An Encounter with a Wounded Snake
A Collision between the Imaginal and the Material Realms
I shared this story with the participants in the Earth-Speak Conversation webinar series on October 27th, 2021. Between the monthly webinars, we post messages we’ve received from the Earth during times spent in the natural world. This is the email I sent to the group…
While visiting my sister this past weekend in her beautifully remote setting on the Skootamatta River near Tweed, I found a large garter snake quietly lying in the sun on the grass right beside my car. There are many snakes in this landscape but I rarely see them when I visit so this was a notable exception. The snake lay there, seemingly quite unafraid, but as I leaned down to examine it most closely I noticed it was wounded. One eye and the side of its head appeared to be somewhat crushed. Margot strolled over and as we looked at the snake together, she petted it lightly on its back. It barely moved. “I think we should put it out of its misery,” she said, but everything in me was reluctant to do that, and I said so. Deferring to me (her guest and older sister!) we left the snake and I watched it slither slowly away.
That night at home, I woke with a start around 3 p.m. Still feeling the snake’s unusual presentation working my heart, I reached out for The Book of Snake at my bedside. The wound reminded me of something in the book… Was it one of the chapters with the Queen of Snakes? I looked up the chapter where She first presented herself.
“By her regal demeanour, I instantly knew she was the Queen of Snakes. I had the sense of a crown on her head, though I could not see whether one was actually there or just a shimmering energy. What drew my attention was a long open wound, midway down her body right to her tail. She spoke. I have been in hiding… (I sensed for a very long time) but you are making it safe for me to reappear. I am still vulnerable. Your homage helps the healing. It is a balm. And even as she spoke, I saw the wound begin to heal. Then she was gone, hidden amongst the other snakes.”
I felt a shiver of resonance, but it was when I turned to my second meeting with Her that the true weight of the encounter landed in me.
“The Queen of Snakes emerged. The rest of the snakes (in the Council) are indistinguishable, but her presence was very distinct. As I sat on the ground, she arched her body up to face me and, eye to eye, she shared her message. You must speak for me. My voice is no longer heard through the grief, pain and fear. We are barely even ghosts now. As she said this, I felt a sharp pain in my chest at their diminished presence in our world. Call the keepers — there are many — and help them honour their sacred duties. Teach them to face their fear and open to the Mystery. The doorway is different for each one. Feeling a dull ache in my left temple, I looked more closely at the Queen. The side of her head was slightly crushed, an old wound, and one eye was partially blind.”
At this point, my heart began to race… The Queen’s wound was in exactly the same area as the garter snake’s — on the left side of her head, a crushing wound that affected its eye! My meditative encounter with this numinous creature in 2015 manifested in words but this physical encounter with the wounded snake deeply engaged my feelings! As the two meetings collided in my heart with a sense of timeless no-time, I read my words in a totally new light. They now carried a very direct and personal message that still rings like a deep, low gong in my heart.
“We cannot be the keepers alone, any longer. You must see for and with us. The old bridges between us are broken or destroyed. You must help people find their way into their Great Animal Hearts. Remember, this is for both our lives. We need each other. With a great deal of love and compassion, I took the Queen Snake into my arms and gently held her against my heart. She responded by wrapping her tail around my waist; that was when I realized how weak she actually was… Keenly aware of the risk she took to present herself, I knew it was an honour to be with her, even briefly.”
I share this story to illustrate what can and needs to happen when our feelings, not just our ideas or our spiritual energies, are engaged. Even as I write this story, I am aware of the ongoing gravitas of both encounters — the imaginal encounter in 2015 conspiring with the actual meeting three days ago.
How loud does the Earth have to cry for us to hear and feel her in our hearts?
How willing are we, am I, to feel and hold this pain and let it guide us deeper into the Mystery?
What is needed of each of us when we are touched in such a dreadful and beautiful way?
I still don’t know if it was the right decision to let the snake live and probably suffer… My sister's response was swift and sure while mine was far more complicated. But in that moment, I knew the wounded snake had brought me a great gift, one that I continue unpacking as I share this story with all of you. Though I will never know, I would like to think that my presence during our brief time together may have been a gentle balm to its soul.