The Serpent Goddess: A Journey of Transformation and Healing

Dusah Wiseman, affectionately known as The Serpent Goddess, is a radiant figure of transformation, healing, and spiritual empowerment. With over 101,000 followers on Instagram, she has cultivated a dedicated community that resonates with her message of self-discovery and inner awakening. As a certified instructor in yoga, breathwork, meditation, and Qigong, Dusah combines her artistic spirit with profound spiritual practices to guide others on their path to authentic living. Her story is one of resilience and growth, demonstrating how trauma can be transmuted into wisdom and strength.

She has quickly become an inspiring figure and an icon for many due to her radiant energy, captivating advice, personal anecdotes, and shining smile. Her presence is magnetic, as she encourages others to embrace their unique essence, shed old layers, and rise into their truest selves. After researching and diving deeper into the journey as well as personally connecting with her and diving deeper into her journey, it’s easy to see why people are captivated by The Serpent Goddess. Her authenticity, coupled with her dedication to guiding others through their healing and empowerment, makes her an unforgettable and cherished leader in the spiritual community.

Early Life in Illinois: The Shadows of Violence

Born and raised in a small town near Chicago, Illinois, Dusah grew up surrounded by violence and turmoil. The harsh realities of her neighborhood were ever-present, marked by gang activity and the chilling proximity of a funeral home right across from her childhood home. “I grew up watching life and death unfold from my front porch,” she reflects. This constant reminder of mortality deeply impacted her, shaping her understanding of life's fragility.

Even in the midst of these difficult surroundings, Dusah felt a profound connection to the mystical, particularly through nature. As a child, she would perform rain dances, sensing that her energy could influence the weather. “Every time I would dance, it would storm…my mother can still attest to the rain dancing to this day, so it’s one of those moments where I realized it wasn’t just me imagining things,” she recalls. This magical connection to nature kept her sense of wonder alive, even when it felt dormant at times. “The rain still speaks to me in such a profound way, even as an adult. All of nature speaks to me and lets me know that I am a part of it all.”

Despite the mystical experiences that illuminated her path, her environment offered little support for spiritual exploration. “There were no yoga studios or meditation centers, only liquor stores on every corner,” she remembers. The spiritual desert she lived in, combined with the trauma of her surroundings, left her feeling isolated and misunderstood. Yet, her deep connection to the elements, particularly rain, instilled a sense of fearlessness. “Knowing that I wasn’t alone, that even the elements were conspiring in my favor, strengthened my intuition—a necessary ingredient when awakening your inner Goddess.”

Dusah's journey toward awakening the Goddess within her was not just about personal empowerment but recognizing that this divine energy exists in everyone. “The Goddess wants to be acknowledged within us all,” she says, emphasizing that this sacred energy is not reserved for those who identify as female, but rather is a universal force available to all who seek to connect with it.

The Turning Point: Overcoming Trauma

The course of Dusah’s life shifted dramatically when her high school sweetheart was tragically murdered. This devastating loss ignited a desire to escape the chaos and violence of her surroundings. “That was the moment I realized I couldn’t stay there anymore,” she reflects. Desperate to break free, she moved to Atlanta, hoping to find solace and a fresh start.

In Atlanta, she began a new chapter, attending the Art Institute with dreams of becoming a filmmaker. “I initially went to art school for film because I wanted to produce groundbreaking documentaries and learn the history of art,” she shares. The experience reignited her passion for creativity, from drawing and painting to cinematography and photography. However, the weight of impending motherhood and unresolved trauma persisted, leading Dusah to seek deeper healing. “I thought running away would solve everything, but I quickly learned that you can't just escape your problems; you have to face them.”

Balancing her studies, pregnancy, and working at a law firm, Dusah began to explore spiritual practices like meditation, even though they were frowned upon in her Christian upbringing. She found that her artistic spirit, which once felt separate from her spiritual path, began to manifest within her healing practices. “Creating art is much like going through the death and rebirth process—it’s all alchemy. It requires this self-abandon, the ability to transmute. The spiritual path and artistic expression are very much one in the same for me now,” she reflects.

This deep integration of art and spirituality helped Dusah heal and inspired her to guide others in their transformations. “Who better to decide what’s a masterpiece than yourself? The healing process, much like art, is about trusting the journey, even when it looks like a total mess.”

Dusah continues to incorporate creativity into her spiritual practices, guiding others through ceremonies infused with music, visuals, and sacred adornments. “Music, dance, and poetry are all part of the healing process,” she explains. Through these modalities, she invites others to explore their inner worlds and unlock their own divine power, using art as a bridge between the seen and unseen realms.

