36. SERPENT

Rebirth, shedding, healing

You are constantly being rebirthed and transformed.

Serpent is a limbless creature covered in overlapping scales and varying in colour, size and behaviour across the species. Some Serpents are venomous, which can be lethal to her prey. However, this same venom may also be used in medicine to heal wounds and diseases. She slithers across the ground and continually sheds her skin throughout her lifetime to allow for further growth and to leave behind any parasites. Serpent's song is about rebirth and transformation. She accepts the transition, leaving behind who she used to be with no attachment. In doing so, Serpent continues to grow and evolve, ridding herself of the old and damaging parts of herself to make way for the new.

Just like Serpent, you are continually shedding your skin. Because it doesn't happen all at once, it can go unnoticed, but the skin you have now is not the same as you had last year. Serpent is here to remind you to embrace this continuous rebirth. Allow yourself to grow with grace. Perhaps there are things that you have lost, whether it be friends, lovers, assets or places. This is your reminder that nothing in life stays the same, and that's okay. Embrace the stage that you are currently passing through without too much attachment to it or wishing it would pass quicker. There is much healing to be found in this process. You should also consider how you can find medicine in things that at first seem toxic. It is always within your capability to make the best out of a bad situation and approach things with positivity and optimism.