Recognising the symbols, themes and influences in life

I was born in the year of the Snake.

When I made this discovery, I felt an immediate rapport with these much-feared, slithering creatures.

I don’t have a fear of snakes.

I’ve never had reason to.

Unlike those who do fear them, I find myself excited when they make an appearance in my life.

I see them as sacred messengers of Spirit, who cross my path to impart some wisdom.

And just as nature holds messages for me, so do many other facets of my life.

My astrological signs, animal totems, past lives, angels and every other influence of that nature, have each had their own significance and impact.

Whether subtle or profound, each of these elements are all a part of the jigsaw puzzle which is my life.

A snake in the living room

On a particularly memorable occassion, I walked into the living space of my home to find a baby diamond head snake awaiting me.

I was thrilled.

And, I saw it as a wonderful omen.

The girl from National Parks and Wildlife wasn’t so amused, and reprimanded me for having an open door for my cats to come in and out.

According to this young woman, I should keep my cats permanently locked up, as they’re an introduced species which kill small birds and other wildlife.

It didn’t occur to me at the time to enquire if she was vegetarian.

And, whether she made a distinction between people killing chickens, cows, lambs and fish, or if she only felt it detrimental when it applied to cats killing small birds and other wildlife.

I guess I’ll never know.

What I do know is that she wasn’t impressed with my open minded approach.

And she cautioned me further that being excited was also an inappropriate response. She felt I should have been very concerned because ‘diamond head snakes are deadly’.

Well, the truth is, I wasn’t concerned.

I was elated.

I felt privileged, that so powerful an animal was drawn to enter our space. It had felt no threat — snakes are innately accurate at sensing danger — from our vibrations or the rest of our environment; cats included.

I knew that she was a message just for me.

How could I feel anything other than gratitude?

A recurring symbol and reason to give thanks

I love it when I encounter snakes, and happily I’ve encountered quite a few.

My father’s sister and her husband kept one under the house as a pet, much to my mother’s chagrin.

I’m sure its actual purpose was to keep rodents out of the house, as they owned and worked a sugar cane plantation in Queensland. But maybe they also enjoyed having a laugh at Mum’s expense.

In more recent years, I’ve seen them slither across my path during my daily walk on the mountain. Or I hear their long, slow rustle in the brush nearby.

Once, I walked within inches of one which was lazing in the crook of a sandstone wall. She was sunning herself, and she raised her head curiously as I passed by.

I always feel so blessed to notice them, particularly the more discreet ones. And, I immediately give an acknowledgement of thanks to God and all God’s messengers.

There is so much symbolism associated with snakes. Some not so pleasant — I’m thinking of the snake in the Garden of Eden.

And there’s no shortage of interpretations.

But, I always find I’m able to easily understand the meaning of each appearance.

It’s crystal clear to me that not only is it significant that I was born in a Snake year, but that the symbolism associated with snakes has some greater bearing on my life.

Symbols and themes from birth

I’ve been very fortunate to have had repeated experiences, signs and recurring symbols gracefully brought to me, later discovering great significance in their timing and meaning.

Two symbols which feature strongly in both my Western and Angel astrology are water and the moon. Sensing and feeling are two others present in my Western and Chinese astrology.

I was born under the sign of Cancer, one of the water signs in Western astrology.

Water and the moon are symbols for Cancer, as are sensing, feeling and receptivity. Sensing and feeling are also characteristics of the Snake. So with Cancer and Snake combined I have a double helping of sensing and feeling.

I was born on Monday, the day of the moon. And when combined, Cancer and Monday offer double moon energy.

The moon governs the tides, so water and the moon go together. Water and the moon are also seen as symbols for the feminine face of God, and strong influences of devotion to Her have been present every area of my life, all through my life.

Water and receptivity are a companion pair, and The Holy Mother is the ultimate symbol for receptivity. So, I can hardly believe it but, yes, that gives a double influence of receptivity too!

These are only some of the symbols, themes and influences I’ve worked with for my personal development. I haven’t touched on the numerological line ups, or the symbolism found in my choice of precious gems, metals, stones and imagery.

