I've been bombarded with animal imagery lately, specifically snakes. When I house-sat for Kathy and Craig last month, I had to look after Sequoia's corn snake. I actually walked into the room as it was shedding it's skin. As much as snakes creep me out, it was a cool thing to witness.
Then a couple weeks later, while gathering stones along Lake Michigan, a garter snake slithered out of the brush, we acknowledged each other, and then it disappeared.
As I was thinking about these snakes, it occurred to me that my latest knitting project, a scarf out the book Twinkle's Town and Country Knits, is called, "The Serpentine Scarf."
So I've been busy gathering as much info on animal symbolism as I can. In general, snakes symbolize entering a new phase in life, "shedding one's old skin." Garter snakes in particular encourage us to give birth to lots of new ideas and to see them through, as garter snakes give live birth to lots of little baby snakes. And the corn snake, a climbing snake, urges us to reach to the top of our potential, to set our sights a little higher.
That is a lot of insight from a snake.What I also have learned from snakes,reptiles and rodents is the moment you get past the fear and a retreat style of thought you can learn so much,apply the knowledge,think at a different angle and gain a new respect of something once feared.
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