected, spaced out, or unmotivated? Is your mind constantly racing and you can’t seem to shut it off or get rest without worrying? Snake power animals are often seen basking in the sun, lying motionless on the ground or upon rocks. If the Snake spirit totem has slithered into your life, slow down and pay attention to its important meaning. Spend time reflecting on who you are, and where you are headed. Sit in silence for a few minutes a day, or even more if you can, and just quiet your mind. Snakes do not generate their own heat, and like them, we can find strength and motivation in environmental energy. Like the snake spirit, connect with the warmth of the earth and the sun; find balance in both the energies above and below. Once you are grounded, you can better channel the energies that surround you into positive growth and action. Snake guides are intensely earthbound and can detect tiny tremors in the ground, open yourself to the subtle vibrations around you and tune out the racing chatter of your mind. Once you accomplish this, you’ll feel in tune with your surroundings, and your inner being/desires.

Change, Transformation:

Have you become sluggish, or lazy? Do you have a picture in your mind of who you want to be, but are constantly missing the mark? When snakes are close to molting, or shedding their skins, their eyes take on a pale translucence and the animal becomes sluggish and lazy. People, like snake totems, often go through several cycles in their lifetimes. If you’re feeling stagnant and the snake spirit animal has appeared, it is time to cast of the old and start anew. Don’t waste any time being hard on yourself, or thinking that you’re stuck in a rut. You’re not stuck, you’re just in a phase. Snakes shed their skin for a few different reasons, to ride their bodies of mites and parasites, and because they have outgrown their previous skin. Be like a snake spirit and shed old habits, and undesirable behaviors. This is not a particularly quick process, and a snake must often rub itself against rocks and other rough surfaces to escape the confines of its old and smaller self. Consider the smaller self, you cannot grow unless you cast off the old, you will need to leave a part of yourself behind if you really want to change. You may find some rocks or obstacles on your path to growth… but instead, consider them to be tools or resources that will help shed that extra weight you’ve been carrying on your shoulders. Once you succeed, you’ll feel refreshed and invigorated, the cloudiness that obscured your vision will clear and you’ll be able to see yourself, and the world through new eyes.

Decisive, Patience:

Are you striking out at those around you, or missing the mark at work or school? Are you grasping at too many opportunities at once, or watching one slip through your hands? You may not immediately think of snakes as patient, but they position themselves in trees, on paths, and other areas trafficked by their prey and sit still, motionless, patiently waiting for prey to stray too close. They easily identify the key moment to strike and seize upon that moment with a surety and quickness that is both stunning and surprising. Snakes often retreat long before biting defensively. Don’t snap at those around you, you may be delivering a venom without evening knowing it… this can cause unforeseen consequences and damage to those that you lash out at and deplete you of vital healing energy. Instead, be patient, plan accordingly, wait for the right moment, and then move quickly. Seize the opportunity tightly in your grasp and give it your full attention, don’t divide yourself, as your time is best spent on one thing at a time. This applies both to social interactions, your work, and opportunities. Position yourself carefully, but trust your gut when making those snap decisions.

The Good

The snake guide is a totem of intense duality, it represents many conflicting symbols and carries contradictory meanings… take for example the following messages: life/death, healing/poison, death/rebirth. The Snake spirit’s conflicting nature means that most of this totem’s attributes can be both a blessing and a curse. We’ll visit both.

Snake people are often very charming in social situations, and very good at holding people’s attention, there is something mysterious about their gaze, their intensity, and their ability to sense what other’s are thinking or feeling. Tied in with this charm is a confidence and assuredness that many people find alluring. Snake people can slither in and out of conversation with ease and grace, and are often flexible and open minded.

Their intuitive and wise nature means snake totem people can give great advice. If you are a snake person, don’t give advice unless you are asked specifically, otherwise your words may cause unintended harm. Also, don’t be surprised if people don’t like to hear what you have to say, to avoid such consequences only reveal the bare minimum to get your point across. If you’re asking a snake person for advice be prepared for the harsh truth, or to get a somewhat mysterious answer. Snake spirits can see subtle interactions and sense the movements of social interactions and relationships; they often know who gets along with whom, or what others are really thinking. The snake’s advice may seem poisonous, and may cause you great pain, but understand the truth, even if difficult, brings great healing.

People with this totem are often very smart, while not necessarily highly educated, snake totem people are deep thinkers. They can consume vast quantities of information and knowledge and slowly learn, absorb, and extract what is most meaningful. This also means that the snake spirit animal can often find hidden knowledge buried deep within a subject because of their slow meticulous and intuitive understanding.

Snake people are often successful or live “charmed” lives. Snakes can sense vibrations in the ground, and can taste or smell very faint chemical signals with their sensitive tongues. This puts people with this spirit guide a step ahead; they can easily distinguish friend from foe, choose good partners, follow trails, and identify easy targets and opportunities. These totems are “in tune”, innovative, and are plugged into the buzz. In business and life, people with this power animal can detect the subtle movements of the market, or trends, and with their propensity to grow and change, can reinvent themselves to succeed in new environments and against new challenges. Lastly, don’t piss a snake person off. Like many totems who are venomous, be wary of starting trouble with this animal. If people with this spirit guide feel threatened, they can suddenly, and without warning, strike out and deal a deadly blow. Snake spirit people’s intuitive understanding means they know just the right words to deal a deep psychological wound that can keep on haunting you long after you’ve parted.

