There is a beautiful invocation to open Sacred Space that I learned when studying shamanic teachings of the Q’ero people, who live in Andes Mountains of Peru. One of the lines asks Great Serpent to “... show us the way to shed our past the way you shed your skin.”
Feels powerful, doesn’t it? Amongst many positive attributes, Snakes have been considered a messenger of rebirth and renewal in cultures around the world for thousands of years.
Let's explore Serpent and Snake symbolism a bit
1) Snakes shed between 4 and 12 times a year. I can’t help but think about the significance of these numbers.. The 4 powerful transitions that are the Solstices & Equinoxes, and the 12 full moons we have most years, the 4 directions, 4 winds, etc.
2) Snakes shed their skin to accommodate their growth, and sloughing off their old skin also removes harmful parasites.
Like Snake, when we do our healing work, we are shedding old thoughts, beliefs, patterns and energy that could, if left unattended, lead to physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual ailments.
3) "Just prior to shedding, the snake’s skin begins to turn bluish, and its eyes become opaque, hindering vision." - Iowa DNR.
The loss of sight reminds me of those times where we can feel lost or unclear in life, and find ourself seeking deeper levels of healing and/or spiritual support.
4) "Within a few days, the snake will rub its head on something abrasive—like a rock—to tear open the outer layer. It then works on the tear, crawling through tight quarters and sliding out of the skin. This can take anywhere from days to a couple weeks, depending on size, body condition and environment.” - Iowa DNR.
The process of tearing the old skin then moving across abrasive surfaces to shed it strikes me as feeling both uncomfortable, yet a relief. I don't know about you, but that definitely rings true for me when I think about my periods of growth and healing.
The time it takes to fully slough off the old skin depends on the size, body condition and environment, just as our "bigger issues" can take longer to heal, and can require multiple "passes" over the course of time.
So…How Do We Shed Our Past?
Shamanically speaking, we can shed our past in many ways. One-on-one ceremonies like soul retrieval, energy removal/clearing/cleansing, curse unraveling, compassionate depossession, destiny retrieval, and so on, are great for this.
Personal and group ceremonies and rituals are also wonderful. There is something very potent about healing in groups through ceremony that spiritual and religious healers and teachers around the world have known for thousands of years.
Integration is Key
Deep healing occurs on the mental, emotional, spiritual AND physical levels. This is why completing the “integration work” you receive when working with me, whether it’s in a one-on-one or group setting, is so important.
Your integration work comes from your helping spirits, and it helps catch your body and brain up to speed with the energetic, emotional and spiritual shifts taking place. This allows your system to fully integrate the “upgrade” that comes with healing.
Often, clients feel the shift on the mental and spiritual levels first, but the brain and body may need to perform the 3 dimensional activities to fully integrate the changes.
So “integration work” is essentially the shamanic way of saying “rewiring your neuropathways”. This is neuroplasticity.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to the Q’ero people of the Andes Mountains in Peru for sharing your sacred teachings and practices with the world. Thank you for gifting us with your medicine and wisdom.
Have you ever felt a connection to Snake, or its process of transformation? Has Snake (or any other animals) shown up for you lately, or it in the past? If so, what do make of that? I'd love to hear your thoughts!