The Serpent (An Nathair) —by Míchealín Daugherty Every ancient mythology has some form of world serpent. The serpent represents the cyclic nature of life due to the annual shedding of its skin. It is a symbol of rebirth, shedding its old skin and reemerging in the spring from the winter's hibernation, seemingly immortal. Like human, snakes shed their out layer of skin. Not as dandruff or flakes as humans do, but all at once every 4-12 weeks. Thus, many ancient people believed snakes were immortal, i.e., instead of growing old and dying, they merely shed their old body and re-emerged with a new one. The serpent is one of the more important magical animals found in Celtic tradition.  The serpent is important to the Druids, and is found on much old Celtic jewelry. Serpents are frequently found on torcs, the sacred neck ornament of the Celtic kings and divinities.  The serpent also is a phallic symbol, but ironically, serpents also are one of the older symbols of female power in the Celtic religion, since both seem to epitomise the power of life.  The coiled serpent with its tail in its mouth is sometimes known as Ouroboros, and is thought to represent the circle of of the continuity of life. Christian-Judeo degradation of the serpent Although serpents are known to the Celts as a symbol of magic and great wisdom, the snake in some cultures has received a lot bad rap. For example, in Christian-Judeo mythology, the serpent tempted Eve to eat the forbidden apple and to thus because associated with the Christian belief in Satan [Celts and Wiccans do not believe in Satan]. You may hear such terms as "slippery as a snake" or "lower than a snake's belly to mean an untrustworthy person.1 Moreover, contrary to popular myth, there are snakes in Ireland, although they are pretty much confined to the rugged western region of the Island. Legend has St Patrick ridding Ireland of snakes; perhaps their significance to the Celts was a reason for Christianity to seek their removal. See also: The Dragon Unfortunately, because of often unwarranted fears of snakes, harmless snakes, such as, garter snakes and cornsnakes, are often cruelly beaten to death; and, in some parts of the Americas, people participate in "Rattlesnake Roundup," in which rattlesnakes are forced from their holes with gasoline or hooks, and skinned alive, beheaded, or subjected to other forms of torture.2 Rod of Aaron In Biblical Mythology, when Aaron, the high priest of the Israelites, and his younger brother Moses were called before the Pharaoh, the king demanded a sign of the power of their god. Aaron threw his rod to earth and it became a serpent. Pharaoh's high priest also threw his staff to the ground and it changed into an asp. But Aaron's serpent swallowed the Egyptian's asp and turned back into a rod. In the Dark and Middle Ages, professional sorcerers chose the Rod of Aaron, a plant named as such, as the symbol of the magician's efficacy. This is the plant that appears as the rods on the Tarot cards. Symbol of Medicine Many Celtic healers appear with snakes, often associated with water, rivers and curative spirits (entrances to the Underworld).  The early Greeks viewed snakes' tongues as a healing tool. In Greek mythology, Apollo had a son named Aesculapius, a physician-god. Snakes, sacred to Aesculapius, slithered freely around his temple grounds. Snakes' tongues became a symbol of healing and remained an ingredient in medicinal potions well into the Middle Ages. Aesculapius was often pictured carrying a staff with a snake wrapped around it, and the snake-staff combination became the cadeuceus, the symbol of medicine. It wasn't until a millennia later, that fake cures became known as "snake oil." However cobra body parts and cobra blood do have medicinal properties.3 Voodoo Voodouns honour the Great White Snake, Dumballah, as the wisest and most even-tempered of the Iwa. Pagans too have great respect for the patience, deep thought and concentration of the snake. Footnotes: 1 "Snake Magic: Beyond Good and Evil," by Kevin Filan. New Witch magazine: Issue 12: May-July 2006, pp 38-42. 2 "Harmful Effects of Roundups," U.S. Humane Society. http://hsus.org. 3 "Under the Skin," by Robin Tudge. Guardian Unlimited: 24 June 1999. Other Sources for this article may include: The Celtic Book of the Dead  by Caitlin Matthews; Celtic Cross Stitch by Anne Orr and Lesley Clark; Celtic Magic by DJ Conway; Celtic Myth and Magick by Edain McCoy; Celtic Wisdom by Caitlin and John Matthews; Folklore and Symbolism of Flowers, Plants and Trees by Ernst and Johanna Lehner, Dover Publications; New Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman, Bantam Books; Personal knowledge; and Waite-Rider Tarot Deck. Page updated 2 Dec 2006 Celtic Background and photograph and Ireland's OWN logo  by Míchealín Daugherty Copyright © 2006 Ireland's OWN All Rights Reserved.