The Not so Good:

Back to that duality, while snake totem people are usually eloquent or good speakers, they often “speak with a forked tongue”. This means that snake people may be hypocritical, or intentionally say one thing while meaning something else. While snakes are witty, they may be so in a critical or negative way and garner attention or humor from putting others down. They can also take pleasure from divisive language, or “poisoning” a conversation or situation. This is often referred to as “speaking with a forked tongue“. Their keen perception and sense for the true nature of things can lead snake totem people to be overconfident, arrogant, or dismissive. They don’t process new information or situations very quickly, it takes them time. This can be very problematic, we’ve all seen images of snakes coiled up and striking at a foe it can’t possibly defeat. Don’t rely on your venomous bite, because you may not be able to land that critical strike before being stomped under the hooves of your adversary. Snake people are often drawn to people who are energetic and creative, and bask in the warmth that these people generate. In relationships, snake people are sometimes possessive or overprotective, and tightly wrap around their significant other in a dependent and aggressive manner. This can lead to smothering and destructive behavior where the snake keeps their lover trapped or feeling stuck with manipulative put downs and the illusion of inferiority. Snake people need not get caught up taking warmth from others, but instead can find plenty from the sun and earth.

People with Snake Totem are…

  • Charming
  • Perceptive
  • Patient
  • Wise
  • Sensual
  • Sly
  • Confident
  • Decisive
  • Innovative

Snake’s Message

The snake power animal brings the message and symbol of regeneration and connectedness. The snake totem guides us to stay connected to the self through observation of both the tiny vibrations in the earth, and the warmth and smells of the air and sky. When we learn to connect with our surroundings we can continue on the path of growth, and discard the trappings of the past.

Lessons and Considerations from Snake:

Snake totem animals keep powerful medicine in their burrows. Knowing the snake Spirit and its ways will help you maintain balance and harmony in your life.

As humans we use a great deal of our energy just keeping ourselves warm, snakes are ectothermic (they don’t generate their own heat) so they burn no calories staying warm. This is why snakes can go weeks without eating, and why they bask on sun touched earth and stone. The message here is to take things slow and fully digest knowledge and experiences. Don’t rush around in day to day life, and don’t be hasty in your decision making, be patient, meditative, and deliberate.

Snakes shed their skins when they’ve outgrown their old selves, and also to rid their bodies of nasty parasites. This symbolizes the ability to cast off the past and change the future. Just like the snake totem guide, we can also leave behind our limitations and look at the world through new eyes. This moving away from bad thinking and habits symbolizes death and rebirth.

Snakes have fused eyelids, clear protective sheaths that they always see through. They are ever-seeing, and cannot blink. This represents the snake spirit’s pursuit of knowledge, the all knowing gaze, and their ability to see the spirit realm. Use this sense to assist others on their spiritual journeys and to see through the illusions we create for ourselves.

A snake’s sense of vibration through tiny ear bones, their ability to smell/taste subtle messages, and their dependence on the sun for warmth makes them extremely balanced creatures of nature. Look at the entirety of your surroundings and take knowledge and understanding from all things. Cultivate awareness of the silent or hidden messages, and remember that dangerous situations always send tiny vibrations before they arrive.

Snake in Dreams

The Snake spirit totem appears in our dreams to herald change, inspire growth, and as a warning from the subconscious. Pay attention to how the snake guide appears because it symbolizes many different meanings.

The most common symbolism of the snake totem appearing in your dream is to symbolize the coming of positive change, and self renewal.

If a snake bites you in your dream it symbolizes inner fears, that you are getting close to a dangerous situation and need to back off. Lastly, it may be that a situation or realization that you’ve been avoiding is going to come your way whether you want it to not.The most common symbolism of the snake totem appearing in your dream is to symbolize the coming of positive change, and self renewal.

When a snake constricts you in your dreams it symbolizes a smothering relationship, the pressures of your job or personal life, or it may be a forceful message for you to stop and receive a message of knowledge from this totem.

Snakes that quickly slither away carry with them the meaning that some knowledge is evading you, that you are repressing fears or sexuality, or that you are running away from change.

If you are afraid of the snake, then it symbolizes your fear of change. It may also mean that you are disconnected from yourself, and the spirit realm and that you should ground yourself with meditation and introspection.Snakes that quickly slither away carry with them the meaning that some knowledge is evading you, that you are repressing fears or sexuality, or that you are running away from change.

If there are many snakes, or they surround you, this symbolizes that you are afraid of social pressures or situations, that you may be suspicious of the motivations of those around you, and that you fear people are manipulative.

Snake Cultural Symbolism

European alchemists often attributed the snake with deep understanding and knowledge of mysteries, the transformative nature of the snake also led alchemists to believe that these spirits knew the mystical secrets of the philosopher’s stone.

The snake has many symbolic meanings among various cultures across the world.

In the Middle East, snake is seen as Mother Earth and immortality.

To Christians, the snake is portrayed as evil, lust and temptation.

In Asia, the snake is the life force awakened. The snake is one of the Chinese astrological symbols. Those born under the snake sign lead charmed lives, usually gain or inherit wealth and are seductive and attractive to others. They may be insecure or possessive but they know how to get things done.

To American Indians the snake is a friend who shares its secrets of the water element.

Altogether, the tremendous symbolism placed on the snake makes it a powerful and worthy spirit guide.

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