the tale of the black snake
with the pulsings of transformation in its wake
this post is in honor of my serpente nero era. as part of any journey, there is a beginning. though any beginning’s edge can be blurred when one step leads to the next. so let’s just start with the year 2018.
i had spiraled down to a state of rock bottom that eventually catapulted me into deep transformation - which also meant that i was doing a lot of writing. at that time, i didn’t share my poetry, writings, or film photographs publicly because of fear and so, i kept them underground. however, the more i traversed these inner landscapes, the more and more words kept flowing. and the longer i was in the underworld of healing, the more restless i became feeling the urge to share my words.
it was during this 2018 year of travel and pilgrimage that i was inspired to create a second instagram account under the name “serpente nero” as a place for me to share my words and film photographs in a detachable way. i was doing regular spiritual work with the archetypes of bee, spider, and snake. i chose the name serpente nero (Italian for “black serpent”) to honor my Italian ancestry and to honor my relationship to the snake archetype that i connected with so deeply. it was a time of moving and creating underground, riding the scaly back of serpent through the corners and caves of my inner world. it felt safe to share under the guise of that name and creature.
i’ve always felt a kinship towards snakes, feeling a sense of both fascination and understanding whenever i would come across these misunderstood and often feared creatures. so many times when i was on a trail i would think to myself that it would be cool to see a snake here, only to turn a corner and there would be a snake. the name serpente nero to me was my way of honoring all of the complexities that the snake archetype means to me. and acknowledging the desire that i had for still remaining under covers silently working and creating before quietly releasing them in bouts into sunshine before retreating again. sharing under that alter ego slowly faded into me sharing more on my main account. in 2020, i created a series called “Wednesday Word Weaving with Katie” (still accessible under the hashtag #wordweavingwithkatie on instagram) in which i would share a poem paired with a photograph. this eventually led to the creation of my substack later on in 2020 when i felt the need to expand my words beyond the word limit and share my photographs uncropped.
in 2021 i left a terrible relationship where i was treated unkindly and had to take a big step back from the darkness to reset my nervous system. i sought refuge in softer things like lilac blossom and redwood tree and the gentle holding from community. after the release of my book when saturn returned, i started to really feel a shift away from the serpente nero name. i no longer posted my work on that separate instagram account and instead i stood behind my words openly. my life and practices had moved away from the deep dark underworld work of my scorpionic healing journey, to finding healing in another way. i dropped the dark loop of the lemniscate and walked towards the loop that lay in the sun. this new name magic in the mundane is a result of crumbling foundation being sloughed away to emerge with new skin eager to be kissed by sunlight.
i will always have an affinity for snakes, their ancient wisdom and archetype, but now it is time to emerge from the solitary shadows and be more like bee - sipping from flowers and collecting pollen to bring back to the hive as we all come together to make sweet nectar.
i started writing this brief telling of history before releasing my most recent substack post announcing the name change, and i finish it now after having returned from a road trip that further affirmed my intentions with this publication. i took time away from social media which allowed me to tap into what came through on that journey in a way that felt so familiar yet honestly a bit neglected due to being so busy and going through various life changes. the words and movements that came through during my road trip felt like gulping fresh air into my lungs after a long time of holding my breath. joints cracking, limbs aching, i slowly began to unfold myself so that i could properly receive. and it felt oh so good.
who i was before leaving was a different iteration of who i am now that i’ve returned home. the name change from serpente nero to magic in the mundane feels even more appropriate, for i have shed so much both metaphorically and physically - given that my actual skin is being sloughed off (thanks to the high altitude and UV rays of Colorado and Wyoming), bringing me back down to basics.
more will be shared from the road trip, but for now i want to leave with this conversation that i had with one of my friends who i met up with along the way in Colorado. a question came up that asked what is the point of bringing children into the world even though there is so much toxicity and destruction? i responded with, “it’s the same reason why we create art”. even during times of war and crumblings, art is still made. we still seek beauty and reminders that there is hope and faith in humanity and in the wonders of the world. we continue to make art, continue to have babies, continue to love and continue to make love because energy is so real and continuing to create beauty is a way of countering that which is unjust instead of succumbing into a passive state.
i came back from my trip to news of the “no kings” protests happening all over the country to protest against the current president’s immigration policies amongst other things. i saw a couple of my friends creating art to raise money and people coming together in community, using their voices and creativity to support those affected by the immigration policies. it’s these moments that serve as a reminder of the beauty of togetherness that comes from sharing our gifts with one another even (and especially) during times of turmoil.
i wanted to share two poems written in 2019 when i was deep in my serpente nero era. the first one portrays well the threshold of remembering. the second is an ode to my ally and alter ego (alter ego definition: an intimate and trusted friend), the snake. all film photographs shared in this post were taken when i was in the thick of this work from 2019-2020.
August 14th, 2019 she comes to me from distant places though she is never far away she showed me my old face in the velvet black mirror reflecting back the story that i hold this story, i am told, is one of ancient ways ancient knowings, ancient names though i had forgotten they leave me crumbs on the trail so i may return to my tale and it will not be too long before i remember the song for my time in this skin has really only just begun but now the veil is thin and i can see all the webs i had spun when i was old raven but now i am young and i must relearn the words so they can drip once more from my tongue August 26, 2019 i live under the floor boards of your house but i am more than just a stalker of a mouse i slide into your head and swim in dreams when you’re in bed then i slither down your throat leaving my venom there to coat so you may speak smooth and effortless it seems when you sing, down in the heart i form my rings right at the knot in the chest you will find the space between breaths when i am done there, do not fear, behind your navel i will reappear there, i will stretch under sun remembering the songs that were once sung songs that are never done for they lay with me inside your sacrum etched in bone they are unmoved like stone so do not worry i am in no hurry coiled at your root i can hide or you can feel me swallow in your spine slinking and sinking ever so deep with every layer i shed the path to self becomes more steep
what i’m listening to: sticking with the theme, here is a song that was a big go-to for one of my movement practices during those serpente years - specifically this version with the harp. the lyrics also perfectly mirrored what was coming up for me as i stepped further into my purpose. “the sea waves are my evening gown/and the sun on my head is my crown/i made this queendom on my own/and all the mountains are my throne”.
what i’m reading: “The Mists of Avalon” by Marion Zimmer Bradley was a book that affirmed a lot of what i had experienced in my spiritual work and dream work during that time. i would get chills at the synchronicities when reading it and it is still one of my favorite books.
mutual aid: my friend Missy is creating t-shirts to raise funds for Immigrant Defenders Law Center. Missy is such a badass human, mama of two, and has such creative power for real. she just finished making a batch but here is a link to Missy’s instagram to direct message her and order a shirt - help raise funds to protect our immigrant communities and get a sick shirt, a win win.
sending love from where i reside at the sunset of spring,
katie shakira
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