St. Patrick and the Snakes

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! For me, this sentiment, and this day, has an extreme amount of distaste in my mouth. Many of us know that St. Patrick’s Day is a major party in the United States, especially if you’re in the Chicagoland area (land of the Chi-Irish). Among the many there are quite a few that know that St. Patrick has this day because it is the day he drove the snakes from Ireland, an island, without any historical record of snakes. So what on Earth did he manage to drive away if it wasn’t the literal snakes? Well, seeing as he is accredited with converting Ireland to Christianity, I’m going to say snakes are referencing the Druids, or the polytheistic, heathenish ways of the Irish before St. Patrick converted Ireland.   

Now, clearly St. Patrick didn’t do the best job banishing the Druids from Ireland. The tradition is currently surviving on a newer and translated form. None the less, St. Patrick was viewed, and still is, as the man that rid Ireland of them. When pagans are celebrating this day (it is really hard not to enjoy the parades and Guinness) you will spot many (myself included) wearing snakes. I have always viewed this tradition as our way of saying we are not gone, we survived being driven out of places and condemned in others.  Our beliefs are stronger than their swords and we are proud to keep following our paths. The snake is also an amazing icon for rebirth, and wisdom. With the events of St. Patrick (among thousands of others) we have grown wiser as a spiritual path, and we have been reborn into more modern ways of worshiping our old Gods. The snake is not an insult, but a banner of pride. So, on this of green and pinching, be sure to remember the snakes of Ireland and honor them. Even if you are still deep inside the broom closet, you can still show your pride for who you are by wearing a snake in some way or later honoring the snake in meditation. Let me know how you celebrate St. Patrick’s Day as a snake.

My sources:
​Andrews, Ted. Animal Speak: The Spiritual and Magical Powers of Creatures Great and Small. MN: Llewellyn, 2010. e-book.
Claire. PaganCentric: Pagans and St. Patrick's day: the real meaning. 17 3 09. blog. 16 16 2016.
Pitzl-Waters, Jason. Patheos: St. Patrick, Druids, Snakes, and Popular myths. 17 3 12. 16 3 16.