Thursday 7 February 2013

***~ Snake Year & 2013...! ~***

Happy Snake Year!! 
Yes, she is approaching with the Dark (New) Moon this Sunday 10th! Dragon sheds wings, claws, horns and beard to slither into Snake, signifying renewed hope for a better tomorrow ... a New Year for a New You - a Chinese New Year Evolution!
The Water Snake, a truly feminine year in all respects! Embracing the yin qualities, innate to us women, (and men have them too, in a different proportion, but they have as well their yin, feminine side as we have our yang, masculine side), the mysterious, the intuition, the sensual.  
The secretive, deep and powerful Snake, full of silent wisdom, which sometimes can be misinterpreted and feared. The Snake who feels and senses its way through life, in the mundane the planner, in the spiritual represents rebirth as it sheds its skin; as well the one who raises cosmic awareness, connects with the source of life, the unknown and the magician within, and magic is no more than a change of consciousness!
"The nature of the deeply feeling Snake year is  gradual and gathered strength, bringing a more moderate than radical year. During Snake years, our concerns turn toward inner-growth, spirituality and discovering the reasons behind things".
The Snake is naturally not just sensual but sexual, and in such a powerful way that can hypnotize, so definitely something to remember this year. Surprises, illusions, being aware that the biggest illusion is no more than what we want to believe and perceive.  Although I believe it also brings the opportunity to open up to beauty in all forms, in all places, the expression of our natural sensual and sexual selves in a pure and sacred way.
This Water Snake year brings the power to clear (shedding skin, letting go what no longer serves in all levels) and to create, new or rebirth of self; and thus paves the path to manifest your dreams! 
To reinforce this Feminine Chinese New Year 2013!!  Starting with the numerology, add 2+1+3=6 the number of love, perfect union, harmony, truth and justice, (and in the medicine cards the number of the Snake!).  "The 6 vibration is ruled by Venus and this year we are drawn to create harmony in the home, to nurture the good in ourselves and in our relationships, and to grow through our families, friendships and community. By living in right-relationship with the Earth in our everyday lives, our actions and caring will affect the whole planet in many unseen and yet profound ways." adapted by Glennie Kindred.
And the number 13, the Divine Feminine, the Goddess, us!!
2013 the return of the Goddess, and obviously that is in our hands!... "As the Maya and many indigenous elders say, it is a time to re-establish our connection with the Earth and to open our hearts to the wisdom of the feminine in order to restore a balance between the male and female energies."
13 is a special and magical number for us women as we associated with the 13 Full Moons we usually have in a year, link with 13 times we bleed (have our moontime, menstruation) during this period; as well associate with the sacred feminine, psyche power, magic, emotion in various traditions, from ancient times to modern ones.
I think for the reasons above this number has been seen as well as 'bad luck' for some, a myth that started essentially from dark ages of patriarchal in church and politics when they use to burn women for their medicinal and psychic powers. And you believe or not the the witch craft act was repealed in UK just in 1953!!...
A turtle, which represents the Earth Mother, the Goddess in Native American, for the Chinese symbol of wisdom, as actually 13 segments on her shell!...
Going back to the Snake, as it is powerful totem even deified in different ancient cultures across the world, and almost all agree that Snake is a symbol of rebirth and renewal. I can share what I learned with the Kalbelia people, the snake charmers, Sapera (known as 'Jogi'  nomad people) caste of Rajasthan, North India, where I spend some time and live with them while I'm learning their sensual and fiery Gypsy Kalbelia Dance, in which the dancer replicate the movements of a snake to the sound of various instruments, including the poongi (the snake, cobra flute), the black dress she wears represents the snake and kalbelia literally means friends of snake; for them Snake is God.  But interesting enough I came across this: "In Eastern Indian myth the Sanskrit word for snake is naga and these are associated with the element of water. Picking up water's symbolism of emotion, love and motion, nagas in this light are considered a feminine aspect and embody nurturing, benevolent, wise qualities."
In Native American tradition Snake is transmutation, the power of fire "The power of snake medicine is the power of creation, for it embodies sexuality, psychic energy, alchemy, reproduction, and ascension (or immortality). The transmutation of the life-death-rebirth cycle is exemplified by the shedding of Snake's skin." Jamie Sams in Medicine Cards.
The Kundalini, the awakening and rising of our sexual energy from the base of our spine to our crown is represent by the snake.
"Carrying this dual snake imagery a step further, we could look to the language of science. Observe the formation of DNA and how it forms a perfect, serpentine double helix. This prompts us to consider how the energetic mind is connected to the grander whole, and how it so effortlessly makes graceful connections between the basic building blocks of data with the manifestations of the natural world."
Thoth, the Atlantean who later returned as Hermes and was the father of alchemy, used the symbology of two snakes intertwining around a sword to represent healing.
Snake can indeed represent the symbolic bridge between lunar and solar systems associations as well as aspects between water and fire, of yin and yang.
Snake is a unifying force embodying infinite messages to those who are open to receive them!
I'm delighted to be so 'alightened' with all the above, sparkling with so much excitement already!  Looking forward to the Jade Circle gatherings and workshops of 2013 Snake Water Year!  And wish you: full enjoyment on your womanhood, to honour your intuition, let it to be your guide and to fulfil your wildest dreams and all relate to your beautiful feminine self (whatever this means to you, what is important is for you to feel good about it)!
Anamarta