How the angels fit in

The names I’ve received of the angels I work with, have also been a part of this intricate formula. It makes up the influences which ensure my gifts are used properly and my purpose fulfilled.

The first angel’s name I was ever given by spirit was Gabriel. That was in 1994 during a meditation.

Of course I knew the name well and felt comforted by the familiarity.

Gabriel presented to me as my guardian angel.

She is also the angel of Monday (the angel of the moon) as well as one of the angels for Cancer.

And having banished the snake from the Garden of Eden, Gabriel is also said to have dominion over snakes.

So rather than a double occurrence in this instance, I’m blessed to have four times the influence and assistance, this time from my beloved Gabriel.

But it was in 1996 that I had a life changing visitation from two angels, which lasted the entire night.

One of the angels was Gabriel and the other’s name was Muriel.

I thought I must have had the name wrong, that it must have been Uriel. The movie Muriel’s Wedding was still around at that time and I thought I must be picking up on that.

So, when in 2010 I was guided to Angela McGerr’s Angel Almanac, and discovered that the angels for the day and month of my birth are Gabriel and Muriel, I felt completely delighted.

Not only that my accuracy was confirmed but, that someone else receiving the same information, had compiled such a visually beautiful book on the subject of Angels.

Her book also contained many other references which my experiences, over the years, had validated. For me, her work is a reflection of my own experiences of the Angels.

Another angel’s name, Ariel, was given to me around 2001 — a Snake year — and not surprisingly, Ariel appears as an angel for Cancer too.

I’m still touched and overwhelmed by it all now. And, I feel very fortunate indeed to have so many beautiful influences, symbols and themes, running through my life.

Past life influences

There are past life influences, too.

They mostly relate to Asian countries and culture, and all things French.

And although I’ve had a number of regressions involving other lives and souls I’m closely linked with, the Asian and French patterns have held very strong sway.

My first spontaneous past life regression happened when I was around seven. In that vision I was an old Chinese man. I’ve had one other spontaneous regression to that life when I was approaching 30, and another deliberate regression in more recent years.

I’ve always loved Asian art and food and have always surrounded myself with trinkets and art from those cultures. So the idea of a past life in an Asian country, is a very natural and comfortable fit for me.

Having studied ballet, French was naturally a theme. I studied French in high school to assist with ballet theory, and because I thought it was a beautiful language too!

More recently, I’ve had regressions which involve a past life in France. I’ve had three of these regressions all relating to a particular issue I’m dealing with in this lifetime.

Revisiting those times made sense of recurring patterns which have been difficult for me to move past. And understanding them in context, enabled me to be more accepting of their presence in my life.

Symbols, themes and influences are mirrors of our life stories

These profound moments of discovery weren’t accidental. They were perfectly timed blessings which added depth and meaning to what were sometimes difficult and trying times.

The poignancy of finding that everything has meaning, that symbols and signs exist — even though I had never looked for them — and that everything that has happened in my life was all a part of a Divine tapestry, fills me with gratitude and relief.

We’re all born under particular influences which reflect to us our strengths or weaknesses.

Some of the influences we’ve chosen are there to ensure we develop certain qualities which are latent or under-developed, while others simply reflect the strengths already present.

I realise that by recognising and honouring the themes and symbols present in my current life, it becomes imbued with the colour of my eternal history.

Through that recognition, I can reconnect with my soul’s entire biography, finally leading me back to my purest, essential nature.

And at the same time, I develop a beautiful and perfect communication with God through my everyday interests and activities.

Notice the signs, then look for their meanings

A desire to understand the symbolism of your life, can open up a wonderful new world of inspiration, beauty and play.

Whether through art, literature, music, astrology, nature or spiritual texts, you can find enrichment and deepen your relationship with God.

Simply remember that God is present in all things, and then surrender all things to God.

By surrendering your day with this in mind, seemingly innocuous pastimes and interests become potent sources of revelation which open us to receiving guidance and direction.

You may find, as I have, that life opens up in ways you never thought possible.

So, if you’re looking for deeper meaning in your life and you’re interested in exploring the themes, symbols and influences present, then this blessing is for you:

With all my love
Karen x

Image credit: Alicepopkorn