I recently dreamed that I was really good at handling a rattlesnake so that it couldn’t hurt anyone. In the dream, someone else with a lot of confidence but lacking competence also wanted to handle the snake but she did so in such a way that it got agitated and was squirming ready to bite or attach.

This dream has left me awe-struck at the beauty of the dreamworld, the perfection with with dreams are designed.

Not knowing much about black rattlesnakes before this dream I researched them a bit online and found this great video. There’s lots to learn about these beauties but here are a few which stick out because I saw these qualities about the snake in the dream even before I learned they have these real qualities in real life.

1. The name is Black Arizona Rattlesnake – This is interesting because the “blacker-than-black” quality of the snake stood out for me in the dream and helped me in my research afterwards. The Black Rattlesnake lives in Arizona and for me this is one of the places on earth which I really want to experience in real life. But symbolically, Arizona is a warm country full of natural mystery and wonderment so the Black Rattlesnake from Arizona is inviting me in my dream to experience the warmth of wonderment.
2. These snakes like to curl up – In the dream, the snake was curled up at the beginning and I discovered that in real life these snakes do like to curl up and hide out waiting for their next meal. If they sense a threat they will retreat before resorting to attack. They are actually mild-mannered snakes as you’ll see from this video. They only start their rattle going if they cannot escape and they will shake their rattle until they lunge and bite. They don’t want to attack though and if given the chance will retreat instead of attack.
3. Handling them with care lessons the risk of attack – In the dream, someone provokes the snake and it tries to bite my hand but I am skilled at dealing with it and I demonstrate how I can take a fang to the hand without getting bit and can remove the fangs while calming the snake. The other person takes the snake and holds it high over her head, flaunting that she believes she knows best. However this agitates the snake and it prepares to bite.

What I like about learning about the Arizona Black Rattlesnake is that I discovered that even though it is poisonous a bite from it would be painful but not likely lethal. I also liked learning that it is a docile creature who retreats when feeling threatened and only attacks if provoked.

The dream was a good lesson for me and a good reminder that sometimes I can be relating to someone who thinks they know what they are doing even when they do not and this can cause hurt to a lot of people.

Someone wise said to me recently that, “Hurt people will hurt people.” And that is what this dream is about.

Someone who has a lot of confidence but not a lot of competence is likely hurting inside and their actions result in hurting others.

Someone like that would benefit from therapy.