There once lived a humble woodcutter in a village, who spent his days gathering firewood from the forest. One winter morning, while bundling his load, he unknowingly fastened a snake among the logs he had gathered. The serpent, cold and motionless, lay stiff like a dry twig. Mistaking it for a branch, the woodcutter tied it tightly into his bundle and carried it home.
The Snake Bites the Woodcutter:
Back at his cottage, when he placed the bundle beside the hearth, and the fire crackled and the warmth spread through the room, the snake slowly began to stir. Revived by the heat, it regained its senses, and in an unthinking moment of primal instinct, it bit the very person who had unknowingly saved its life.
The woodcutter, shocked and betrayed, collapsed, realizing too late that kindness extended without discernment can become a fatal mistake for one.
The Symbolism Behind the Story of the lower self and snake:
At first glance, the tale seems like a simple fable about trust and consequences, but digging deeper, we find it rich in psychological and spiritual meaning. The snake isn’t just a reptile, but a symbol of the lower self, the primal instincts and unconscious drives that dwell beneath our surface.
The lower self represents the raw and reactive part of us, such as jealousy, anger, vengeance, fear, and unchecked desire. It sleeps when conditions are cold and unfavourable, but with the right spark, like comfort, attention, or indulgence, it awakens. Just as the woodcutter, we often make the mistake of bringing this lower self into our inner space, believing we’re in control. But once revived, it can turn on us in an instant to bite us.
Awakening the Lower Self:
We all carry a “bundle of firewood” with us in our daily lives, like our emotions, habits, relationships, and inner narratives. Sometimes, hidden among the useful and the good is a snake in the form of an old grudge, a suppressed fear, a toxic habit, or a wounded ego. Left dormant, it may not pose an immediate threat to us, but once warmed by our attention or indulgence, it rises in the form of:
- A toxic friendship that we keep for nostalgia’s sake.
- A lie that we told ourselves for comfort.
- Our past resentment we never really let go of.
An unhealthy pattern we keep feeding:
These are the snakes we carry with us. And when they bite, we feel betrayed, but in truth, we were the ones who nurtured them.
Compassion Without Discernment:
The story of the lower self and snake is also a cautionary tale about our misplaced compassion. The woodcutter meant no harm, even though he didn't realize what he was carrying. But our good intentions without awareness can be dangerous for us.
We often offer warmth to people or patterns that harm us by believing that we can "fix" or "heal" them through love alone. While compassion is noble, it needs the wisdom guidance. Sometimes, there is a thin line between kindness and self-harm, between empathy and enabling. The lower self and snake serve as reminders that not every part of you, or every person deserves access to your inner hearth.
Lessons from the Tale:
1. Know What You Carry:
Before you invite something or someone into your emotional space, carefully examine it. Reflect on your motives, attachments, and blind spots. Ask yourself, if this serves your higher self, or awakening the lower one?
2. Be Mindful of Repressed Emotions:
Suppressed anger, grief, or fear may seem dead, but given the right circumstances, they return with even more power. Heal them consciously, and don’t just bury them in the cold hoping they’ll disappear.
3. Guard Your Inner Fire:
Your warmth, your love, your time and energy are sacred. Not everything deserves to be warmed by it. Boundaries are not coldness; they are protection for you from those who would misuse your compassion.
4. Recognize the Lower Self and Snake in Others
Sometimes, people act like the snake in the story, not out of malice, but from instinct. If someone bites when they’re comfortable, ask if you’ve awakened something they can’t control. And then, protect yourself accordingly.
5. Transform, Don’t Revive:
There’s a big difference between awakening and transforming. The snake, revived, and acted on instinct. If we want a true change in ourselves or others, it must come from awareness, and not comfort.
The Snake Within Us All:
Carl Jung, the famed psychologist, spoke of the shadow self within us - the unconscious part of us - we disown or ignore. The snake in this story is, indeed, a perfect symbol of that shadow. Left unexamined, it waits to bite us. Not maliciously, but naturally. And when we finally “warm” it, with success, or comfort, or attention, it may emerge in ways that bite us.
This isn’t a tale meant to instill fear, but a call for awareness:
We all have a snake within us in the form of lower self. The key is not to pretend it doesn’t exist, or to destroy it, but to know it. To learn its nature, and make sure it does not dictate our lives.
Final Thoughts:
The tale of the woodcutter and the snake is not just a moral fable, but a mirror. It asks us what we carrying? What have we allowed into our lives without understanding its nature? And what part of us, once awakened, might bite?
The lower self and snake will always be part of the human experience. But with awareness, boundaries, and inner work, we can choose not to feed it—nor allow it to strike.
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