For a long stretch of my preteen years I thought of being a zoologist. I would collect Wildlife Fact Files that my wonderful parents subscribed me to. I felt the dazzling power of both order and knowledge creep into my bones. Alas, the allure of chaos, artistic whimsy, and teenager laziness won out and I lost the scientific prowess of my youth. But this watercolour and ink sketch does give me some sense of street cred, that I never lost my ability to observe the natural world and record it, interpret it, and commune. This beautiful python caught my attention as I image searched for the perfect snake to draw. I knew I wanted a blood red circle behind it…red is such a potent colour that to me conjures life and death cycles, earthly power, and rites of passage mostly commonly found in women’s rituals. Snakes are symbols of magic…and transformation…once I had a dream that I was walking through crowds of loved ones and everyone had snakes dropping out of their clothing. It was a potent vision. For some cultures, dragons take the place of snake worship…yes I feel the truth in the umbrella family of snakes and dragons even if they are slightly different tones they feel like kin.
As we collectively move and shift, transformations can be triggering, uncomfortable, even painful. But they’re proof of growth. They’re an indication that we are part of nature, as the ever-shifting world around us is never static neither can we be.
Prompts: what part of the transformation cycles brings you the greatest joy? Do you pay attention or just brace yourself and hold on? do you process inwardly or outwardly?