Making peace with the snakes

I am still a bit challenged by my encounter yesterday with the copperhead. Initially, I was able to bypass my incredulity at almost stumbling on it, doing what I imagine Dore of “Finding Nemo” to have advised; “just keep swimming.”

New Horizons perspectives
on relationships with snakes.

Well, I wasn’t swimming, anyway. I was walking so “Just keep walking, Anastasia” filled the bill. Besides I was also rubbing a huge and painful blister on my foot at the same time. I had that to consider, also, at the time.

I was pretty determined, however,  to complete my walk destination too; hot, humid day ahead, heart health, exercise commitments etc. etc. So I did just keep walking.

Then there was the notion that maybe it was a dead snake anyway. That brought some relief to my way of thinking though it didn’t take in much consideration for the snake.

Later, I told my friend, Gloria, about my encounter. She was all about getting me to see the meeting from the snake’s point of view which I was, totally, not into at the time. My next move being more in line with possible spiritual messages intended here. At the time I was still, calmly, in the mode that my meeting with the snake was not much of a deal.

Of course, there were a whole lot of other things going on in my life yesterday too. The snake being only one little piece, or so I thought.

But then this morning I felt somewhat compelled to check in with Sue on my snake meeting experience. I knew she would have a perspective; my dear spirit sister and collaborator, her full identification actually being that of “Quaker Sue,” veteran ninth grade school teacher, environmental educator, Quaker camp director, now living on her own mountain acreage etc.

“Sue,” said I. “You know I almost stepped on a copperhead yesterday. And I’m not quite sure what to make of that. (She had, by then, already read my blog story from yesterday.) Have you any idea how I should best “hold” that experience?”

(From my limited experience, Quakers are all about “holding”things, you see. And, Sue, both educator and mystic as she is, can always be counted on to help me “see” the bigger picture of things.)

“Additionally, said I, “I’m a bit uncomfortable about taking my next mountain road walk, not certain about what I should do the next time I meet a poisonous snake.”

“Do!! said Sue, sounding as though I had bitten her instead of a snake being the issue here.

“When I go out and about where snakes might be, I, first, open my heart and talk to the snakes. I tell them what I want, which is for us to lovingly and respectfully share our common space. And, then, I ask them to work with me on that. So I haven’t ever encountered a snake problem.”

Sue, as you can see, is always about consensus, even with a snake.

But, apparently, I still have a good bit to learn about this practice, especially getting things together between the earth plane and Great Spirit, or whoever, or whatever, is in charge of this organization.  It was, actually, all about the earth and spirit connection message, as you can see, after all.

So back to the drawing board go I, humbled, by my meeting with that snake, reflecting upon the notion that I had been talking about making peace with snakes a good while back. Maybe it is time for me to review my earlier thoughts on the subject, further.

Especially as the concept of “leaning in” versus adversarialism is about to take center stage, beginning tonight on our Possible Society In Motion show.

More to come.