It is also often a sexual symbol, and a symbol of wholeness, transformation, and rebirth, as in Ouroboros.
A symbol of the dark feminine and deception, it also represents wisdom and cunning. Almost every woman dreams about serpents at least once in her life, which could mean fear of a rival or of the male gender.
The serpent stands for physical drives.
If something is not right in that area, snake dreams appear.
The image of the serpent may also refer to the “water of life,” since it comes from inside the earth where the healing springs originate.
The Caduceus, the staff of Aesculapius, a symbol of the healing arts, shows two serpents winding around it. In the sacred temple of Aesculapius, serpents crawled on the floor of the sleeping halls. They were said to induce healing dreams.
According to 2nd century dream interpreter Arte- midorus, dreaming about serpents indicates healing and the return to vitality.
It is also a symbol of immortality (shedding of the skin—rebirth).
The “Midgard-serpent” and the “Ferris wolf’ in Norse mythology threaten the gods as the world comes to an end.
The serpent is also the symbol for secret wisdom and the revelation of the hidden. Snakes are quick, attracted by fire and the birth of energy.
A snake steals from Gilgamesh (hero of the Sumerian epic) the herb of immortality, while he is taking a bath in a pond. In Greece, Gaia, the goddess of the earth, produces two half-serpents called Titans, who do battle with Zeus.
For the Gnostics of late antiquity, the serpent symbolized the dark, deep, and unfathomable side of God.
The serpent is also a symbol of Kundalini (the yogic life force). In ancient Greece, serpents were even honored publicly, because they were believed to be ghosts of the dead.
Snakes appear suddenly, out of the unknown, creating fear.
It is impossible to have a meaningful communication with them; they are secretive and fear-inducing, as is the unconscious. Their poison is sin, their wisdom transformation and deliverance. According to Early Christian imagination, when a snake was attacked, it would only protect its head.
According to Freud, a phallic symbol. According to Jung, the image of the snake means that something important is taking place in our unconscious; it may be dangerous or healing.