It's Called Snake Oil, Ya'll...

So the last few days of September have got me on edge. Apparently there are several things going on in the universe that are making people a little crazy. There’s the new moon–in Libra, the fall equinox, Pluto is in Capricorn helping us finalize a few things, and a friend even mentioned the solar flares. Of course I am fully aware of the shifting vibrations that are everywhere these days. I have found myself outside more often trying to ground and center. I am unfocused, unmotivated and yet the Capricorn in me is screaming "DO SOMETHING!" Problem is, I have no idea what to do.

And then I realized that perhaps I need to start paying attention to the not-so-subtle nuances and signs floating my way.

First, there were the dreams.
Now, Capricorn being my sun sign, I am not prone to sitting still. When you want something, you must put forth some effort into getting it. We have that sort of work ethic. However, since I quit my job and was basically living for the day, I have felt as though I have not put forth any work what so ever into anything. I was waking up at strange hours of the night feeling as though I was going to jump out of my body. I was (and still am) having strange dreams of death and living in other places as other people. I had a dream one night that I was a Chinese girl living in China and I was in a dark lit room talking to my brother. People in my family that have passed away kept showing up in my dreams. It seemed they all had messages for me but mostly they were just there—sort of talking to me and hanging out. I was finding it harder and harder to ground and center. I needed to do something.

So I called my friend Angela up and scheduled some energy work. If anyone could figure out what was up with me, she could. After an hour of toning and smudging and other stuff she did, we came to the conclusion that I was having some ascension symptoms, and lucky me, this was only the beginning. I told her I had felt lately that I was supposed to be doing something–moving in some sort of direction, but she assured me that I was doing exactly what I was meant to–what I had planned to do all along. This was a time to learn and to grow. To prepare myself for the coming years. Could she tell me what I would be doing in those coming years? Well, no. That was something I was supposed to figure out myself. But I should stop worrying about it. All things were coming in due time. I had to prepare myself spiritually, and this was the best time to do it.

Ok. Fine. I could do that.....for about 3 days. Then my Ku began to get the best of me again. So the universe had to send out another message for me.

So then there were the snakes.

Two manifesting themselves in my path and one in my dreams. Ok, snake totem, what do you have to tell me?

According to Ted Andrews, "The Kundalini or serpent fire lies coiled at the base of the spine. As we grow and develop, the primal energy is released, rising up the spine. In turn, this activates energy centers in the body and mind opening new dimensions and levels of awareness, health and creativity" (2009). Now, earlier this week, I woke up with back pain at the base of my spine. It circled around the left side of my body to the front in exactly the same place. I pretty much chalked this up to me picking up my 60 pound dog and carrying her up a few steps into the house. It did not occur to me that earlier that day, while out on a trail on the Eno River, I encountered a juvenile northern water snake. It was swimming right up to me until I began to freak out a little and then it swam away from me toward the bank. It was a bright red color which put me on edge because I thought perhaps it was a copperhead. But copperheads don’t usually swim (I don’t think). It did not have that triangular head that indicated it was poisonous. I don’t think it meant me or my dogs any harm. As a matter of fact, it seemed to ignore them and my dogs who are prone to chasing snakes did not even notice it. I think it was there just for me.

Then it also occurred to me that on that particular morning, I was looking for an empty page in my notebook and stumbled across snake medicine notes that I had taken a year ago at a Native American workshop. Native Americans believe snakes are a message of transformation and healing. Cherokees specifically believed that the snake was a female energy and only women were allowed to handle the herbs that were of snake energy. Here was clue number two staring me right in the face–female energy.

The next night after book club, my friend Tavane comes up the street alerting us of a dead copperhead in the road. She had taken a picture of it and was headed back into the house to alert the residents. I was curious so I walked down to take a look. As I approached, the snake moved. Julie seemed to think it was the last pulses of nerves going through the body. The snake had obviously been hit by a car and was bleeding–but not very much. Plus the only part of the snake that appeared to be hurt was the tail. It sat still in the road even as we stood only a few feet from it. I resisted the urge to poke it with a stick. I was not sure it was dead, but I was not going to push my luck with a wounded poisonous snake. I did find it odd that I had run across two snakes in two days.

And then I did some research

Snakes, besides meaning female energy and represent the Kundalini spirit, also symbolize both death and rebirth. As with Pluto swimming around in the sign of Capricorn, I should be seeing some death in my life. Now this does not necessarily mean someone is going to die...although I have often found that when I dream of death, someone usually dies. But all things must come to an end. Tomorrow is the end of the month and the last time Pluto was in Capricorn, major shit happened...like the American Revolution. AND it’s not leaving until 2023. So it appears that it is time to let go of some things. Perhaps it is time I stopped panicking about not working and enjoy the time off. Perhaps I need to embraced the notion that sometimes you have to do nothing to do something. And in doing this "nothing" I shall create something new...Like a new country.... "You say you want a revolution?"