Time to release limiting beliefs and shed our masks

• Snake energy invites us to strip off our masks, acknowledge our shadow sides and release layers of old trauma
• The scales fall from our eyes: many more of us are no longer hypnotised by the so-called powers that be; we become more discerning
• Adapting and evolving rather than holding on to the past
• Accessing our compassion instead of blame and resentment
• Being more in tune with our bodies and our environment in many new ways
• A deeper appreciation of trees as conscious beings — letting them inspire us to be our best selves
• Seeing elementals and beginning to connect with our cosmic kin, if you’ve been fine-tuning your perceptions!

Snakes are quick, clever and highly adaptable: different species can squeeze, poison, thrash, rattle, seduce, lure… They live in the sea, desert, jungle, Mediterranean, Bush, mountain… They have adapted to many terrains, conditions and elements. As a Native American totem, they are highly sensitive to environmental conditions. This is how they survive and thrive, so a willingness to learn, adapt and evolve are key lessons for us humans this year.

Snake energy invites us to keep a connection with our core self, our bodily instincts, our profound connection with Earth. Snakes help us reconnect with our bodies, be at one with our terrain, our land, our local seasons, the elements. They need the sun for warmth: we need the sun’s rays more than we often acknowledge for our bodies’ health and our moods; we’re essentially cold-blooded too! We must adapt to and work with our environment.

They regularly slough off their old, damaged skin, starting afresh, able to move more freely each time. The energy of this year invites us to recognise and accept our shadow side, all the aspects of human nature that are less than cuddly and attractive, in order to release the old shadows, wounds, traumas and outworn beliefs.

Sloughing off our masks, the conventions and societal constructions, we come back to a natural awareness, respect and valuing of others and all our differences (of opinion, background, choices) as part of the incredible diversity of this planet. A celebration of diversity!

Many negative connotations are imposed by humans on the snake, which in itself is a metaphor for this year: what do we choose to believe in? The worst of humankind or the best? The disasters or the potential they facilitate? The personal challenge or the opportunity for growth? Do not be fooled by your old mental constructs telling you you’re a victim: we have a choice in every moment.

So there is positivity amid the chaos, uncertainty and anger. There’s a chance to choose peace over war — in every moment. Snake is actually peaceable — they prefer quietly to slide away from us rather than engage in conflict. They like to lie still, basking in the sun, taking in warmth.

Snake is mesmerising, feared, revered. It’s associated with Kundalini flow — the power of directed energies, and hypnosis. There’s a strong link to mythology and the serpent; magical abilities and qualities — lotions and potions made from their poison and parts. Snake energy enhances the mystical, magical and mythical this year.

We’ve been “hypnotised” for centuries by hierarchical powers. It’s time to wake up and take responsibility for our own health, choices, values, focus and beliefs, and act in ways that feel authentic to our truest selves. Those apparent power structures are struggling to “hold sway” over us now (notice the snake metaphors/analogies?). They no longer mesmerise us, as long as we keep checking in with ourselves and what feels true (our own reptilian instinct).

Snake’s smartness, keen eye, is enhanced by its alertness; it’s highly aware of its surroundings and any changes. It encourages us to become more aware and more grounded. Land snakes stay in full contact with the ground or trees.

They move in a flowing way, only striking out in defence or attack if cornered or challenged. Reptiles are misunderstood, maligned, feared, yet they hold the keys to our ancient past. Secrets from the past will rear their heads this year, come into awareness. There’ll be many opportunities for personal and collective rebirth.

We’re invited to get to know the reptilian aspect of our brains, our ancient nervous system and instincts: understanding how many old wounds we each carry, how much PTSD, including the core fear of not surviving. Time to offer it all up to Mother Earth. Lying on the ground is such a lovely and immediate way to do this. Releasing emotional and physical inflammation; feeling the Earth’s heartbeat and coming back into harmony with Mother Nature and all her wonders and healing energies.

The forked tongue suggest a lot of harsh words and lashing out this year, in fear, pain, anger: in defence of our beliefs, so intimately tied to our sense of identity. This symbolism invites us to get beyond these tendencies to apportion blame, project resentment, suspicion and indignance. Can we find compassion instead? Acceptance? Or even just a more neutral allowance of others playing out their own lives and working through their own roles and lessons in this game of life on Earth.

When we respect snakes, give them space and send them gratitude and love, instead of fear or antipathy, they remain peaceful. Can we embody this in our own lives this year?

Yin Wood: Inner growth and transformation

The Yin aspect of the Wood element pertains to the inner seeds of creativity, internal growth and transformation. Yin Wood symbolises kindness and humanitarianism and is deeply nurturing, caring and community-oriented. As we now know, trees constantly feed and support each other through their roots with the symbiosis of the mycorrhizal network. It’s a complex world of activity that we can scarcely imagine beneath our feet, in the earth — Earth is predominantly Yin too. The roots of the tree are its most Yin aspect, along with the channels transporting sap to its highest and outermost branches and leaves.

So, to me, a lot will be growing and changing out of sight, within us, this year. It’s a time for inner vision, going inward, really understanding our motives and needs, our desires and hopes, and what underpins these. How are we nourishing ourselves? What creative endeavours do we want to manifest? How would we like our immediate, personal worlds and the wider world to look? What can we do to contribute to that vision?

Inner focus naturally leads to outer manifestation: what you focus on grows! Beware, if you focus on what’s not right in your life, or all the challenges you’ve had to face and that are there in front of you now. Can you reframe these as opportunities to learn and grow?

Health limitations enable and invite us to go inward and rest, adjust our routines. Relationship clashes help us see where we’re playing out old patterns and projecting out-of-date beliefs on the other person. Can we take responsibility for our own emotional reactions, pause, and turn reaction into a more even response? Feeling the feelings but not acting on them impulsively.

These are all ways to disentangle ourselves from the layers of PTSD held in our physical, mental and emotional bodies. It’s a good year to transmute some of our long-held and easily triggered emotions, especially anger. Wood is connected to the liver and gall bladder in Classical Chinese Medicine; these organs energetically hold our anger and any bitterness, resentment, frustrations and irritations.

Regularly clearing toxins, either physically through nutrition and exercise or through any kind of meditative or presence practice helps clear that backlog, releasing the emotional charge from old thoughts and perceptions.

Gratitude supports the renewal of positive feelings, and celebration of all that we do have.

Wood brings change. Can we loosen our grip on our perceived identities? Be open to change, and loosen our beliefs about what we can and can’t do, see more potential and possibilities in our lives?

Trees give so much of themselves: they’re in service to all, absorbing carbon dioxide and giving out oxygen, providing shelter, tools, furniture, food, carbon-capturing, and protecting land from natural disasters such as floods and high winds and from the beating sun in hot countries. Equally, they heat us when we’re cold, with firewood. They enable our creativity, through paper, charcoal etc… and much more. So many qualities!

Trees are deeply conscious beings. Natural woodlands and ancient forests are alive with the energies of nature spirits, elementals, fairies and all the mythical ethereal beings that inhabit our childhood stories and imaginations. If you’re in tune enough this year, you may even begin to perceive them! For all manifestation starts with a thought, a dream, an idea… And then magic, serendipities and synchronicities can really start to flow in your life.

A new respect and gratitude for trees and all that they freely gives us, in their majestic, silent way, would be a lovely and profound way to honour the Wood element this year.

These snake and Wood energies will interweave throughout this powerful and transformative Yin Wood Snake year.

In gratitude to trees and to snakes for all that they teach us.

With love

Saffron

1st February 2025