A Catalyst for Change: Encountering the Guru

Dusah's spiritual journey took a pivotal turn one day when she stumbled upon a video of a guru. Initially, she was skeptical, wondering if he was the real deal or a fabricated spiritual teacher. But as she watched, something in his eyes drew her in—a profound stillness that seemed to speak directly to her soul. Intrigued yet cautious, she found herself binge-watching his videos. One of them led her to a book by a woman who chronicled her own struggles with depression and her healing experiences with plant medicine. Dusah resonated deeply with the story, seeing herself reflected in its pages. "Her story mirrored mine in so many ways," she shares. "It felt like a sign, urging me to seek out this guru.”

Coincidentally, or perhaps by divine orchestration, the guru was scheduled to visit Atlanta just two months later. Despite her initial skepticism, Dusah felt compelled to see him in person. She applied for a scholarship to attend the event, still questioning if he could truly make a difference in her life. To her surprise, she was accepted. It felt like the universe was aligning to push her toward this experience, but she remained cautious. “I was skeptical, wondering if he could really make a difference in my life,” she admits. Determined to get answers, she set her intentions clearly.

When she finally arrived at the event, surrounded by over 300 people, Dusah was resolved to test his authenticity. She silently challenged the universe, thinking, "If this guru is real, let him make eye contact with me." As the meditation session began, her heart pounded with anticipation. Then, in an awe-inspiring moment, the guru stood directly in front of her, locking eyes with her in the crowded room. "That moment was electrifying," she recalls. It was as if time stood still, and all her doubts melted away. She knew then that she was on the right path, guided by something greater than herself.

The Initiation: A Profound Experience of Release

As the ceremony began, Dusah experienced an intense release of energy. “My body started jerking back and forth, shaking uncontrollably,” she describes. This physical manifestation of energy release was unlike anything she had ever experienced. “I could feel the trauma leaving my body, and tears of bliss flowed down my cheeks.” In that moment, she realized she had found the healing she had been searching for.

This experience solidified her understanding that true healing is not merely a concept but a physical and emotional reality. It became her blueprint, guiding her subsequent studies in spiritual and holistic practices.

Redefining Beliefs: The Role of Christianity and Religion

Dusah’s spiritual journey has evolved far beyond the traditional Christian roots she was raised in. In our interview, she was asked how her beliefs have shifted since childhood. Reflecting on her experiences, she said, "Nowadays my path has extended far beyond religion. I resonate with earth-based medicine, rituals, and ancient tools that I can feel and embody. As a child, the focus was more on believing in something you can’t see, and now I have a physical, tangible grasp of the unseen realm."

Though she was raised in a Christian household, she recognized that many teachings she grew up with were rooted in fear. "Christianity often teaches fear of the unknown,” she shares, noting how her experiences with meditation and other spiritual practices opened her eyes to broader dimensions of existence. This realization gave her the freedom to explore a spiritual path that honored both her Christian heritage and her growing awareness of healing and energy work.

Through her journey, Dusah embraced earth-based medicine and underwent several yogic and IFA initiations, a West African spiritual tradition she turned to in order to connect with her Nigerian roots. “My father is from Nigeria, yet we lost contact when I was two, so I delved into IFA as a way of connecting to those roots,” she shares. However, her path in IFA also brought challenges. Struggling to find authentic practitioners and facing rigid teachings that dismissed meditation—a central practice in her life—Dusah eventually stepped away from certain aspects of the tradition. Despite this, she maintains a deep connection with the Orishas, powerful deities in IFA, and remains open to all spiritual tools that resonate with her truth.

“I embrace tools rooted in truth however they come to me,” she explains. Her approach now is less about strict adherence to one belief system and more about feeling into the wisdom that her body and spirit recognize. “The first question I ask myself is, ‘Did I feel something, and does this feel like truth in my body?’” Dusah reflects. This intuitive and embodied approach to spirituality has guided her to follow what she calls the "golden threads of divinity” in even the smallest things, allowing her to receive messages from the natural world, whether through meditation or something as simple as boiling water.

Embracing the Name: The Serpent Goddess

Dusah Wiseman's identity as The Serpent Goddess is rooted in her personal journey of healing and empowerment. While the serpent now symbolizes transformation, wisdom, kundalini, and the divine feminine for her, that was not always the case. Christianity indoctrinates children and adults alike with allusions between snakes and evil, Satan, hell, and many other negative connotations. This was a challenge Dusah had to overcome herself; it wasn’t until she learned about grounding and the inherent nature of the snake’s symbolism in various cultures and modalities, such as Kundalini and the Caduceus, that she began to embrace it.

