rattled by love

I live in Arizona, and I've done thousands of miles of hiking over the 29 years that I have lived here. There's lots of wildlife here, including rattlesnakes. I've only seen rattlesnakes about five times, and mostly from a distance. Once, while hiking in an arroyo, rather than on a trail. Twice from a car window (they were laying on the warm street sunning themselves). One that was dead. ​

The fifth time I saw a rattlesnake was last year, June 14, 2020. There was a ruckus outside my living room window. It sounded like the ravens (of which there are many) were fighting. I glanced out my window, and I saw four of them jumping up and down on something that was in the shallow wash, so I ran outside to get a better look. I was about 10 feet away when I realized that they were tormenting a very large rattlesnake. The poor thing was twisted up tight like a pretzel, and still was about two feet across, so I estimated its actual untwisted size was probably about 4 feet long. I yelled at the ravens, and waved my arms, "Hey! Hey! Stop it!" They reluctantly flew away.

I happened to have my cell phone with me (a rarity), and without thinking, I went through the gate to get a closer look. I wanted to snap a photo, and also wanted to make sure the rattlesnake was okay. It didn't move. It looked at me, and I swear to you, the poor thing had terror in its eyes. Then it stuck out its tongue, and I knew it was aware that I had saved it. I felt nothing but love from it, or for it. I got within about 6 feet from it, and snapped a photo. It stayed there quite awhile, seemingly catatonic. I checked on it frequently until it slithered away to safety. I felt so blessed to have been able to save it, and witness it so close up.

In a previous lifetime, I was the British actress, Lillie Langtry, 1853-1929, (I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt). Lillie eventually bought a ranch in California and made wine. There were lots of rattlesnakes in the area, and she was so afraid of them that she would pay to have them killed. In my current lifetime, I couldn't kill an ant. I've often wondered whether I've cleared my karma with rattlesnakes since my lifetime as Lillie.

I'm hoping that, on June 14, 2020, I was given the "all clear" from the universe. That's the day that I was rattled by love that I never knew I could feel.