SNAKES- My greatest teachers.
This has been a major learning curve for me. I didn’t realise how scared of snakes I was. When I first moved into this place, a python got into the coop and took one of my chickens Liza Minnelli.
Now the night before I couldn’t sleep and felt like my body was coiling around on itself. Now when that stopped I looked upwards and saw the underside of a python coiled on top of wire. It felt so very real.
The next morning I went into the coop sat on my crate to talk to the girls and looked up and there it was, exactly as I had seen it the night before. I was thinking. “Wow thanks for the heads up. Thank goodness the coop is python proof!” Well about 2am the next morning I sat bolt upright, as I knew the python was in the coop and he had taken Little Liza. Sure enough. I grabbed my torch, went up and here it was sliding up the inside of the Coop with a lump in the middle.
I took a hammock up there and watched the rest of the night. Not knowing what to do, googling how many chickens can a python eat at once. Etc
I called WIRES first thing the next morning to come and retrieve the snake. They eventually came and the fellow told me it was likely to be 60 years old. As it was 3 meters long. And he could only move it a maximum of 400 mts away so it could digest its meal. I was freaking out. Thinking it will be back ASAP.
So first thing I did is actually made the coop as python proof as possible, then I made it my mission to keep fully tuned in, and my whole body would react if there was a python on the coop. I would go up there and scare them off. I now recall seeing the fear in the poor souls eyes, and questioning why I was doing this. I realised that I wasn’t getting any sleep, and was waging my own unnecessary war on these innocent creatures.
Then I started thinking practically. What could I do to alleviate this unfounded fear? First of all I went to the library and got every book I possibly could on snakes. Knowledge is power!
Then I booked myself in to do a snake handling course. I didn’t know that I would be able to hold one, but I thought it was important to at least understand them more. What do they eat? When do they come out? What is their breeding season? How many eggs do they hatch, or are they born alive? What are their favorite habitats?
Well as I found out each snake and each species is entirely different.
I managed to capture and release a medium python that day. The weird thing is I saw the snake in an infinity symbol in my mind’s eye. I had to put it in the bag and release it less than 20 seconds later, we all gasped as it came out in a perfect figure 8, and the guy asked what I had done to his snake as it was in a Trans like state. I had given it Reiki to apologise for my fear vibration. And just for good measure 7 days later a tree snake got into my house. There have been 5 snakes in the house since, and likely to be more.
On one occasion I stepped in the front door, and immediately thought. There is a snake in the house. I walked through three rooms and straight to a set of drawers in the far corner and there it was curled up, I opened the back door and asked it to leave, which it happily did.
Snakes have taught me a lot.
I have visions if I am likely to see a venomous one in the next week or so, incorporating the place it is likely to occur. My whole body breaks out into a prickly heat vibration if I am about to encounter a highly venomous specimen, so it heightens my awareness. And keeps my focus strong. Years of mediation have never taught me this technique so powerfully.
Brianna the brown.
I had been back from an Animal Communication residential with Pea Horsley, for about 2 weeks. When I was hand feeding little Pearl (chicken) I had been having visions of a large brown snake for a few weeks, but it was technically still winter and I just thought my mind was still adjusting from the information and training we had received. I happened to look down and less than 20cms away was the biggest brown snake I have ever seen. 2.4 meters. I picked lil Pearl up put her in the Coop. and put myself behind the house gate, while the brown went down a hole underneath the chicken coop. My legs were jelly at this point, and I had no idea what to do. I realised I could buy into the fear or use this moment to grow more. So I stood at the gate with my hands in the air directing Reiki towards the hole and sending love. All of a sudden I saw her head, then she started to come back out of the hole keeping her full focus on me at all times. She did a full figure 8 back onto herself, and just stared up at me, all I could think to do was create a telepathic communication with her. I apologized for the fear vibration that was emanating from me, but I went on to explain it was primal. Then I understood she was just as scared of me. That was a huge moment. I promised not to hurt her, and to try and keep my fear under control when I was around her.
I decided this encounter was a timely reminder to check the chicken coop for holes (always a work in progress as the rodents play their part). So I grabbed the tools while the brown sat outside and watched intently. I spoke to her the whole time, reassuring her. However, I did ask her to go back into the hole while I came out and tightened some cable ties, right where she was. She completely obliged, coming back out when I gave her the all clear.
I used to see Brianna daily, in fact, as mentioned before, her and Clover the rescue chicken enjoyed sunbathing together. I wish I had taken a photo of this. One of the last days I saw Brianna was the day Clover passed, and I swear I saw genuine sadness in this snakes eyes. As she also had lost a great mate.
Since then she had started to hang out in the yard which brought back my old fears, especially as Dora free ranges in the yard mostly. And even though I was very good at feeling her presence I was still concerned for Dora and any visiting animal’s welfare.
She has since moved on. However I know I will see her again. I have since seen a 1.5 meter brown that I am sure is her partner. And a juvenile brown 1.2 meters that has made 2 appearances inside the chicken coop.
Multiple yellow face whip snakes and tree snakes, with a 2.2 meter python that feels comfortable enough to live under the house.
I have come to the realization that we have to learn to co-habitate. Usually they have been here long before us, and are likely to be here long after we go.
It’s important to show them respect. The thing that resonates the most for me. Is they hold the same level of fear for us as we do for them!
We are both deadly opponents to one another. Interestingly enough there are statistics that show it is very rare for an indigenous person of any culture to be bitten by a snake, and most bites occur only when the snake itself feels threatened. Usually the person in question is very much trying to kill this innocent creature.
