Medicinal meaning of the snake

Since ancient times, the snake has been associated with the concept of medicine.

But why?

Some say the two snakes on the caduceus symbol above represents human DNA, the double helix pattern being quite obvious.

Others say the snakes represent Kundalini energy climbing up the spinal column in the process of human enlightenment.

If you think about a snake bite, another potential representation arises.

When the snake bites and injects its poison, we can die.

In the context of traditional medicine, especially relative to Shamanic and plant-medicine ceremonies, we see the same pattern.

The ceremony is the snake bite. The external intervention.

Interestingly, its poison, the injection, is really medicine.

It seems like poison because of the direct way it cuts through dark layers of human ignorance.

Pain can ensue. Vomiting. Discomfort.

And even a death. The death of ignorance, the death of the ego, the death of the notion of individuality.