Animals Teach Us – By Phoenix Rising
Hey, my beautiful empresses!
Your girl Phoenix is back with another Gem of the Week, and honey, this one has been burning through my head like wildfire. You know how I am – when something hits me, it HITS me, and I can’t let it go until I’ve broken it all the way down for y’all.
So, here’s what happened: I recently had to part ways with someone whom I genuinely considered a friend. Now, being back here where I am, you hear all kinds of stories – some real, some not so much. But I’m the type of person who takes people at face value. Call me naive, call me trusting, but that’s just who Phoenix is. And when you fumble with that trust? Well, you can either feel my wrath, or we can part ways peacefully. Trust me, empresses, peace is your better option.
But what really gets under my skin – and I mean REALLY gets me heated – is when people act all confused about why I stopped talking to them. Like, really? You’re going to play with my intelligence like that? That’s when we have problems, because Phoenix doesn’t play those games.
Anyway, this whole situation got me thinking about a saying we’ve all heard a million times: “Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” Simple enough? But what does it REALLY mean? That’s where it gets interesting, because honestly, there’s no one true meaning – yet there are SO many meanings. Yeah, I know, I’m about to get all parable-ish on y’all again, but hear me out!
The Scorpion: Honest About Their Sting
Let’s start with my spirit animal – the scorpion. Now, scorpions are some territorial, defensive little creatures who don’t trust ANYBODY, not even their own kind. If they feel threatened, they’re ready to strike. But here’s the thing about scorpions that I respect: they’re honest about their nature.
A scorpion sitting in its natural habitat, minding its own business, is actually LESS likely to attack you. Notice I said LESS likely, not “won’t attack.” So please, don’t go camping in Arizona thinking Phoenix gave you the green light to pitch a tent next to a scorpion family reunion. I can already hear it now: “But Phoenix said they wouldn’t bother me if I don’t bother them!” Nah, baby, that’s not what I said. These creatures are unpredictable, so you camp at your own risk!
But that’s precisely what I love about scorpions – they are who they are, no pretending. They’re saying, “Look, if you mess with me or mine, that’s your behind, and we both know it.” When a scorpion strikes, you KNOW why. There’s no mystery, no games, no manipulation. Just honest to-goodness “I warned you” energy.
The Serpent: Master of Deception
Now let’s talk about Mr. Slithery Snake himself – the serpent. According to the Bible, the serpent represents deception and lies, and honey is a fitting description. A serpent will do ANYTHING in its power to manipulate you to get what it wants.
Here’s what kills me about serpents (and the people who act like them): they will switch up on “the hand that feeds them” so fast it’ll make your head spin. I’m talking about that person who’s been loyal, honest, just THERE for them through everything. But the moment they decide you’re no longer useful? It’s like they never knew you existed.
And if you know anything about November Scorpios like me, we’ll play that “blind mice” game right back and implement some serious stranger danger tactics. Play with THAT energy.
Caesar Junior and the Art of Relationships
Let me paint you a picture with a little story about relationships – and don’t worry, I promise this one’s better than my usual movie-watching-induced dramatic tangents.
Imagine you find a baby chimp – let’s call him Caesar Junior (and yes, I know keeping a tiger would be worse, but who holds a TIGER in their house? Let’s be reasonable here, people!). This little guy is injured and weak, so you nurse him back to health. During this time, you both develop a beautiful bond – like parent and child, but with more sharing of bananas.
Monkeys share a significant amount of DNA with humans, which is why this example works so well. In a healthy monkey-to-human relationship, the monkey doesn’t harm the human who shows consistent care and compassion. The human, knowing the monkey is harmless unless provoked, shows loyalty and protection when threats arise.
This is beautiful. If you rescued Caesar Junior, it means you CARED about him. You can’t just switch up on him now – that’s just wrong. And since Caesar Junior is genetically and physically stronger than humans, Mr. Steve (our caregiver) had better tread lightly and maintain that respect.
This is the OPPOSITE of serpent behavior.
When Caesar Junior Goes Serpent
But here’s where the story gets twisted, and this is where we get to the heart of “don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
Using the same Caesar Junior scenario, but in reverse: imagine that while Steve is nursing Caesar back to health, Caesar is actually plotting against him. He’s faking his progress, acting sicker than he really is, getting extra vitamins and care while secretly gaining strength and planning his attack.
Steve genuinely cares for Caesar – he’s giving his all to help this little guy recover. He even decides to keep him as part of the family. But Caesar? Caesar doesn’t care about that love and compassion. He’s got other plans.
Now, I was about to go whole Planet of the Apes on y’all and talk about Caesar taking over the world, but let me calm down – I’ve been watching too many movies in my free time! The point is, even though Steve loved Caesar like family, he had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. When Caesar finally showed his true colors and attacked, Steve made the hard choice to tranquilize him (because he couldn’t bring himself to hurt him worse) and send him to a wildlife sanctuary where he belonged.
Many of you might wonder why Steve didn’t just keep Caesar in a cage at a distance. But here’s the real talk: Steve couldn’t understand how, after everything he’d done, Caesar could flip like that. Sometimes the healthiest thing you can do is put someone where they belong and love them from a distance.
The Real Talk About Human Nature
Here’s what I’ve learned, empresses: Caesar was a wild animal, just like a serpent is a naturally manipulative being. When someone shows you they’re willing to bite the hand that feeds them, the hand that nursed them back to health, showed them love, gave them everything they need to be treated like the wild animal they’ve chosen to be.
A person with manipulative ways who will turn on their biggest supporter is someone who can’t differentiate between love and threat. They’re operating from a place of survival that doesn’t recognize genuine care and compassion.
Scorpions vs. Serpents: The Honest Truth
At the end of the day, both scorpions and serpents are deadly, but here’s the crucial difference: at least the scorpion is HONEST about their hostile nature. They’re like, “If you mess with me or mine, that’s your butt,” and when they strike, you KNOW why.
The serpent? That sneaky little thing will creep and plan an attack without you knowing. That bite hurts EXTRA because you never saw it coming. But guess what happens when that serpent finally reveals itself? When they try to strike someone who’s been preparing for their true nature all along?
Well, all we’re going to say is, “Oops, didn’t know you were there.” Gotta stop sneaking up on people.
The Empress Lesson
Here’s your takeaway, my beautiful empresses: not everyone who comes into your life injured and needing help is there with pure intentions. Some people are genuine Caesar Juniors who will
love and protect the hand that feeds them. Others are serpents in chimp clothing, plotting their next move while you’re pouring your heart out trying to help them.
The key is learning to recognize the difference and protecting yourself accordingly. Don’t be afraid to love people from a distance when they’ve shown you who they really are. And remember – you can be compassionate without being naive, generous without being foolish.
Your heart is precious, empresses. Guard it like the treasure it is, but don’t let fear stop you from helping others when your spirit tells you to. Just be wise about it.
Sometimes, the people who need the most help are the ones who will hurt you the most. That doesn’t mean you stop helping – it means you get better at recognizing the scorpions from the serpents, and you prepare accordingly.
Stay strong, stay wise, and remember – Phoenix always rises, and so will you. Until next week, empresses. Keep your crown up and your eyes open.
With love and lessons learned, Phoenix Rising
Phoenix Rising is a 26-year-old mother of two, sharing wisdom and encouragement from her unique perspective. Her weekly gems focus on life lessons, personal growth, and the strength that can be found in difficult circumstances.