It started with a dream, which required a conversation, and the result was a tool and ritual. So instead of making a big intro, let’s just jump into it.
The Dream
My family and I were entertaining a couple of guests and there was a black snake just wandering around the house. It was fairly large and in a phase of shedding – only its head had shed and the rest of the body was still covered with its old skin. It reminded me of a black rat snake but it seemed really thick behind the head (which was still covered by skin) and bigger. It kept nipping at my feet and lower legs.
There was no fear, no pain, just a tinge of annoyance that it kept trying to get my attention. Not in a negative annoyed way per say, but more like when your pet is trying to be all up in your face while you are focused on getting a project done. The animal is just trying to get your attention, wanting to be acknowledged – they are not doing it maliciously but from a place of love. That is what this was like.
As time wore on, it lost all its shedding skin and it turned out to be the brilliantly black cobra snake. By this time, its nippy bites had moved to my arms and upper body. No pain, no fear, just a calm understanding that it wanted to be in my focus.
In the last part of the dream I was laying down on my side looking over the edge of the bed. The Black Cobra slowly raised up into my view and then struck out, attaching to my throat (around the vocal cords). Still, no pain or fear, I just went to work on unhinging its jaws to remove it from my neck… At the same time all this was going on in my dream, there were things happening in the living world. My husband noticed that a wave of goose bumps popped up all over my body, he reached out to touch my arm to see if I was ok, and I systematically elbowed him in the face as I was opening my eyes to the waking world. – No good deed goes unpunished, lol. The goosebumps were an interesting factor though.
The other contents of the dream, the events, faded into the background, but the brilliant Black Cobra remained crystal clear in every encounter. It was time for a conversation.
The Conversation
I sat down in front of my altar and stared at my transformed statue of the Goddess Hel. My eyes been drawn to the black and white snakes wrapped around Her. When I was painting the statue I spent some time trying to decide what colors those snakes would become. I landed on black and white with an artists perspective of what those colors represented… little did I know the symbolism would go deeper then that.
I tried to start the conversation with Hel, to gain insight on the snake in the dream, yet She promptly stated the answers were elsewhere. It wasn’t that She couldn’t tell me, but in order to really understand I had to experience. I know this about myself, so of course it was not surprising. Yes, the answers laid elsewhere – because this was not a snake separate from me, but we are getting there.
As I sat there, Adeliza’s voice drifted in softly, and my journey began. A new vision of the black and white snake started to emerge. The black cobra was the symbol for the Ancestral Soul. Not all the ancestors but the ones that reside and carried forward within me.
The White Cobra being a representation of the part of the soul that is mine alone for this life. The one that walks among the spirits – The one that represent me in this incarnation – even my conscious soul could be a way to describe it, which brought forth some other ideas on the soul.
There was no fear because it was a part of me. No pain because it wasn’t trying to hurt me, but it was trying to force my attention a certain direction. It wanted to be seen, be acknowledged, and in the end it wants both a private conversation with me and for me to share with others – the throat/ vocal cord aspect.
Going Inward
Connecting to this part of the soul, these specific ancestors, is not a journey outward but a deep journey inward. There is a unique bond there that is not like any other. You not only have access to the memories passed down through DNA memory but an energetic tether between their energy pattern and yours.
This is an important distinction because I believe the blended form of the ancestral soul that resides within us, is a mix of various different ones. This started to bring up some questions on how separate or blended are they in that format. Do they lose distinction as individuals then? Can they stand as separate people while still being blended in this way? Is the energy pattern that we connect with, have conversations with, interact with, a separate energetic pattern that holds their white cobra form outside of the black blended form – or is that pattern held within the blended form, thus being more of a collection instead of a full blending?
I have digressed though and going deeper then this particular article will cover. The point is, no matter what the answers are – this is different then connecting and building bonds with spirits/ entities outside of ourselves. The bond is already there – it is about acknowledging it, bringing it forth to a conscious level, and learning from it.
Symbolism
The shedding was it going from this background part of me, to being front and center in my view and work. Coming forward and where my work will be at for awhile. A place of being hidden, to a place of brilliance.
I did look around to see if I could find any other clues in spiritual meanings of the Black Cobra or it biting in dreams. No luck there. They were all referring to fear, pain, and other emotions and symbolisms that absolutely did not fit at all with the experience.
The reason I am adding this section is to make a point. I love researching, but I feel you have to look at your experience – what you feel, what you think, what your intuition is telling you. Too often I see people seeking meanings and interpretations that others have, or are, stating. When really the answers already lie within them, in the experience and their perception of it. I think this is a product of not trusting yourself, your intuition, and perhaps even throwing in some impostor syndrome.
So the point is to be careful when listening to others. Be sure you are listening to yourself and trusting yourself – because no one else is having the exact experience you are. If I trusted what others said on this, I would have missed everything.
The Tool
Mirror magic has been a constant reoccurring theme the last few months. It is not in the way I hear mirror magic referenced to most often, but something different. I have been experimenting and finding a new perspectives on mirrors with spirit work.
One experience actually occurred in a window reflection, not a direct mirror. I saw my face shifting and changing, almost like an overlay of another face on-top of mine – both existing at once. Familiar features, family faces, yet I had never seen them before. The faces of the ancestral soul coming forward.
Mirrors, reflection, ancestors, connections, guides – I needed a different kind of mirror for a specific purpose. So this little frugal with went to work. I found an old gold colored mirror in storage that was the perfect size. Painting the frame back with brushes of silver, anointing it with my communing water I created just for this purpose, and creating the ritual to create the right portal/ reflection.
The Ritual
A dark ritual to dive into the black snake. It requires darkness, so a dark night or dark room – the less light the better. Set the mirror in front of you where your face is fully seen in it. Light two small (tealight) candles on each side. I suggest at least six inches away from the mirror and a little behind it. This should put a glow onto your face but not illuminate too brightly – if it is too bright go to one candle.
A cup of Cacao. Drinking it as you settle into the ambiance of the room, relax your body, and focusing on the thought of the journey inward.
When you have finished, you can either go into a trance state if you are skilled – Eyes open though and looking at your reflection. Do not focus on the features directly, but allow your gaze to shift to an unfocused phase. If you are not proficient in trance work, I suggest using the mala technique with a mantra like: I call forth the ancestors of my soul, the ones I carry forward in this life, make yourselves known – all while watching the face in the mirror.
Take note of any voices, feelings, and faces you may see emerging during this. Depending on how practiced you are, see if you can engage them in conversation. For me this work can last an hour or two so I make sure to carve out time with no distractions, no music/ sounds.
When you come out of it, write everything down. That way you can dive deeper into aspects and reflect back to find things you may have missed in the beginning as you grow along the journey.
The more you do this and get the hang of how to work it effectively for you, the more you can explore the communication possibilities. You may start to see reflections of their life in image format in the mirror – almost like watching a movie. One may come forth and just start talking to you. It will be slightly different than an external spirit because this is coming from within you. Take note of those difference and what that experience feels like to you.
In Closing
Are you tired of me talking about ancestors and the ancestral soul yet? If you are I apologize, but know, at least for awhile, it will be a reoccurring topic for me. I’ll keep writing on all kinds of other things too, but I write from a place of my experiences and personal journey – and this is where it is at the moment.
When I share, I share from a place of me. My perspectives, my work, my experiences, my thoughts, and my theories. It is part of my own path of living in my authentic self. Sharing in this way, it gives others the ability to explore, alter, and create what they need for them – not following my way. My work just serves as an inspiration to look in that direction. At least that is how I view it.
Take the journey inward – you might be surprised what you find and the power you are able to unearth – the Black Cobra laying in wait.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In