Dream Question: I just had a weird dream last night and I don't even know if this has something to do with a book about animals that I was reading with my son. The book has pictures of many animals and one of them was a snake, a green snake on a tree.
I dreamt that there was a rather big snake chasing me, but in my dream, I was very tired and at the same time extremely anxious because this big snake was after me and I didn't know where I was going. Then I looked back and found that the snake had died. It's head was disconnected from the body and the long body was no where to be seen. I could only see the head and I was so relieved that the snake had died and not after me anymore. I wasn't even sure if I killed the snake or not, but all I remember is that I was very relieved when I turned back that the snake was dead. I have never been a fan of snakes. I find them scary and their poisonous tongue vicious. How is this dream related to my life right now? Can you please help me? A.L.
Patti's Answer: Snakes are deeply rooted in many cultures. In Christian cultures it is associated with temptation and evil. In the ancient world predating Christianity, it was associated with the goddess cults as a psychopomp, a creature that goes between the worlds of mortals and the underworld of the gods. The snake lent itself to that symbolism as an animal that lives both on the ground and underground, on land or on water. Later, snakes were associated with the cult of Asklepios and healing. That symbol is with us today in the form of the caduceus, the snakes entwined around a winged staff, and is still a symbol of medicine and healing. In other shamanic traditions, snakes are associated with rebirth, grounded in the image of a snake shedding its skin.
That brings us to you, the dreamer. You’ve shared with us your waking attitudes on snakes and three things really stand out in your dream and your attitudes: 1) that the head and the body (of the snake) are disconnected and 2) your fears focus on the snake’s “poisonous, vicious tongue” 3) in spite of your fears, you dealt with the situation.
If you check to make sure that there is nothing in the dream scenario that is pointing to an actual encounter with a green snake, and you find there is nothing precognitive about the dream, then we can assume the snake is a symbol. I would ask myself what in my life feels like it is chasing me (or conversely, what am I running away from)? Am I in a situation where someone’s vicious tongue (i.e. gossip or hurtful words) is threatening me? And finally, do I have to disconnect my head from my body (or heart) to conquer it? If you can connect your answers to something in your life, whether inner life or an outer life situation, then you will be on your way to understanding the messages in your dream.
