Snake Meaning

The snake has several meanings in different fields. Indeed, this reptile represents for some a Totem animal, for others a god although when we hear the word snake, we think of deadly species and snake bites, danger.

However, the Bible also has something to say about this animal. What about all this? Far beyond these two representations, this animal still symbolizes many things that some people don’t know. This article will give you a clear idea of what the serpent really means.

The Snake: A Totem Animal

The totem animal of the snake has a meaning strongly linked to primal energy and life force. It is considered a very powerful totem in some cultures as it represents the source of life. The appearance of the snake totem in life means that opportunities for change are coming and one must be prepared for an increase in energy level and a significant transition.

Having the snake as a totem animal usually means :

• A transformation, changes in life
• An Opportunity for Healing
• Listening to a spiritual guide
• The spirit of the serpent is linked to life force and primal energy.

The serpent as a spiritual guide

The Serpent can represent spiritual direction. When this totem is present in your life, it means the means to promote your personal development and that you are facing a moment of transition.

If you are about to cross a ground that you are not used to, and you need support to move forward, this animal can appear as a totem pole. Since the snake is an animal usually close to the ground, it reminds you that you need to strengthen your foundation and keep your feet on the ground while you are in a transition period.

Snake Dreams

Sometimes you dream and a snake is present in your dream. As if it visits you and becomes your totem or clearly your pet, and invites you to look at important interpersonal facts that have a direct impact on your life.

Often these dreams with snakes are frightening and disturbing, it is a strong unconscious energy that suddenly arises while you sleep. Indeed, this animal is the specialist of surprise effects, it often surprises and is very discreet. This strong unconscious energy is represented by its effects of surprise, that is to say that you are not conscious of your dreams and sometimes when a snake attacks in your dream, it pushes you to wake up suddenly, unconsciously, with an incredible force and that is what the strong unconscious energy represented by the snake means.

However, dreaming about this animal is not always unpleasant, its presence represents changes, opportunities for evolution and transformations in your life. So, if you sometimes dream about snakes, you should not always look at the dark side, the bad image of these dreams because they often bring signs that will allow you to become aware in your life, to move forward and seize opportunities.

A symbol of healing

The snake often represents the energy of the earth or more precisely the life force. It is an animal that has many primary instincts since despite the evolution of species, many have legs, it has remained in its primary form and this does not prevent it from surviving for millennia and there are several species of snakes recorded today. With its unconscious drive and primary instinct, it is not among the unfortunate prey, even if there are some animals against which it does not compete, the snake remains a great predator. It is with this life force that we recognize that this animal symbolizes healing.

If you consider the snake as your totem animal, you are sensitive to your ability to heal yourself or others. You need to explore your sources of support and energy, especially those of the earth, of nature.

Moreover, in ancient traditions that are still present today, snakes symbolize the power of healing.

Some snakes are also venomous, and sometimes this venom is deadly, most snakes that attack by biting are venomous. But the venom of some of these reptiles is used to make medicines, so this property will mean that the snake is as much a healer as it is a killer.

In Greek mythology, the God of Medicine (Asclepius) is shown with two snakes surmounting a stem. Today, this symbol is known as the “caduceus” that we can see on pharmacy signs.

From the biblical point of view

The snake is the most cunning animal ever conceived by God. He deceived Eve, who is the first woman conceived by God, and made her eat the forbidden fruit. In this context, the animal represents Temptation.

In the Old Testament, in the book of Numbers 21, the children of Israel complained to God and Moses about the road that Moses led them down in the wilderness and that there was only bread to eat and no other things to eat or drink. As a result of these complaints, God sent serpents of fire which killed many people and terrorized everyone. Hence the symbol of terror brought by the snake. The people begged Moses to ask God to forgive them and to remove the snakes that He sent. God commanded him to make a copper snake and put it on a tree. All those who were bitten by the fire snakes and looked at the copper snake were healed. From this it can be deduced that the snake also refers to a God-given symbol of healing.

The snake is also a sign of Lies. God called the liars as descendants of the serpent that deceived Eve.

The serpent is also a representation of Satan, and Satan is the guide to all demons, hence the sign of Evil.

Snake: Symbolism of Danger

There is no doubt that snakes are dangerous animals, unpredictable reptiles. Indeed, there are many species of snakes that bite. The bitten victim can die if an anti-venom serum is not administered if it is a venomous snake such as rattlesnake, viper, mamba, brown snake, cobra, snake. These snakes are an emblem of danger because their venom is toxic and it is a real poison for humans.

However, there are also those which represent a great danger by their scale: the length as well as the size. Just seeing them, our fear can make us tremble. We can mention some of them like the Boa as the boa constrictor, the python, the anaconda. Each one of these species is in no way venomous but it kills by smothering its prey with its body. Once they have been able to roll their bodies over their victims, the latter will have difficulty freeing themselves and the pressure admitted is very strong and the snake tightens even more with each movement of the prey.

Snakes feed mainly on mammals such as rodents but also on other animals so they are not only a danger to humans but to all animals in nature such as deer, birds and many others.

Other meanings of the Snake

A snake still has several meanings like :

Creator God

In some countries, this animal appears in their mythologies as among the Dogons of Mali and the Australian aborigines, where it protected the fire from the floods of the rain goddess. The snake represents a deity. It is information of unquestionable truth and not a myth.

Symbol of Knowledge

It brings to men knowledge, the key to the mysteries of nature, wisdom as the messenger of the Earth and becomes the symbol of science.

Symbol of Evil

As we have just seen, the serpent is considered as the Symbol of Knowledge, by this symbolism, it then became the Tempter of men who are in search of wisdom, knowledge and who are advancing more and more towards science. It is said that Satan metamorphosed into a serpent and that he is responsible for Eve’s sin by pushing her to eat the fruit of the tree of life that led to the fall of man. Most snakes are also deadly to man.

Symbol of the earth

As the snake has its body glued to the ground by crawling, without legs and living underground, hence its consideration as the symbol of Mother Earth.

Symbol of water

There are snakes that do not live on land but rather in the water, aquatic creatures, so it sometimes represents the spirit of Water. In Celtic mythology, the vouivre is an aquatic snake-woman.

Symbol of immortality and Renaissance

Since this reptile lives most of the time underground, it moves back and forth in and out of their habitat. By sinking into the earth like the dead who are buried and coming out of the ground, the snake is a symbol of Renaissance. Indeed, rebirth is the return of the dead, after being buried they come back to life and come out of the earth like snakes do and this symbolizes immortality.

Symbol of cycle of evolution

The feathered snake or “Ouroboros” is a snake that bites its tail. Thus, it symbolizes the cycle of evolution. As mentioned, it is a cycle so it closes on itself. This representation of the feathered serpent signifies self-fertilisation, continuity.

Indeed, a self-fertilization refers to the assurance of the continuity of the species and especially to a cycle of evolution. In some representations, this snake is half white and half black signifying the union of two opposing principles such as good and evil, heaven and earth, day and night, Yang and Yin, and all the values that are opposed. It represents Evil as well as Good.

In this time, we are at the end of one cycle of humanity to begin a new cycle freed from the grip of the earthly serpent that is materialism.

In short, we have seen some meanings of the serpent, some symbols that the serpent represents. This animal is both an emblem of good and evil, it represents good things like knowledge, healing, a spiritual guide, earth, water, rebirth and immortality, but also bad things like evil, death, materialism, the tempter of men.

Like all things, the serpent has both positive and negative aspects. It is said that the fall of man is due to the serpent, but is it really a fall or the beginning of humanity? If Eve was not tempted by the serpent, would man have existed today? Would these evolutions that we can see today have found their place without this serpent?