Year of the Snake
The commencement of the lunar New Year, 2025, which is, according to the Chinese tradition, the Year of the Snake, did bring to my attention instances of the symbolism of the Sign of the Snake. Moonlighting, in my role as part-time security guard at The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace, it was impossible not to notice the exhibit commemorating the occasion in the main galleria. It is a large object, in the form of an arching snake (“little dragon”), apparently made of inter-woven dry tree branches and leaves. Perplexing, because the optics suggest Autumn, to a Western sensibility.
A comment on the construction technique of the snake display: My snap judgment was it is amateurish. Not to waste time on negativity, upon further reflection, it does make sense in the context of what we know of the tenets of Feng shui. Granted, many other materials could have been used with greater ease, and to outstanding effect, than a bunch of dried leaves and stems. Impressive, in itself, was the work that apparently went into simply gathering enough materials for an object of its size, evidence of commitment.
My sympathy for the craftsmen who assembled the display! All those dry branches must have scratched the hands and arms. It is the sort of matter that, by general consensus, is more the type of yard waste that should be gathered together and deliberately burned, or heaped and soaked for composting. I hated raking the yard, as a kid, as it is the lowest type of labor that (today) is relegated to undocumented workers, i.e., “landscapers.”
The crude materials of the display stand in stark contrast to the fine leathers, precious metals, and gemstones, of the expensive merchandise sold in the shops that line the galleria hall. It is almost as if the Snake's designer and craftsmen were oblivious to the luxury appointments of the site. Regretfully, I cannot provide attribution for the creative team responsible. The Forum Shops commissioned the display and, as a private entity, must be approached for information about it. My concern is not with economics. It is with symbolism.
It is noticeably a fire hazard. In this location, it brings to mind reference to "bonfire of the vanities," literary connotations. I have written about this dramatic conflict before in my study of Savonarola. Also pertinent are the disastrous wildfires that recently brought disaster to the exclusive Pacific Palisades section of Los Angeles, and the million dollar beach houses along the coast. Painful to recall, I agree; but that's just the point of the Year of the Snake: The dazzle of wealth can disappear in a flash. A hint of fatalism comes to mind.
Don't panic, but the Forum Shops display literally is a fire hazard. The insurance rider for this event must be astronomical, and certainly was not overlooked. To repeat on my own behalf; I merely play the role of graveyard shift security guard for the site. It is my duty to notice fire hazards. Simultaneously, as a personal reaction, I respond to it as a powerful artistic statement. In the same instant the viewer feels profound reverence for the intricate fabrication of the display, the potential for blaze—accidental or otherwise—must be suppressed from thought. And yet, to be truthful, one must admit such a disaster would be spectacular to witness.
Whether you take Chinese astrology with a grain of salt, or attribute to it an ominous foreboding, the lunar New Year 2025 is getting off to a fiery start. In addition to the Los Angeles wildfires, which occupied the headlines for weeks, within the last couple of days have been two spectacular—and terrifying—plane crashes, one involving the crash and explosion of a fully fueled Learjet; the other less visually spectacular, but involving the death of 65 civilian passengers. All were avoidable and therefore tragic. And, if it was “tragic,” then it was fated.
With that said, common sense urges an end to the disquisition. Fateful occurrences on a mass scale always have the effect upon a vocal fringe of prophesying, of lamentations, of Revelations to come, and of End Times, in general. The Zodiac is, after all, nothing but the mythology of seasonal change. There will always be wildfires in the dry season, and wind and rain in others, and for each of the elements, in its season, and in its turn. It is the cycle of nature and of the Elements. If it is on your agenda to come to Las Vegas, this Year of the Snake, be sure to visit the Snake at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace. It will be waiting for you.