Snake

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King cobra
Rod of Asclepius

Snakes or serpents (Greek: ὄφις Ophis; Latin: Serpentes; Hebrew: נָחָשׁ nachasch) are a suborder of reptiles. They are descended from lizard-like ancestors. Compared to these, the body is greatly elongated and the extremities have been almost completely deformed. Today, about 3000 species have been described. With the exception of the Arctic, Antarctic, permafrost regions and some islands, they can be found in all habitats worldwide.

The serpent as a symbol for the adversary powers

In occult contexts, the serpent often appears as an imaginative symbol for the lower, earth-bound but very powerful astral powers and is then often seen in connection with the Luciferic, but also with the Ahrimanic adversaries. Thus, in the Old Testament creation story of the Bible, Lucifer in the form of the old serpent tempted Adam and Eve to taste the fruit from the tree of knowledge. In Persian mythology, especially in Zurvanism, Ahriman as the Great Serpent has dominion over the underworld for 9000 years.

Nevertheless, it would be wrong to see only negative symbolism in the serpent.

„Whoever looks deeper into existence will get rid of the judgement that something is good or evil under all circumstances. In Christianity the serpent is called the seductress of mankind and Lucifer is called with abhorrence. The view of the Luciferic principle, however, has changed [...] This is not a view of the original Christianity, but only came into Christianity later. Even among the Christian mystics of the first centuries, among the Gnostics, the serpent is not a symbol for evil, but even a symbol for the spiritual guidance of humanity. The wise man, the leader is called "the serpent". This was the name given to the one who leads humanity to knowledge. The serpent is the symbol of Lucifer.“ (Lit.:GA 97, p. 157f)

Serpent symbol and Old Moon

The Old Moon was the previous embodiment of our Earth. At that time, this Old Moon temporarily separated from its Sun[1] in order to create suitable conditions for its inhabitants to develop. The astral body was inserted into the human being at that time. At the end of the old lunar period, the Old Moon reunited with its Sun and thereby absorbed higher spiritual forces. If this had not happened, only serpent-like beings could have developed as a result of the old lunar development. The sun beings, on the other hand, would have been able to attain the form of the fish as the highest.

„The high beings who lived on the separated sun had had to separate from the moon in order to be able to progress in their own development. Now, however, these beings who had remained on the moon, and who had continued to consolidate there, had to be saved; therefore the sun had to reunite with the moon. Let us now ask ourselves what would have happened if the sun and moon had not reunited, if they had developed separately. Then man could never have received his present form. If the Old Moon had gone its way alone, if it had not been able to draw new strength through its reunion with the sun, then the highest being it could ever have produced would have been something like the snakes of today. The sun beings, on the other hand, if they had remained alone, could have attained the highest form of the fish. The fish form is the outer expression for beings that are much higher than man. The fish group soul is indeed very high today; but the outer form is something quite different from the soul. Where, then, did those beings of the Old Moon get the power to rise above the serpent? This power came to them from the beings of the sun. And the purity of the solar state of those high beings expresses itself materially in the form of the fish, for that is the highest material form which can be attained by the beings of the Old Sun.

Christ, the solar hero, who transplanted the whole power of the sun to earth, is symbolised by the sign of the fish. Now you will understand with what deep intuition esoteric Christianity has grasped the significance of the fish's form; it is for it the outer symbol of the sun's power, the power of the Christ. It is true that the fish is outwardly an imperfect being, but it has not descended so deeply into matter; little only is it permeated by egoism.

For the occultist the serpent is the symbol of the earth as it developed from the Old Moon, and the fish is the symbol of the spiritual being of the Old Sun. Our earth with its solid substances has symbolised in the serpent its deepest being, the earth being. That which has separated itself as watery substance shows itself symbolised in the fish.“ (Lit.:GA 101, p. 164f)

The Kundalini Serpent

→ Main article: Kundalini

The Kundalini force, also called the Kundalini serpent, rests at the base of the spine, symbolised by the serpent coiled in three and a half coils, sleeping unconscious in the root chakra, the four-petalled lotus flower, and is, according to Tantric teachings, the divine force in its individual incarnation in man. Once awakened, it can become the highest power of love or pure desire heightened to the highest degree. As Kundalini fire, it is the bond that connects the physical body with the astral body throughout earthly life, the so-called silver cord. On the one hand, it is the force in the human being that is closest to the "mater", the matter, and on the other hand, it forms the bridge between the physical and astral substance. At the same time it is the inwardly excited astral light which illuminates the outer soul world and makes it visible to the clairvoyant gaze.

Literature
References to the work of Rudolf Steiner follow Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works (CW or GA), Rudolf Steiner Verlag, Dornach/Switzerland, unless otherwise stated.
Email: verlag@steinerverlag.com URL: www.steinerverlag.com.
Index to the Complete Works of Rudolf Steiner - Aelzina Books
A complete list by Volume Number and a full list of known English translations you may also find at Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works
Rudolf Steiner Archive - The largest online collection of Rudolf Steiner's books, lectures and articles in English.
Rudolf Steiner Audio - Recorded and Read by Dale Brunsvold
steinerbooks.org - Anthroposophic Press Inc. (USA)
Rudolf Steiner Handbook - Christian Karl's proven standard work for orientation in Rudolf Steiner's Collected Works for free download as PDF.
  1. ↑ This Sun is neither identical with the so-called Old Sun, i.e. that embodiment of our Earth which preceded the old lunar period, nor with our present Sun.
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