The serpent’s ability to shed its skin and emerge anew resonated deeply with Dusah’s experiences of overcoming trauma and seeking a more authentic self. In many traditions, snakes symbolize rebirth and healing—reminders that change is a natural part of life. Dusah reflects, “It wasn’t until I embraced my identity as The Serpent Goddess that I truly understood its significance.” This perspective has greatly influenced her spiritual practices, where she encourages others to confront their shadows and embrace their transformations.

A Connection to the Divine Feminine

For Dusah, embodying The Serpent Goddess also meant reconnecting with the divine feminine, regaining repressed or "lost" power, and feeling truly comfortable in her body. This archetype encompasses intuition, strength, and nurturing—qualities often overlooked in modern society. By aligning with it, she invites others to explore these qualities within themselves, sending a powerful message that healing involves standing in your power, understanding your cycles, and embracing your voyage.

When asked about what this archetype means to her, Dusah shared a deeply transformative experience: "This archetype represents me fully accepting my soul’s mission. This energy, and even its visuals, visited me more times than I can count—after sweat lodges, countless plant medicine ceremonies, and other divine synchronicities. At the same time, I was experiencing a kundalini awakening. The moment I fully said yes was after a ceremony where I saw myself in an underground palace as a huge Goddess. I was on a platform, dancing with the serpent as my bottom half, and women surrounded me, dancing in a circle with their lower halves as snakes too. Even now, people find me on Instagram and tell me they were visited by me as a Snake Goddess before stumbling upon my page. I just giggle when I hear it now. After the first time, it’s like, oh wow, I can’t believe it. After the 10th time, it’s like, OK, you can’t make this up."

Transformation as a Continuous Process

Dusah views transformation as an ongoing process rather than a destination. Normalizing the fact that healing is a lifelong journey, she reminds those she guides that every experience, whether joyful or painful, is an opportunity for growth. Her deep connection to the unseen realms and the transformative power of the serpent archetype allows her to transport people to other dimensions during ceremonies.

She adds, "This archetype wards away those who aren’t ready for the serpent wisdom and embraces those who are looking to go deep within their shadows to awaken their power. By embodying The Serpent Goddess, I want people to feel empowered to step into their own divine power."

Through her teachings, Dusah inspires others to embrace their paths of transformation, honoring the continual cycles of rebirth, healing, and empowerment that define the human experience.

Featured on Women of TmrO Podcast

Dusah’s journey and wisdom have not gone unnoticed. Recently, she was featured on the podcast Women of TmrO, where she shared her insights on spirituality, transformation, and self-empowerment. Her story resonated deeply with listeners, amplifying her message of healing and reaching a broader audience. The podcast offered a platform for Dusah to connect with women worldwide, inspiring them to embrace their own journeys of self-discovery and empowerment.

The Path Forward: Sharing Wisdom and Healing

Today, as a certified instructor in yoga, breathwork, meditation, and Qigong, Dusah channels her experiences into helping others heal and transform. She collaborates with sustainable brands and hosts workshops, creating spaces where individuals can reconnect with their inner selves. Dusah’s vision for her future is less about meticulous planning and more about surrendering to the Divine flow. “What’s unfolding in my life is less about planning and more about me getting out of my own way for the Divine to work its magic,” she explains.

A significant milestone in her journey is her recent book deal, which came about unexpectedly, reflecting how she is guided by the flow of Divine timing. Alongside this, Dusah is stepping further into creative realms, expressing her artistic gifts through soon-to-be-released original songs that will play a role in her ceremonial practices. “I’m being asked to step up more in my creating,” she shares, noting that her artistic spirit, which has always influenced her spiritual work, is now fully aligned with her practices.

From the music she selects for ceremonies to the visuals she presents, Dusah’s creative energy is ever-present. “Art, especially music, is the most potent expression of healing in my opinion,” she says, emphasizing how her creative work reflects the process of transformation and healing.

“It’s less about one person doing it alone and more about empowered beings coming together,” she says, emphasizing that her role as a guide is to honor ancient wisdom while innovating for the present. Dusah’s mission is to empower others to explore their own paths, face their shadows, and celebrate their unique journeys, inviting them to view healing as a beautiful, albeit messy, process akin to the creation of art.

Her journey, marked by resilience and grace, invites others to embrace their serpentine energy, shedding what no longer serves and stepping into their fullest potential. “Every experience, whether joyful or painful, is an opportunity for growth,” she shares. Through her teachings and presence, The Serpent Goddess continues to inspire transformation, embodying the essence of the divine feminine and the power of true healing.