I hope you are ready! Tis the season!!

I have often been asked why Snakes Rising is called Snakes Rising. There are many reasons and associations, to be honest. Here are a few.

1) The return of paganism via the neo-pagan revolution. In case you haven't picked it up yet... the group has always been mostly "staffed" by neo-pagans and pagan sympathizers. The serpent was a symbol of the Olde Religion. (As an aside from a pagan that hails from the Celtic Isle geneologically..... I personally do not appreciate the idea of the "snakes" being driven from my ancestral homelands.) Here is a link to a song about this very subject, by Isaac Bonewitz:
moonpathcuups.org/rituals/snakes.htm

2) The practice of Yoga and the honoring of Shiva. About half of all the people who have performed with Snakes are practitioners of Yoga. Including Tantra, Kundalini, Hatha, and Bhakti. Here is a link to "The Myth of Manasa" about whom you will sometimes hear us chant:
www.accessnewage.com/article...ATH2.HTM

3) Honoring of Goddess. In many cultures She is associated with the serpent. The serpent is associated with rebirth and reincarnation and the cyclic nature of life. This poem was written by Jezibell, about dancing as Snake Goddess. www.shira.net/poem23-snake.htm

Hey, Jezibell is now one of my Tribe Friends! I found her moderating this tribe:
tribes.tribe.net/paganmusicanddance

4) Protection and conservation of the habitat, including the serpent. Many of our dancers are, in fact, snake dancers. As such, they have a soft spot for the species' they live with. And they want to educate the public about them as they dance. Serpents are maligned in our culture. That is something we'd like to see an end to. You can find a listing of snakes indigenous to Ohio here:
www.ohiodnr.com/publicatio...default.htm
Become an ally! Stop screaming when you see one of them... especially if you are around a child. Phobias are NOT our friends! Try singing instead. "Bring back, oh bring back, oh bring back the snakes to me....."

Amma
www.snakesrising.com