Snakes in Dreams: Symbolism, Deities and Mythology

Snake symbolism

Snakes are commonly seen as the Devil in disguise; a fake friend, enemy or foe. But is it really? The earliest example of this appears in the book of Genesis. The snake approaches Eve in the Garden of Eden and convinces her to take a bite of the enchanted apple. Both Adam and Eve are then banished from the Garden for their sin. This story appears repeatedly within the media and it becomes  a story that children are forced to know. But what was it that really happened within the Garden of Eden? Are snakes really an enemy or does truth and honesty play a part here?

In other parts of the world, snakes represent fertility, creativity, sorcery, knowledge, protection, justice and truth. So if this animal has so many archetypes, then what exactly does seeing one in a dream mean?

You walk into a room and there are snakes all over the floor. They are in fact everywhere. You don’t know where to step and are cautious to make a wrong move. If at any point you feel scared, anxious, if your heart rate quickens or you tense up, this is a warning. Someone is trying to block your path. Keep your secrets close to your heart because someone doesn’t want you to succeed. In this case, you do have an enemy.

However, snakes can also be protective. They can attack your enemies. Snake spirits are absolutely wonderful to work with. Not only can they use their venom in order to protect you, but they can give you knowledge as well. Snakes can slide into small spaces with ease. They can also obtain truthful information with the same amount of ease. And if you think about it, the snake in the Garden of Eden was a messenger of Truth and Justice.

If you dream of a snake shedding it’s skin, it symbolizes a rebirth, new beginnings, removal of past energies and cleansing. It can also represent healing.

Snake Deities

Within the Vodou traditions, Danballah and Ayida Wedo are the serpent and the rainbow, creation spirits from Dahomey. They are cool-tempered spirits representing purity and accept white offerings. Danballah and Ayida Wedo are very good at cleansing out heavy energies so that one can retain balance. They can also help to calm down one’s emotions.  Simbi, another Snake spirit within Vodou, helps with healing. He is a very powerful magician that has knowledge of many plants and medicines.

In the Dominican Republic, Filomena Lubana is a spirit that lives within the cemetery and is known to use her venomous side to control and dominate situations, particularly to dominate a lover. The image used to represent her is Saint Martha the Dominator.

The Aztecs worshipped Queztacoatl, who was the winged serpent. According to legend, this being came to Earth and taught the Aztecs about Astronomy and Science.

In Greece, there are the Gorgons. These beings were normally women whose hair was made of venomous snakes and from the waist down, had a snake-like body. They were fierce and dangerous creatures. The most famous gorgon is Medusa. She was born a beautiful woman and like any beautiful woman, she had many suitors. But she made the mistake of seducing one of her lovers at Athena’s temple. Out of rage and disgust, Athena turned Medusa into a gorgon so that she would never be desirable to man again. `