Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

    Thought I'd start a discussion ^^

    In Egypt, the snake was seen as either a good or evil symbol. Of course, there's the Chaos Snake Apophis, which obviously associates the snake with evil. But, the snake was also revered in Egypt.

    Some saw it as, the snake is the poison, but it is also the cure.

    What do you think?
    Love me for who I am, not for who you want me to be.

    #2
    Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

    I think some of the negative image for snakes comes from the Bible thing about Eve,but there is the poison thing,though their are not all that many snakes that are poison.

    I know my own Mother was deathly afraid of snakes,as was my Ex Wife...never asked them why.(Both BTW were/are very religious Christians,mother is dead,ex is still living)
    MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

    all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
    NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
    don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




    sigpic

    my new page here,let me know what you think.


    nothing but the shadow of what was

    witchvox
    http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

    Comment


      #3
      Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

      I don't follow any specific religion, I can only say what I personally feel. I have always loved constrictors, poison snakes bother me. But as a symbol, the snake is one of healing and wisdom for me. Whenever I have a snake dream (and that happens from time to time) it is strangely comforting, even in situations that should seem scary...
      You remind me of the babe
      What babe?
      The babe with the power
      What power?
      The Power of voodoo
      Who do?
      You do!
      Do what?
      Remind me of the babe!

      Army of Darkness: Guardians of the Chat

      Comment


        #4
        Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

        First, I'm not Kemetic so you can ignore this post if you want.

        But for me, snakes represent transformation and regeneration. They shed their old skin (old way of life) and come into a new way of being, of feeling, they are bigger than they were when they came into their old skin and they are wiser for it because they have survived that era of their lives and have moved onto the next.

        Comment


          #5
          Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

          Originally posted by anunitu View Post
          I think some of the negative image for snakes comes from the Bible thing about Eve,but there is the poison thing,though their are not all that many snakes that are poison.

          I know my own Mother was deathly afraid of snakes,as was my Ex Wife...never asked them why.(Both BTW were/are very religious Christians,mother is dead,ex is still living)
          Well a lot of people are scared of snakes just becuase they are dangerous animals.

          I personally think they're gorgeous and I'm going to adopt one when I get older.

          - - - Updated - - -

          Originally posted by Ljubezen View Post
          First, I'm not Kemetic so you can ignore this post if you want.

          But for me, snakes represent transformation and regeneration. They shed their old skin (old way of life) and come into a new way of being, of feeling, they are bigger than they were when they came into their old skin and they are wiser for it because they have survived that era of their lives and have moved onto the next.
          Ah, that's interesting! I think that's a very insightful way of looking at it.

          The funny thing is in Kemetism, when Ra rode the sun boat through the Duat as the sun rose every day, Apophis, the chaos snake, would attempt to destroy him, and the gods took turns protecting him. And as the sun boat rose out of the Duat, THAT was the symbol of regeneration.

          Weird how that works, huh?
          Love me for who I am, not for who you want me to be.

          Comment


            #6
            Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

            Originally posted by CrystalJackal View Post
            Ah, that's interesting! I think that's a very insightful way of looking at it.

            The funny thing is in Kemetism, when Ra rode the sun boat through the Duat as the sun rose every day, Apophis, the chaos snake, would attempt to destroy him, and the gods took turns protecting him. And as the sun boat rose out of the Duat, THAT was the symbol of regeneration.

            Weird how that works, huh?
            Interesting. I think it's interesting how the snake represents regeneration in multiple paths.

            Comment


              #7
              Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

              Originally posted by Ljubezen View Post
              Interesting. I think it's interesting how the snake represents regeneration in multiple paths.
              As do I

              - - - Updated - - -

              Originally posted by Ljubezen View Post
              Interesting. I think it's interesting how the snake represents regeneration in multiple paths.
              As do I
              Love me for who I am, not for who you want me to be.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

                In most cultures, the snake is a teacher. In most of Christianity (though not is certain Gnostic sects where the snake is the savior - the first incarnation of "The Word"), the snake is "The Tempter."

                The reason that the snake is a teacher, the tempter, and the savior is that it has a forked tongue.

                The forked tongue means that it will point out "the other path," or, to put it simply, it teaches that one always has a choice - one does not have to do what one is told, believe what one has been told, do what has one has always done.

                This is the root of all knowledge (teacher), the beginning of all hope (savior), and scary to all gods (tempter).

                Also, the snake represents the "renewal of life" because it sheds its skin. This is deeply related to "choice." When one chooses to change, one sheds the old skin and lives anew.

