Cosmic Serpent: A Global Archetype/ Religion As A Tool Of Slavery

Yesterday when I posted a picture of a "serpent's head" at the foot of a stone mound I realized I have yet to properly address what the Snake/Serpent stood for in the ancient world (pre-Judaic- Christian).  I am sure that most Christians today, or at least people who attend a church would mistakenly believe that serpent's are associated with "the devil."  This is not true at all, and if anything, the clergy of the organized religions (the 3 people of the book- Jews, Christians and Muslims, and all their off-shoots such as Protestants and Catholics) imposed regulations on people in what they could and could not learn- this was done through Inquistions, Witch Trials and strict observances (such as changing dates around on the calander, etc.).  In fact, the purpose of the witch trials (especially the ones in Europe) was to take away the last wisdom keepers of indigenous knowledge of the family, which was the mother- who knew about healing herbs and probably family/ village traditions that went way back into antiquity.  The overlords and the Roman Catholic Church already had the men working hard labor all day, so it was necessary to crush whatever power that the women had left and thus the witch trials- and in this way, the mother's daughters and children would grow up without the role model of the mother to teach them the old ways.  This is the legacy of Roman-ized Europe- Inquisitions, Witch Trials, puppet regimes, over-lords, the invention of serfdom, the invention of banking (such as the Bank of Amsterdam and England, which Puritan Oliver Cromwell had a hand in developing, which depleted the wealth of nations and introduced the notions of credit and lending).  [Obviously local constables and preachers thought they were stamping out heathanism and witch-craft during the witch trials, and it was in their best interests to do so, but the shear numbers of women murdered during those times, along with the changing political climate and Romanization of Europe of that era puts the larger picture into perspective.]

Further, according to existing Gnostic texts which are thousands of years old, the descendants of the sons of Abraham were promised the Earth by extra-terrestrial (or intra-species) entities/parasites known as the Archons (although the Earth is not theirs to give).  In Arabic traditions the Djinn is the same concept as an Archon- a mind parasite if you will, which does not have the power and free will to create in the same way human beings have this power, who are thus envious.  These parasites are said to be able to corrupt already existing creations of the human experience- so in other words, think free energy vs. burning fossil fuels/ fracking, or talking to a person in a real conversation face-to-face vs. texting them using abbreviated text, or Natural Sun-light vs. a neon sign- the latter examples in these comparisons would be labelled by the Gnostics as "the Archontic Infection."    It is also important to note that the Gnostics had a long tradition, at least hundreds of years old, with possible ties to the older Mystery Schools coming out of Egypt.  Their writings and understanding of the universe is said to be profound.

Getting back to the "Archontic Infection" theme, and by comparison, in some North American Native traditions the good medicine of the Thunder-bird, or Great Thunderer, comes to the aid of people to vanquish such evil spirits in a flash of white light.  These older cultures seemed to have an understanding of the metaphysics and spiritual aspects to the universe that most modern people and cultures do not have today.  (It should also be noted that the powers that be, in the Mediteranean/ Middle Eastern world of biblical times spent the better part of 100+ years pursecuting the Gnostics- one should ask why they were considered to be such a serious threat- perhaps because knowledge is power.)   

  Most Gnostic Scholars place the Gnostics as a rebelious off-shoot of the early Christian religion, but this actually isn't the case.  According to comparative mythologist and gnostic researcher John Lash, who independantly translated the Gnostic texts, the Gnostics warned humanity against all organized religion, for it is all a corruption of the human spirit (an "Archontic Infection.").  They were warning us thousands of years ago that the "robber barons" (to borrow more modern slang) were running the show (think Jesus kicking the money-lenders out of the temple)- folks, corruption doesn't just go away, it gets worse.  Snow White (i.e. "humanity" in a innocent state) has taken a bite of the poisonous apple and is very much asleep, placing the evil in (a perceived) power.

So now that I have introduced these concepts let us look at the relevance of the Serpent in the ancient world, which I hope will enlighten, empower, and inspire people.  In North America specifically is the "Great Horned Serpent".  For this I dug around the Internet and found a great article by Nancy C. Maryboy titled "Cosmic Serpent: A Global Archetype".   I copy and paste her article below (an excerpt, but basically the whole article)- 

Cosmic Serpent: A Global Archetype by Nancy C. Maryboy

Around the world, for thousands of years, in one form or another, the reptilian serpent has been an archetype for countless tribes, societies and civilizations. In almost every instance of which we are aware, the serpent stands for immense and powerful cosmic movements. This is true of these archetype serpents deep under the earth, deep under the oceans, on the earth surface and in the sky. In fact, it is the very ability of serpents to move between various worlds and different dimensions, as indicated by their hibernation in winter and their life on and in the earth, which give them the significance to provide purpose and direction to ways of knowing and being, world-wide. Other physical and transformational qualities of serpents such as the shedding of their skins and regeneration add to the significance of complex, mutable characteristics, and the awe with which they are regarded. Due to their cosmological and physical importance in many cultures, they have carried a significant presence in the star stories of peoples from ancient times to today.

The cosmic serpent of which we speak is a trans-cultural icon. It is a global symbol that highlights the interconnected nature of fundamental concepts in earth, space, life and environmental sciences. Our Cosmic Serpent project sought to bridge western and native science worldviews, while providing museum practitioners with an awareness and knowledge to engage native audiences and bring indigenous perspectives to all visitors.

