Integrating Snake Medicine Part 1

Although many of the steps created an immediate shift in my consciousness, this kind of individuation usually doesn’t happen overnight. I’m sharing it to honour the unfolding trails across time, and to encourage people to surrender to their journey, while letting go of a specific outcome. Part 2 will be published tomorrow.

Statue (25 years ago…)

Green Snake started knocking on my door in my early 20s. One day, out of the blue, I bought a small carving that sits on my altar to this day. I couldn’t understand this impulsive action, as I was terrified of snakes at the time, and didn’t like them at all. Soon after, she started to appear in dreams. These were never scary, but always filled with a sense of magic, mystery and medicine. It was as if she brought her healing power to whatever dreamscape I experienced. In my waking life, I slowly stopped jumping at every wriggly twig. It was a first step toward healing and reclaiming my golden shadow.

Dream (13 years ago…)

In 2010 I had a life changing dream in which I was released from prison. The jailer handed me my personal stuff, including keys on a long wooden stick, and a black-white chequered cloak. He held one item back, which I asked him to return too. He said: “you might be better off without it, because it’s dangerous.” I replied: “how can my belongings pose a danger to me?” Reluctantly, he handed me a glass jar with a bright green snake, rising and uncoiling from it. It looked fierce, and I was cautious but not afraid. My feeling was “it’s about time that you come back to me.” When its head was level with mine, two things happened. A voice said: “you are a healer, and I am your essence.” And then Snake jumped inside me, just like that, and I knew she now lived in me again, and my healing channels had been re-opened. 

In a hypnotherapy session later that year, Green Snake represented a part of me that I sent away when I was 3 years old. As a young child, I had a series of predictive dreams that came true. My mother wanted to keep me safe and warned me not to make things up. To ensure my mother’s love and approval, I made an unconscious bargain and sealed away this inner dreaming ability. It was an emotional integration, realising I’d actively sent away a part of myself, my skills and abilities. 

Inner Dialogue (10 years ago…)

In 2013 I did another deep piece of inner work, where I explored 4 archetypes in my psyche: The Warrior, the Wild Woman, the Earth Mother, and the Priestess. Every night for a month, I would free-write, channel their words and comments. I was learning from them, about the various roles they play in my life, and how they related to each other. But something was missing. There was no team spirit between these members of my inner crew. They weren’t on the same page. There was antipathy even, misunderstanding, and a lot of complaining about each other. Some didn’t value the others and simply ignored them; others were deliberately rowing in opposing directions. That was a lot of energy wasted, and I wondered what I could do to create more understanding and harmony between them, how to meld them into a complementary gang. 

Tattoo

I lived in Glastonbury at the time, and one evening I walked past a tattoo parlour. After regretting having my ears pierced at age 8, I never contemplated other body alterations, so such shops never grabbed my attention. Imagine my surprise when, in my mind’s eye, I saw Green Snake jump into the centre of my archetypal constellation. The moment Snake arrived, Warrior and Wild Woman, Earth Mother and Priestess could relax in deep interconnection, knowing how integral they each were to my being. A week and many synchronicities later, Green Snake was tattooed on my left arm, where I see and kiss her every day. 

Initiation

Through taking this tattoo, I felt initiated in a long lineage of healers going back to Minoan times. I experienced a concrete example of building a mutual relationship with deity: what we put in comes back tenfold. Since joining the lineage of the Snake Goddess, my menstruation cramps (that used to be severely debilitating each month) ebbed to a mild discomfort. It felt like a gift or blessing from the Goddess, and an establishing of a truly mutual relationship. I would love to hear stories from others who experienced a concrete two-way relationship with spirit and the divine, so perhaps leave a comment below!

This was a significant turning point, but nowhere near the completion of my journey. Read more in tomorrow’s post!

Image credits: all taken by me. Top image is altar at Star Child in Glastonbury, UK.

Events

Bio

She completed her PhD in dance anthropology at Roehampton University, trained in depth with the Scandinavian Centre for Shamanic Studies and the School of Movement Medicine. Eline worked at the Centre for Dance Research (C-DaRE) at Coventry University for five years, where she created a Somatics Toolkit for Ethnographers, and pioneered soulful academic pedagogy. Her recent book Dancing in the Muddy Temple: A Moving Spirituality of Land and Body was well received as a unique blend of theory and practice and a medicine for our times. 

She is now a full-time change-maker and facilitates deep transformation through coaching and courses both online and in person. Her approach The Way of the Wild Soul offers a set of embodied, creative, and spiritual tools to re-connect with inner strength and navigate life’s challenges with confidence. 

Website: https://www.elinekieft.com Also on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | LinkedIn