                The dead can't change their path - choice is only available to the living.
                Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

                  Originally posted by B. de Corbin View Post
                  In most cultures, the snake is a teacher. In most of Christianity (though not is certain Gnostic sects where the snake is the savior - the first incarnation of "The Word"), the snake is "The Tempter."

                  The reason that the snake is a teacher, the tempter, and the savior is that it has a forked tongue.

                  The forked tongue means that it will point out "the other path," or, to put it simply, it teaches that one always has a choice - one does not have to do what one is told, believe what one has been told, do what has one has always done.

                  This is the root of all knowledge (teacher), the beginning of all hope (savior), and scary to all gods (tempter).

                  Also, the snake represents the "renewal of life" because it sheds its skin. This is deeply related to "choice." When one chooses to change, one sheds the old skin and lives anew.

                  The dead can't change their path - choice is only available to the living.
                  Always the insightful one, aren't you?
                  I actually never thought of the snake as a teacher, but it's a good way to think about it
                  Love me for who I am, not for who you want me to be.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

                    Originally posted by CrystalJackal View Post
                    Always the insightful one, aren't you?
                    I actually never thought of the snake as a teacher, but it's a good way to think about it
                    It's what they pay me for.

                    Wait. Nobody actually pays me... I do this for free. But I do take donations...

                    Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

                      I tend to think people forget that the snake is also both chthonic and fertility as well. It's chthonic in that is lives beneath the soil or is presumed to live beneath the soil which connects it to both the underworld, the land of the dead and to the fertility aspects of things growing in the darkness. It's fertility in it's capacity to grow from one stage to another even though the stage is also shedding of its old skin to create a new skin.

                      It's also fertility and power over death in the aspect that many times it will vanish beneath the soil to become dead for periods of time then to be reborn. So it has power over life and death and is reborn both in shadow and in light. Due to it's death and rebirth it is sort of a liminal creature in that it is both of the land and shadow as well as the light which sort of suggests it is outside the influence of the sun and moon.

                      Not sure i'd equate the split tongue to two paths as much as two truths are always spoken. Granted one truth is always more truthful or correct than the other but both are truthful depending upon the hearer. That I think is what tied it to the early church and being tossed down by God for deceiving Adam and Eve. Yet if you look to the old medical symbols then you see it's power over life and death and rebirth.
                      I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

                        I just want to say that snakes have forked tongues because they have two vermonasal organs--it gives their ability to sense three dimensionality, sort of like if one ear is stopped up and you can't hear as well in it, its harder to sense where sound is coming from. Just subsitute sound for "ability to detect chemicals" (this is separate from taste and smell abilities). And I totally think that has something to teach us.
                        Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
                        sigpic

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

                          From what I've read, it's both. Snakes both protected Ra and were also against him. I still try to avoid snakes, they give me the creeps.. Brr....

                          - - - Updated - - -

                          If you're looking into snake Netjeru in Kemetism, then I suggest Wadjet. I haven't encountered any negative data about her. Besides she seems to be Ra's protector. But it's only my assumption.
                          "Fair means that everybody gets what they need. And the only way to get that is to make it happen yourself."



                          Since I adore cats, I might write something strange or unusual in my comment.Cats are awesome!!! ^_^

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: The Snake- A symbol of good or of evil? What do you think?

                            Originally posted by Gleb View Post
                            From what I've read, it's both. Snakes both protected Ra and were also against him. I still try to avoid snakes, they give me the creeps.. Brr....

                            - - - Updated - - -

                            If you're looking into snake Netjeru in Kemetism, then I suggest Wadjet. I haven't encountered any negative data about her. Besides she seems to be Ra's protector. But it's only my assumption.
                            Right, becuase on the side of evil there was Apep, and on the side of good weren't there winged snakes that surrounded the sunboat and protected Ra? I could swear I read about that somewhere.

                            - - - Updated - - -

                            Oh and thank you for the suggestion, I'll look into that :3
                            Love me for who I am, not for who you want me to be.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              http://askville.amazon.com/symbol-se...uestId=6148153

                              - - - Updated - - -

                              Found some interesting info...Some I was not aware of.
                              http://drblayney.com/Asclepius.html
                              MAGIC is MAGIC,black OR white or even blood RED

                              all i ever wanted was a normal life and love.
                              NO TERF EVER WE belong Too.
                              don't stop the tears.let them flood your soul.




                              sigpic

                              my new page here,let me know what you think.


                              nothing but the shadow of what was

                              witchvox
                              http://www.witchvox.com/vu/vxposts.html

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X