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Pointed Ponderings: C

Monday, April 4th, 2022 By Deborah
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Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’ll be using manicules (those pointing finger symbols) to direct your attention to something I’m pondering that delights or interests me. Each entry is somehow related to an unusual, obscure, or simply charming to me word.

C is for…

            colubrine – (adj) of, or resembling a snake; snakelike. Derived from Latin, first recored usage in English in the 1520s.

Lots of people find snakes creepy, and serpents are certainly vilified by many, but let’s take a more positive approach. They’re associated with wisdom, flexibility, growth and transformation (shed that old skin – you’ve outgrown it!). And of course there is the association with kundalini.

I’ve always been fascinated by the flicking of snakes tongues, since being told this is how they smell. That’s not exactly the truth, at least not in the way we smell using our noses. Rather, they’re collecting chemicals from the air, and then touching the receptors on the roof of their mouth. Different chemicals evoke different electrical signals which are sent to the snake’s brain.

There are a number snake goddesses including the Minoan goddesses holding snakes dating from 1600 BCE; and the Egyptian goddess Wadjet who is sometimes pictured as a serpent with a women’s head or a woman wearing a cobra crown/headpiece.

And we can’t forget the serpent, the apple, and Eve.  Which is a whole other story you probably don’t want to get me started on.  But let me say, I was so delighted when I stumbled upon this admonition from Ronna Detrick suggesting we may want to remember our sovereignty, “or eat apples boldly, talk to snakes and tell a different story.” Isn’t that wonderful? Makes me laugh and shout YES every time I read it.

Back in 2020, after months of navigating pandemic sequestering, I created a limited edition zine/artist book entitled “Snakes and Ladders.” Given how unpredictable everything felt, I somehow started thinking about the children’s game Chutes and Ladders. Researching the game’s history, I was amazed to discover a 2nd century game from India called Maska Patum, which translated to Snakes and Ladders. It was a way of teaching morality – that spiritual liberation was attainable through good deeds (virtues), while doing evil (vices) would lead one to being reborn into lower life forms. The snake paths of the game outnumbered the ladders, indicating the path of good is harder one to walk.

Any colubrine ponderings on my part definitely include a couple of books I must recommend.

The Little Snake is a really special book by A. L. Kennedy, in which the snake, a minor character in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s much-loved The Little Prince becomes the central character. The snake’s name is Lanmo, which in Haitian means death. It’s a beautiful and sad and powerful fable about many things all packed in a small volume, and I confess I still feel the imprint of reading on my heart. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to check it out.

SSSS Snake Art & Allegory, published by Tara Books is another beauty.  I’ve mentioned many times my love for Tara Books, and this beautiful little snake book is silkscreen-printed by hand on lovely thick handmade paper and contains Hindu and Buddhist tales.  I’m happy to point you in that direction as well.

So tell me, how do you feel about snakes? What do you need to slither away from? Wht do you need to be more flexible about? Have a snake tale to share? Do tell – you know I love to hear.

Categories : Connect
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Comments

  1. I am not a fan of snakes, but I appreciate your alternate takes in this post.

    So interesting about that game — yes, the path of good is definitely harder!

    • I’m guessing your relocation isn’t at a slow slithering ungulating pace. 🙂

  3. I like snakes and in fact all reptiles. I find many of them beautiful and am not frightened of them. However, if I find an earwig in my house, I lose my mind. 🙂

    • The first time I saw an earwig I had nightmares for weeks. I’ll take a pass on them as well.

  5. My coworker used to have some 200 venomous snakes at home, which was reason enough for me not to visit him. Ever.

    In the meantime he got rid of them, and just the other day we had a lovely BBQ at his place.

    Snakes are not among my favorite animals, and I am sure I am doing them an injustice, it’s just the way I feel.

    It was still very interesting to learn how they “smell” using their tongue.

    • That’s a lot of snakes to keep! I’m glad conditions have changed and you get to visit now.

  6. I’ve learnt a lot of new things after reading this post today. Didn’t know about the snakes’ tongues and Maska Patum.

    I used to be wary of snakes. But, a few years ago, after a certain experience during meditation, I realised I wasn’t so averse to them. Found one coiled up under my shoe (I’d left it outside the room) when I was staying at a homestay in a paddy field and I reacted like I would if it were a frog or a garden lizard–not scared. Something has shifted, but I don’t know what or why or how.

    I like the idea of shedding the old.

    • How interesting about your shifted attitude Arti. Snake medicine is about transformation though, so in a way it makes rather perfect sense. Life is endlessly curious and fascinating isn’t it?!

    • I marveled at the age as well. Fear of venemous snakes seems entirely reasonable to me. 🙂

  8. While appreciate that snakes keep mice and chipmunks away from my garden, I am not overly fond of them. I find them creepy, and will not, will not, go into the snake house at the zoo.

    • You’re clearly not alone Ms. Bean – more than 50% of the population are not fans. I was a bit surprised to learn that fear of snakes and spiders rank as two of the highest. I find it curious that we’re afraid of things with no legs and those with many.

  9. I’ve always been fond of snakes, particularly the harmless ones that live around here. When I was little my brothers and I would catch them, and I would let them “kiss” me, which of course was “smelling.” (I would certainly stay away from venomous ones, but that’s just being sensible.) I smile every time I see a garter snake, and they feel beautiful (no, not slimy!)
    C is for Chimeric

    • When I was a kid, my grandmother had a share in a neighborhood plot used as a community garden. It was like a little garden of Eden in the midst of a much less lush urban landscape. And it was there I was introduced to snakes – and saw the first babies which enchanted me.

      I’ve always been curious about the wide-held belief that snakes are slimy. The only thing I can think of is that they equate movement without legs must require slime.

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