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Snakes and Spiders: |
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By Barbara Levin Krupp
Based on the works of Rajan Sankaran, David Warkentin, Val Ohanian, and Eric Sommermann.
One way to think about spider and snake remedies is to look at them as the female (spider) and male (snake) archetypes of the Unconscious. The spider represents inner change and accommodation to the environment whereas the snake represents the dawning of ego development and transformation. The spider stays hidden in the dark while the snake comes out and lies in the sun: we have here the cold, chilly quality of the spider in juxtaposition to the hot, passion of the snakes. The theme of webs in the spider remedy elicits the idea of the cunning, divisive quality of the spider. Here the sensations of suffocating, constricting, devouring and entrapment become clear. The web also represents the idea of compulsivity which becomes manifested in the issue of addiction found in their picture and the theme of periodicity. Here we find that the more regular and precise the web, the more prominent the aspect of periodicity. The web also brings to mind the feeling of being entrapped, of being caught, of being industrious, of being involved in intrigue and politics. The spider remedies have a strong theme of death and include the delusion “about to die”, also the idea that they are being tested and if they fail, they die. All spider remedies have an element of sociopathy; almost a total absence of guilt and of being very good liars.
The snake remedies are passionate and resonate with the themes of evil and temptation and sexuality and spirituality. The issue of split aspects to the self is prominent. Snakes are all about ego identity and passion; they have a tendency to be brilliant, talkative and creative. Their energy is all about gaining control over their impulses (here we see the basis of ego development in humans, the emergence of the Self can only occur when the instinctual/impulsive aspects of our nature are brought under control). Most of the snake remedies are made from the venom of the snake and the venom has three primary affinities: blood (hemorrhaging and heart disease); neurotoxins and lung problems; paralysis and necrosis. The primary themes in the snake are the sensation or actual enlargement of body parts; constriction, especially around the neck; symptoms worse when sleeping or upon awakening; periodicity; sidedness (more aggressive snakes being left and less aggressive ones being right); speech problems or loquacity; circulatory problems; bruising; respiratory problems.
To summarize:
Spiders:
General: restlessness, chilly, periodicity.
Affinities: nervous system, stomach, reproductive, chest and extremities.
Themes: intelligent, territorial re: sexual relationships, hidden, cunning, manipulative.
Snakes:
General: warm, sidedness, periodicity, passionate.
Affinities: circulatory system, lungs, paralysis, necrosis, speech.
Themes: split in Self, highly active, creative.
Spiders: Tarentula Hispanica (most proved spider with clinical cases.
Main theme: over stimulation of the nervous system.
Mental/emotional: intense mental activity. Easy excitement. Likes to work fast. Impatient; intolerant of slowness in others. Need for speed. Love of music and dancing (this ameliorates symptoms). Fears death: extremely fearful of being killed. Will pretend to be ill as a part of the deceit and cunningness. Becomes rageful when opposed. Deceptive. Sociopathic; almost total absence of guilt.
Kids: Hyperactivity. Restlessness. As they get older, destructive energy will come out and will hurt others. Bright children; teacher doesn’t go fast enough for them. See ADD, ADHD. Kids do well with computerized self-learning. Big rages; very demanding. Hard to settle kids down at night.
Generals: extreme restlessness, better from intense exertion. Better from music and dancing. Listens to wild music. Chilly < from cold. Periodicity. Picks at body and scalp.
Nervous system: over stimulation. Twitching and jerking. Paralysis and numbness in legs. Hypersensitive in hands.
Stomach: Vulnerable area of complaints. Constipation, slow digestion. Anxiety expressed in stomach. Food: craves raw food; aversion to meat/ will eat raw meat, fish. Craves spicy and salt.
Reproductive: high sexual energy; can be around illicit and immoral sex. Promiscuity; deceives spouses. Uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, cancer. Heavy bleeding at menses. Intense itching of vulva. Testicular cancer.
Chest: Intense palpitations that is better from dancing, hard activity.
Extremities: restlessness of all limbs; esp. when trying to sleep.
Snakes: Elaps, Crot and Naja
Elaps (Coral Snake)
The desire for revenge is very strong in Elaps – it takes the form of fantasy. These snakes are not assertive, they wiggle away. They are attractive, passive, vulnerable, abused and downtrodden, when the venom comes out they have fantasies of murder.
Mental/emotional: great fear of rain. Depression; dread of being alone.
Respiratory problems: sensation of coldness after drinking; hemorrhages from the lungs with pain; coughing with terrible pain in the lungs. Chronic nasal catarrh; nostrils stopped up and nosebleeds.
Stomach: Craving for salads. Stomach problems; cold things disagree.
Crotalus Horridus (North American Rattlesnake)
The main feeling in the rattle snakes is that they are surrounded by enemies. They have advanced psychic powers to keep themselves safe. They are the most clairvoyant of all the snakes. There is the sense that if you mess with them, they will kill you. The venom in this snake affects the circulatory system, the liver and the eyes (detached retina).
Mental/emotional: clairvoyant. Feeling that they are surrounded by enemies. At times a great military remedy; strategies with dealing with the enemy. Bloody nightmares. Hallucinations are pronounced and peculiar: specters of death, delusions eyes are falling out.
Circulation: hemorrhagic with blood flowing out of every orifice of the body with bloody sweat.
General: malignant conditions. Septic conditions. Exhausted vital force; alcoholism. Profound nervous shock.
Naja (smaller version of the Great Cobra)
Mental/emotional: They are not really aggressive; air of nobility – the snake of kings and queens. There is the delusion neglected, delusion neglected duty. Aurum like, it is the Aurum of snakes: can never do enough, very responsible. Sensation of two wills: feel victimized in some way and have the response of should I fight back or be noble. Can go into suicidal thinking. Devoted to duty and to the family. Emotionally very sensitive. Mood swings.
Heart: prone to cardiac conditions such as serious heart disease; for illness related to the heart valves; mechanical problems of the heart.
General: Sensitive to cold (like Elaps which is also related to Cobras); symptoms worse at night; left sided; at 3PM, after sleep.
Neurological: helpful in paralyzing conditions such as polio.