The snake, a symbol beyond sin

The snake has been an enigmatic animal for centuries and across many cultures. They come in many species, colors, and lengths around the world, and although they may represent a threat to many of us, some consider them beneficent animals of sublime beauty.
For Judeo-Christian religions, the snake represents evil. Being a creature condemned to crawl, it has been associated with the fallen angel who tempts humans into sin and is blamed for the expulsion of Adam and Eve from paradise. However, for many other cultures, the snake, far from representing something bad, has been considered a symbol of power, longevity, strength, and wisdom in many mythologies.
In ancient Chinese culture, for example, the snake or dragon represented rhythmic and methodical life as it had the ability to adapt to both water and land. Due to its connection to moisture and fertility, many goddesses were depicted accompanied by snakes and adorned with them in bracelets, necklaces, or crowns. Something similar occurs in Hindu culture in the epic Ramayana, where the god Vishnu reincarnated as Rama receives salvation, which he was seeking for his people, from a snake coiled around a staff. This epic is believed to establish a connection between Rama and Asklepios, the Greek god of medicine, whose symbol of two entwined snakes on a staff granted him the power of healing, a symbol still used today for health-related matters.
In Mesoamerican codices, the snake also plays a prominent role in the social, political, and religious thought of different cultures because it represents the power of water and earth and is often associated with rain deities, such as the goddess Coatlicue, the fertility deity in Aztec mythology, or the god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent of the Nahuas and Aztecs. The snake, often a protagonist in creation and longevity myths, like the god Kukulkan for the Maya or the god Bochica for the Muisca people, has been central to how humanity has conceived the world itself.
Over time, and especially in the Western world, the symbol of the snake has been regaining the value that was taken from it in history. Today, we can see the texture of its skins and its elongated shape featured in a wide range of items like rings, bracelets, necklaces, or bangles. Now that we know about its healing power and mystique related to fertility, wisdom, and a connection to divinity, why not carry it with us everywhere?