Shedding

A wild woman’s heart, in the year of the snake,
Slithers with grace through the winding unknown,
Her spirit untamed, like the earth that will shake,
She dances in rhythm where shadows are sown.

With eyes that reflect the moon’s silver glow,
She moves through the dark with a whispering smile,
The serpent’s wisdom she learned long ago,
To shed what no longer serves, free for a while.

In the slither of time, she sheds and she grows,
Her fire ignites where the still waters lay,
In cycles unbroken, like rivers that flow,
She walks with the wind, and night turns to day.

In the year of the snake, wild and untamed,
Her spirit is fierce, and forever unchained.

Snake coils in the dusk,
Wild woman’s gaze pierces night,
Freedom in each step.

2025—the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac. It's a year marked by introspection, transformation, and shedding old layers, making it the perfect time for deep personal evolution.

In this year, expect a push to release outdated beliefs, habits, or relationships that no longer align with your truest self. The Snake, symbolizing wisdom and healing, encourages you to face your fears and embrace the necessary discomfort that comes with change. It's a time to trust the cycles of life and allow yourself to grow, even if that means stepping out of your comfort zone.

2025 is about refining your inner world. It's not about rushing toward external achievements or changes but rather making peace with the process of internal transformation. Much like a snake that slowly sheds its skin, this year asks you to trust that every moment of discomfort will lead to something more authentic and grounded.

Confront Your Fears: Often, we hold onto things because we fear what might happen if we let go. Explore those fears with curiosity. What are you afraid of losing? The safety of the known? The comfort of familiar patterns? Face these fears head-on, not with judgment, but with compassion for the parts of you that are clinging to old stories.

Revisit Your Old Narratives: We all carry stories about who we are and what we deserve. These can stem from past trauma, societal conditioning, or the expectations of others. Take a deep, honest look at these narratives. Are they yours? Are they still true? What would it mean to rewrite them?

Let Go of Guilt and Shame: Shedding can involve letting go of old emotional weights like guilt and shame—feelings that often arise when we make decisions that don’t align with others’ expectations of us. Practice self-forgiveness and compassion, understanding that to evolve, we must release the burdens of these emotions.

Embrace Vulnerability: Shedding isn’t just about letting go of tangible things. It’s also about being vulnerable—showing parts of yourself that you’ve hidden out of fear of judgment or rejection. To truly shed what doesn’t serve, you have to risk revealing your most authentic self, even if it feels uncomfortable.

Explore Root Causes: Dig deep into the emotional or psychological roots of what you’re carrying. Sometimes we hold onto certain behaviors or beliefs because they were survival mechanisms at some point in our lives. Now, they may no longer serve us. Understanding the "why" can help release their grip.

Cutting Energetic Ties: Sometimes, we can still be energetically tied to people, places, or situations that drain us or hold us back. This can manifest in lingering emotions or attachments. Consider rituals like writing letters you don’t send, burning symbolic objects, or even visualization exercises where you imagine cutting ties that no longer serve your highest good.

Cultivate Radical Acceptance: To shed deeply, you need to embrace where you are right now without judgment. This involves accepting not just the parts of you that you like, but also the parts that feel broken, incomplete, or ashamed. Radical acceptance is key to transformation because it releases resistance to who you are in this moment, making space for growth.

Give Yourself Permission to Evolve: Often, we stay stuck because we believe we’re supposed to remain the same person we've always been. Allow yourself to outgrow old versions of yourself. Give yourself permission to evolve, even if it means stepping into the unknown.

Trust the Unfolding: Shedding deeply requires trust in the process of transformation. Trust that even the painful or uncertain moments are part of your growth. Trust that the skin you shed is making room for something truer, stronger, and more aligned with your authentic self.

What is it within you that feels ready to be shed at a deeper level? What might emerge if you let it go?