Snakes have long served as representation for everything from a creative life force to fertility, rebirth to immortality. For Reverend Jochi Rötger, serpents bring forth a transformative healing energy that is both empowering and beautiful. As a soul guide and shamanic healer, he utilizes live snakes, crystals, and sound healing to bring spiritual evolution to the lives of his clients. He also creates stunning visuals on his Instagram account, welcoming viewers into the powerful world of serpents and spirit healing.
The idea of snakes as a healing totem is pretty straightforward—they shed their skin on a regular basis and live close to the earth, attracting those who might be ready to spiritually shed their skin or those seeking a closer relationship with the Divine Feminine. However, snakes can also evoke images of evil.
While this resonates with Rötger from messages from his Roman Catholic upbringing, he couldn’t help but be drawn to snakes the first time he encountered them at a magic show. The audience was invited up to the stage, and Rötger instantly volunteered. “I was so enamored and surprised that the kid in me went ahead and gave the snakes a kiss on the head!”
Since then he has shed any negative connotations and began an intellectual, personal, and spiritual exploration of their energy. He’s particularly drawn to the snakes of Ancient Egypt, personified by the protectress goddess Wadjet—often seen on the headdresses of pharaohs. Rötger also studied the Naga, serpent spirits who guide the transformation of the planet in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain thought. One Naga is even believed to have sheltered the Buddha from rain while he was deep in meditation.
Because snakes live so intimately with Mother Earth, they’re also helpful in getting in touch with the Divine Feminine. Rötger explainsthat in the same way as angels are the messengers of the Divine Masculine, serpents communicate for the Divine Feminine. So if you see a snake cross your path, you might want to take note. That’s not to say that working with serpents is only for women though as a feminine facet exists in all personalities.
“Most people tend to think that my page is run by a woman. I don’t mind—I consider myself more androgynous in nature [like snakes], but I am proud to say that I am a man who is in touch with his femininity.”
What’s in a Session?
Though serpent healing comes in many different packages, Rötger guides his clients through working with live snakes in his sessions, which begins with making sure his client is comfortable and fully understands the process. For those that are too fearful to jump straight into working with snakes, he’ll focus on sound and crystal healing instead.
For those that are prepared, Rötger moves forward with communicating with his snakes to determine which one is ready to partake in a healing; some are social and love working in the space, while others prefer to participate every few months. Accordingly, Rötger has developed an intimate connection with each, with an understanding of their personalities so he can gage which one is best to bring in.
In a session clients may sit across from the snake, allow it to be draped around their neck, or invite it to crawl over their body. As snakes can sense energies humans can’t detect, they may travel to the part of the body that needs healing the most, helping Rötger to direct the energy.
While snakes do bring their own ancient, healing wisdom to a session, it’s often the mindset of the client that shifts just from interacting with the animals. As many of us were taught to fear snakes, uncovering the beauty in these creatures can have a profound effect. “If people can find beauty in a serpent, which is feared around the world, they can find beauty in anything else,” explains Rötger. This includes finding the goodness in oneself. Other times, it’s overcoming fears and realizing how gentle these animals are that changes people. “By the end of the session, they’re caressing and holding the serpent and they’re just so amazed at how fragile and sensitive an animal that can be so demonized can be.”
Animal Welfare in the Spiritual Community
Animals have served as spirit guides in virtually every culture. While Rötger is honored to tap into the ancient medicine of serpent energy, he does have some concerns. As his Instagram grows more popular, he finds people often become enamored and impulsively acquire a pet snake without really understanding the care it demands.
“We are working with animals in the 3-D plane. We have to respect their needs and any of their desires. It’s just the kind of thing where we have to respect the animal for what it is and as a separate entity. And do as much research to make sure you are in the position to actually be a caretaker for that animal.”
Many people buy pet pythons without realizing that they live 30 years or longer. That means inviting a living serpent into your home is a multi-decade commitment. In Florida, where Rötger does most of his work, ill prepared snake owners have spurred an environmental crisis. Once they decide they can’t care for the pythons in the way these sacred creatures need, they often release them into the wild. These serpents have made their way to the Everglades, disrupting the already fragile ecosystem. With no natural predators in Florida they grow to enormous sizes and have been known to prey on the Florida Key Deer, an endangered species.
The snake trade is another area of concern. With so many eager buyers, breeders have created snake mills that breed and churn out designer snakes for a profit, without much concern for the wellbeing of the creatures. Some “morphs” can even be sold for tens of thousands of dollars, attracting inexperienced breeders into the trade.
If you want to welcome serpent energy into your life, start by inviting the totem energy into your space, working with imagery, or exploring ancient mythology surrounding snakes; rather than jumping into becoming a snake owner. Or, begin with imbibing the gentle healing that rolls off of Rötger’s daily posts at @the.rose.serpent!
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