It was a beautiful Saturday morning and we were sitting outside drinking coffee. It was one of the first days of summer and we were in the country. The sprawling views of hills and meadows before us were breathtaking. The air was filled with the aroma of the forest around us. I decided to take a stroll in the garden. The colors of the flowers were vibrant and enchanting. I was taking in and savoring the tranquility of nature until I saw a snake. The sight of the snake startled me and in an instant everything inside me felt clenched and on alert.
The snake was nestled between two tiles on the path. Its skin was black, red and white, and it was about a foot long. It frightened me to think that I have walked over it when first venturing into the garden without noticing it. I picked a different path to go back to where my friends were and tell them about the snake.
They all wanted to see it so we approached it again. It was lying curled a few times around itself basking in the sun just like we had a few moments before that. Someone suggested that we should kill it with a shovel. I was horrified at the idea of there being a snake around us and did not oppose the idea. However, one of our friends objected saying, “No, no. We shouldn’t kill the snake. It is not even aggressive towards us.” While we were debating what to do he told us to stand back. He grabbed a glass of water and from a step away with his arm stretched he slowly poured the water over the snake. I was a bit scared at the idea of what could happen if this were a poisonous snake and it decided to attack him. Thankfully, the snake felt agitated, its piece disturbed it slithered away towards the stonewall near by and quickly hid from our sight.
In the moments that passed my sense of relief was short-lived. A feeling of embarrassment at my own reaction was beginning to rise. I remembered reading a story about Bulgaria’s most gifted psychic Slava Sevrukova in Hristo Nanev’s book “A Pupil Toward The Universe: The SuperPhenomenon Slava Sevrukova.” Slava was walking on a narrow path in the country when a snake crossed her path a step away from her feet. Instinctively, in an act of self defense Slava lifted her walking cane. Snakes were the only animals she innately disliked. The snake, scared by Slava, began to hiss aggressively at her ready to attack. Overcoming her fear Slava stepped back and leaned a little forward. The snake rattle became even louder. Slava looked the snake in the eyes and gently said to it, “Don’t fear, my dear, I won’t hurt you.” Slava continued to telepathically send the same calming though to the snake until a few moments later it retracted and quickly continued disappearing in the tall grass blades. In her thoughts Slava traced the snake’s faith and saw that danger loomed ahead. She telepathically contacted the snake again saying, “Please don’t go that way! You will get killed! Please turn back!” A few moments later the snake crossed Slava’s path again returning to where it originally came from. The snake slithered away without stopping and Slava slowly continued on her way happy to have granted life.
I sincerely hope to be more gracious and enlightened in my reaction when I see a snake next time. Even though this is an encounter I prefer to never have again. I also greatly admire my friend for saving the snake’s life. For he understands that animals and plants carry the same divine spark that we do and that they respond to our love and quietly suffer when we treat them poorly.
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