Rattlesnake Encounters on the Trail: Fear, Focus, and Spiritual Meaning
What would you do if you noticed a rattlesnake directly on your walking path?
That was the question I asked myself on a recent hike with my sister-in-law, Meghan.
Picture this…
It’s a beautiful day in the Bitterroot Mountains—the perfect type of hiking weather, with the sun shining and a cool breeze in the air.
We make our way up the trail, enjoying our conversation, when suddenly, something catches my eye on the path.
A perfectly camouflaged rattlesnake was literally curled up just a few inches away…
My first thought was “wow, I am grateful I saw that!”
Because if I didn’t, I would have stepped right on it.
Then my next thought was “what are we going to do?”
We were in a wooded valley with lots of trees and brush filling up the sides. Then we noticed a path around, so we decided to take that.
And the life-threatening snake just chilled where it was. Which I was really grateful for and felt relieved.
Only a few minutes later, there was another rattlesnake on the trail.
The same scenario, and we did the same thing.
I was grateful to have seen the snake and had space to walk around it. However, now I was getting curious about what message the rattlesnake had for us. You see, when you see a random animal multiple times in a short period of time, it often means it has a message for you.
Living in the mountains, I have become more accustomed to snakes. They are our neighbors out here. I had been around black and garter snakes where I grew up in Maryland. Ones that aren’t poisonous.
And through my time in the mountains, I have seen my fair share of snakes. But recently, they have just been bull snakes. We like these because they eat rattlesnakes, and if they are around, you know that rattlesnakes aren’t.
As a result, I hadn’t seen a rattlesnake in years. But there were two in a short amount of time that I nearly stepped on.
What is the message here?
We continued our hike, and I grabbed a walking stick to keep out in front of me. Just in case there were any more visitors on our path.
And then I got to thinking, if we saw two on the path, “how many more did we walk by and not see?”
It is interesting to ponder. When I saw the rattlesnakes. I did have a little tinge of fear, but it was more like awareness. Like, “hey, there is a rattlesnake there, don’t step on it.” Not “OMG there is a rattlesnake, RUN!”
I know the snake doesn’t want to bite me. It’s not going to come after me like you see in the movies. However, humans have been programmed to be scared of snakes. We’re also designed to protect ourselves for survival.
So there is real fear there…
As we continued our hike, we were mindful of our steps and surroundings. Something I do anyway, so I don’t step into a hole.
But we weren’t scared.
It had me start thinking about a story don Miguel Ruiz told me about how he had his past apprentices go on a hike through a valley up to a cave. When they arrived, a rattlesnake was there, and they all became scared as they focused their attention on it.
Then he said, “what you don’t realize is that you just walked by hundreds of rattlesnakes”. He shook his rattle and dozens of rattlesnakes started rattling back in the valley they had just walked through.
They literally walked by these snakes without fear because they weren’t aware and therefore, not focused on them.
It was a powerful story that helped me understand how much your focus shapes your experience.
And made me think, how many times have I…
“Walked right by a rattlesnake and didn’t even realize it?”
“Focused on fear, when I wasn’t in danger?”
“Not seen a sign that was right in front of me?”
And how could I use this knowledge to focus on love and abundance, rather than fear?
When we returned from our hike, I looked up the spiritual meaning of rattlesnakes to see what message they carry when one appears.
If a rattlesnake shows up, it means:
- Pay attention to any signs or omens that may be warning you to stay away.
- Trust your feelings and observations when you’re around other people.
- Whatever you do now to heal yourself will mark the beginning of a major transformative cycle.
These rattlesnakes appeared during a period when MaryBeth and I are navigating heavy trauma and drama. Contemplating what is best for our family and the life we aspire to live.
I had been teetering back and forth between fear and possibility. The fear wanted to pull me under.
So these messages are spot on.
I love it when the universe gives you signs like this because it helps you know you are on the right path.
I know I don’t want to choose fear. Sure, there could be fear around me. And things I need to be aware of, just like the rattlesnake. But there is always another path to choose, as we did.
Just like a snake sheds its skin, I also need to shed my fear.
So, while you might not see a rattlesnake anytime soon, be open to the signs around you and where you focus your attention.
Do you want to focus on the scary things?
Or do you want to focus on the possibilities of what those scary things are trying to teach you?
And if you need support, one of the best things I did for myself was an Emotion Code session, as I was navigating my own fears and uncertainties. The Emotion Code helps you release trapped emotional energy that can be impacting your well-being. It could be something as literal as fear of snakes or uncertainty over the future.
For me, I was able to release trapped emotions like Fear, Anxiety, Depression, Helplessness and Sadness. And instantly felt freer in my mind, body, and spirit and did not have the fear spiral take me down.
One of my clients recently said they had been in therapy for decades and never felt such a significant energetic release that made them feel instantly lighter and free after just one Emotion Code session.
If you feel like you need to release something that is holding you back, book an Emotion Code session with me. This way, you can experience the freedom of letting go of what no longer serves you.
P.S.
Here is what one of my clients said after I did an Emotion Code Session for her around her fear of spiders.
“Since I can remember, I have been panicking when I saw spiders (especially in the house). James worked on it, releasing a lot of different emotions around it. I still won’t carry them on my bare hands since lifelong learned patterns of behaviors need time to change. However, a lot still changed for me even after that one session: instead of screaming for help or taking out the vacuum cleaner, I now carry them out in a glass and feel totally safe and comfortable while doing it. I even watch the animal that I now discover as interesting creatures that is now for sure more afraid of me than I am of it.” — Anja W.