The cosmic serpent can be identified as a reptile, an earthly serpent, a flying dragon, a water serpent, with many supernatural characteristics. At the same time, many of these symbolic characteristics are based on biological observation. To speak of a serpent can imply something more than a natural phenomenon, something that carries symbolic value. Stories abound of giant serpents, such as the Cherokee Uk’tena who was so powerful that any human who even looked at him was immediately killed. Navajo have stories of giant serpents that live in high desert canyons of the southwest. Pueblo tribes honor the great water serpents that protect water holes and bring rain. These reptiles have become archetypes and in most cases are regarded with awe and respect for the power they control.

The concept of interconnection of all things has been explained by people around the world by various analogies and phenomena including stories of cosmic serpents. Much of this understanding has been extended beyond the physical connections into the realm of the non-physical.

Indigenous cultures around the world use cultural lore in the form of story to teach important lessons applicable to life. Many of these stories, often termed “myth” have foundational representations of the natural world, including the human connection and human participation in the place in which they live. “The basic theme of mythology is that the visible world is supported and sustained by an invisible world,” says Joseph Campbell, according to a communication from Native American physicist and educator, Philip Duran. Duran goes on to say that this “is a literally factual statement supported by modern physics: the visible (and classical) world is supported and sustained by an invisible (quantum) world.”

Sometimes the cosmic serpent is viewed as representative of negative energy, sometimes as positive, and sometimes as providing balance and/or ambivalence. The story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, of the Bible, portrays the serpent as the deceitful harbinger of consciousness and sin. The connection with deceit may stem from the biological observation that many snakes have a forked-shaped tongue, with two ends which point in different directions. Often people will say in English, “he speaks with a forked-tongue,” a clear reference to the characteristic of deceit.

Cosmic serpents often carry a transformative significance. This includes qualities of renewal, regeneration, and passing along attributes of life-giving processes through generations, or immortality. This knowledge relates to the immense power of nature, something that humans cannot control. Double-headed serpents are seen in some of the rock carvings of Pacific Northwest Coast tribes. These carvings are found in specific places where geologists are now finding that massive earthquakes took place. This is a case of scientists looking for clues from the traditional knowledge of Indigenous people. In Guatemala researchers are finding links between traditional serpent stories and large landslides and earthquakes. In Australia, Aboriginal stories, from knowledge going back more than 40,000 years, tell of Rainbow serpents guarding pure water holes and underground aquifers, in the world’s driest continent. Present day Aboriginal scholars tell of personal experiences with green serpents at specific, place-based locations. Their elders say that huge serpents live under the oceans and their movements cause tsunamis and other ocean borne calamities. Northern Australian Aborigines from Arnhem Land tell of Rainbow Serpents that are personifications of fertility, rain and abundance of plants and animals. Stories that are thousands of years old speak of Yingara, the female Rainbow Serpent who is the mother, the original creator being, and Ngalyod, the male Rainbow Serpent, who is the transformer of the land. Even today there is strong belief in the power of these beings and their influence on all life.

Anthropologists and scientists have long claimed that these larger-than-life beings are figments of myth and imagination. However, recently snake-like tropical vertebrate fossils from Amazon rain forests in Columbia have been found, up to 43 feet in length. The Titanoboa cerrejonensis is said to have been the largest non-marine creature living on earth after the eras of the dinosaurs.

Serpents are often linked to protection and guardianship in many cultures, including stories of Buddha who is often represented as being supported by the seven coils of a naga, with the cobra-like hood of the naga shielding him from harm while he meditates, as a storm is manifesting.

Other stories link the serpent with poison and medicine. The famous symbol of the Caduceus, composed of twin snakes entwined around a staff with the wings of Hermes in the background, is a symbol of modern day medicine. This association goes back to the ancient Greeks. Beyond medical associations the Caduceus relates twin snakes as paired opposites. The single snake of the rod of Asclepius usually is linked to the commerce of medicine. These associations are linked to the Hippocratic Oath that is taken even today by most doctors.

Many stories of the serpent are linked to the Milky Way as a “serpent of light residing in the heavens.” This association goes back centuries to Egyptian and Greek stories and is linked to the Greek symbol “Ourobouros” the serpent that forms a circle with its tail within its mouth. This symbolic association includes the holistic cosmic cycles of the universe which lead to infinity and the interconnectivity of all things.

Cosmic serpent stories are found in other cultures around the world. In Africa, Egypt, the Caribbean, Scandinavia, China, Southeast Asian, India, South America, Meso-America, ancient Sumeria, Tibet, through cultures of the Hindu, North American Mound Builders, and Judeo-Christian tradition. There are countless more.

Today researchers and scientists around the world are studying the significance of the cosmic serpent in traditional cultures. Jeremy Narby, whose book The Cosmic Serpent has introduced many people to the knowledge of the serpent through multiple academic disciplines, has studied the relationship of the serpent to plants, animals, humans, chemistry, physics, and biology through the teachings of Indians of the Ecuadorian Rain Forest. He is not alone in linking the significance of the serpent to DNA and the origins of life.