The seeker comes with an empty basket and is prepared to receive guidance from the master. The master's head is chock-full of information, gleaned from the intuitive and creative arts, but in his wisdom he knows that the seeker's basket is limited by the seeker's experiences to date. The master creatively transforms (the snake) the information he shares so that the inexperienced seeker will comprehend its applicability to his life.

On our path, we travel along the seeker/master continuum being one or the other, or at times, both simultaneously. We gather what we have the capacity to hold, and share what we understand to be of value to others. It's important to be discerning in what we share, as our understanding is colored by our experiences and may not be objectively true or of value to another. Herein lies the value of my own father's warning, “Watch your mouth!”