When antelope run they make the sound of thunder whose vibration stimulates the clouds to come out of their shrine to send rain to the earth. The Serpent Maiden comes out of her Kiva to incubate the seeds of life.

The Antelope functions as the summoner, the awakener of the life bearer. The Antelope is male, associated with the head and consciousness.

The Snake is female and is associated with the generative energy of life. The ritual of the Snake Maiden's marriage is an appeal to the energies of life to come out, as she has come out, from their unawakened virginal retreat.

The Antelope is associated with the Sun. The Snake is associated with the moon. The marriage is the joining of the Solar Male Fire energy with the Lunar Female Fire energy.

The kundalini serpent dwells in the lowest chakra coiled three and a half times. The Hopi have lived in three and a half worlds with three more worlds to go.

Kundalini starts out at the lowest chakra then moves up through the chakras. As the kundalini rises it moves with the same motion of a snake.

The Wuwuchim is the sound of a low hum and a strange blowing of breath which is performed by society members in the Antelope Kiva. The sound of the Wuwuchim is the sound that awakens the kundalini and gives it the desire to rise up through the chakras. The aim of yoga is to awaken the Snake Maiden, kundalini, and bring her up the spine to full consciousness, both of herself and the spiritual nature of all things.

The Antelope Race is held on the morning of the fifteenth day and the Snake Race is held on the morning of the sixteenth day. The races are very similar with members of both societies running in both races.

The races start about four miles out from the village. An Antelope Society member, a Snake Society member and a Qalataqa (The Guardian of the People who closes the doors) draw a line of cornmeal running east along the path of the race. The runners crisscross the trail at the seven intervals marked with prayer sticks.

The races are run precisely as kundalini rises in the spine. The trail is the main channel called Sushumna. The marked intervals and crisscrossing of the trail are representation of Ida, the Lunar, female Fire Energy on the left, and Pingala, the Solar, Male Fire Energy on the right. It is the fusing together of Ida and Pingala that make man complete and whole.

An elderly Antelope priest who cannot run very fast is about midway along the path of both races. He carries a bunch of prayer sticks and a small jar of water blessed in the Antelope Kiva. A Qalataqa is with him to protect the blessed water. The Antelope priest jogs along until the fastest racer catches up with him. The elderly priest thanks and blesses the runner as the priest hands the runner the pohos and water jug. The Antelope priest then instructs the runner to carry them to their home.

After the race the winning racer is blessed in the Antelope Kiva. After the blessing he goes to his family’s field where he plants the prayer sticks and water jug in his family's field.

The Antelope Dance is to entice the clouds to form while the Snake Dance draws the rain from the clouds.

In the Snake Dance the plaza in the village is used. A small hole representing the place of emergence is covered with a cottonwood plank which is used as a resounding board or a resonator. Behind it the kiwi is built. The Kiwi is a bower of green cottonwood branches with the opening covered with a blanket. In the kiwi the jar of snakes is placed on the afternoon of the Snake Dance.

The Snake Dance starts with two rows of twelve men each filing into the plaza. The dancers encircle the plaza four times. As each passes in front of the kiwi the dancer with his right foot stomps hard on the cottonwood plank making a noise similar to thunder.

This is the supreme moment of mystery, the pulling together of all sixteen days of ceremony. The beings below are assured that the ceremony is still being carried out.

This is the awakening of the vibratory center of the earth resounding along the world axis. It carries to the four corners the message to the White Brother that he is not forgotten and he must come. It is a summons, a mandatory call to the creative life forces, (kundalini) coiled like a serpent in the lowest centers of Earth and Man to awaken and ascend to the throne of her Lord for the final consummation of their Mystic Marriage.

The stomping is like a pebble in a pool transmitting waves of energies.

The Antelope dancers standing in a long line extending from the kiwi sway slightly like a snake with their bodies straightening and their voices rising.

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