I have always had a thing for snakes. They fascinated me as a child. I didn’t care that many viewed them as evil. I caught several small ones but mom never let me keep any of them as pets. I had to release them back to their natural habitat, she said, no matter how many efforts I made to recreate a small nest for them. And I can understand her attitude now… So when I spotted that long snake in the ceiling of my garden shed last week, I was first startled. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my phone on me to shoot a short video of it. I was gone for less than 30 seconds to get my phone but as I returned, it was nowhere to be seen…
What was it doing there? Why was it inside instead of getting warmer on the lawn or property fence? Was it venomous? In which case, how to repel it naturally? And so I started researching. Asking my brother and friends for its scientific name to get started. I was relieved to find out that the coin-marked snake is in fact non-venomous, unlike what we were told as children. Research showed me this diurnal reptile is harmless to humans and feeds on small birds, tiny mammals, and lizards. It can be found in southern Europe, as well as Western and Central Asia, and northeast Africa. The one I saw was beige with dark brown spots but this species can be brown, grey, or olive grey in color.
Crawling its way on the ceiling from one side of the shed to the other, the snake did check me out. It turned its head towards me and probably “made” a shape that wasn’t dangerous as I was observing it while breathing calmly. It is an urban legend that snakes are blind. Their vision is not developed like ours and they rely more on their sense of smell and heat to go after their prey. Some types of snakes like the king cobra or the green tree python have in fact excellent eyesight. Snakes are known to smell with their tongues and I didn’t wait to see my unusual visitor flick it at me. I called my brother and asked him to get some pine goudron for me.
There are natural ways to deal with many undesirable guests. I keep the cats who visit me well-fed since they clean my garden and its surroundings from rodents. Snakes would come in handy too but I’m not sure my friends and visitors would like that idea. So I opted for a solution that is not chemical or toxic. I already have some lemongrass planted on one side of my fence. The vertical garden where I cultivate my herbs includes some green onions too. I also have planted sage and basil in several places around the garden. And I now added pine goudron to all other possible entry spots. It has a strong smell. And it’s not really pleasant but I didn’t want to risk that snake building its nest on my property and maybe startling or worse biting someone.
Seeing that snake made me realize we are probably going to have a very hot summer. And I was curious to find out any possible spiritual meaning, beyond the regular symbolism of snakes representing evil. In many cultures, snakes represent the duality of good and evil. The Hopi tribe celebrates with an annual dance of the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit) the renewal of the fertility of nature. They believe that the snake is the umbilical cord of us Humans to Mother Earth. In Hinduism, Kundalini is depicted as a coiled serpent. Because serpents shed their skins, they are often the emblem of rebirth, transformation, and also healing. Snakes have also been guardians of temples and sacred places in Cambodia for example. In Norse mythology, Jörmubgandr was tossed in the ocean around Midgard, and it was so big that it encircled Earth biting its own tail. When placing its tail in its mouth, the snake forms a circle that shows the infinity of the nature of the cosmos. Another version of this ring-forming snake is the ouroboros in Greek and Egyptian mythologies. Many folkloric tales showcase serpents as deceptive creatures that tempt other creatures, see the story of Adam and Eve. But they are also wise and intuitive beings, see the story of the Greek God Asclepius. In China, snakes are beings of good luck, while Japan thinks of them as a symbol of healing.
In all cases, I hope next time you encounter a snake you will be amazed instead of scared! Happy gardening 🌱
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