Spring is when the snakes that live under my front porch come out of hibernation and back into my daily sun life. Babies and adults bask in the weeds, warming their cold bodies, waiting for food. The skink salamanders and the mice come out around this time, in synchrony.
I find that snakes, more than spiders, scorpions, sharks and other similarly maligned creatures, elicit an almost primordial fear. Even those who have no story to which they can point (like brothers chasing little girls with jars full of venomous creatures!) drop right into terror. We are fortunate to live in a place where venomous snakes are rare to non-existent, but I don't think any of them really deserve the horrible treatment they receive. Symbolically, they are about rebirth, immortality, and wisdom. Ironic, isn't it?
That was fun!
I find that snakes, more than spiders, scorpions, sharks and other similarly maligned creatures, elicit an almost primordial fear. Even those who have no story to which they can point (like brothers chasing little girls with jars full of venomous creatures!) drop right into terror. We are fortunate to live in a place where venomous snakes are rare to non-existent, but I don't think any of them really deserve the horrible treatment they receive. Symbolically, they are about rebirth, immortality, and wisdom. Ironic, isn't it?
Ah, but snakes are beautiful creatures! It takes time and effort to calm down fears...