Snake Mythology/Mysticism ~ And Recent History

Ariadne, this Minoan, Grecian Snake Goddess was recently created by my friend Ethan Raichuk; aka Angry Artisan on Instagram. He researches much of his ‘historic art’ and this creation lines up with the 2025 Snake & its Mythology! His tagline is ‘The Divine Feminine is natures Ultimate Anti-Venom”. To add more from the artist… “I like to think that the Serpent Metaphor is associated with masculinity and phallus energy. Her graceful dance tames the dangerous serpent with divine feminine & matriarchal power”. In Ancient Greece, he says, the snake was used as a household protector; So very Feng Shui!

Snake Mythology & Cultural Connections

The Snake is associated with creation myths world wide. There are so many aspects of Snake that symbolize the cycle of life and death! The most obvious is its ability to shed its skin and emerge shifted and renewed.

The Snake is an integral part of Creation Myths in many parts of the world. Here are a few

• Adam and Eve’s fall from grace in the garden of Eden by the temptations and allure of the Snake.
• The Astec God of Mexico, Quetzalcoatl, is said to have created man from combining his blood with the corn plant: the main substance crop for much of Mexico and Central America.
• The Rainbow Serpent of the Australian Aboriginal’s gave life to the planet and humans. The serpent rose from a deep sleep underground and woke the frogs. Tickling their bellies the Frogs produced an abundance of water that created streams, lakes and rivers and became the source of all life.

The Symbol of the Ouroboro can be traced back to ancient Egyptian and Grecian times. The image is that of a Snake eating its tail. Having talked much about the ‘transformative’ aspects of Snake and its impact on the Wood Snake year, here is a significant reminder of what we can focus on in 2025.

• Ouroboros carries with them the endless recycling of life, death and rebirth
• Its image is that of balance; like the Tai Chi Symbol in Asia or the Yin /Yang symbol.
• It speaks to the universal truth that energy does not die or disappear, it only changes shape.
• It has a connection to Alchemy; a medieval practice that was a precursor of the science of Chemistry. Alchemy was seen as the mystical and magical vehicle of creation and transformation.

Snakes Impact on recent history

When we look at the past in regards to the Mystical aspects of Snake, we would be remiss not to look at history. The last year of the WOOD Snake was 1965. As we know, this year will have impact, possible disruption and transformation.

A look back to some main events of 1965;

• The Vietnam War escalated beyond anyones predictions when the US launched ‘Mission Rolling Thunder’. This 3.5 year aerial assault on Vietnam was pivotal on the world stage and became a focus for internal unrest, world protests, and so many more repercussions.
• Winston Churchills state funeral was the largest assembly of world leaders and dignitaries in the history of the world in 1965. It was only surpassed by that of Pope Paul II’s state funeral in 2005.
• Martin Luther King successfully lead a 4 day march of 25,000 civil rights activists from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. This happened only weeks after his first attempt at this march, when over 500 activists were gunned down. That became known as Bloody Sunday and was honoured in the above imapactive and historic march.
• Malcom X was gunned down and killed while giving a speech in Harlem, New York just weeks prior to Martin Luthers successful march.
• Singapore was expulsed  from the Federation of Malaysia and became its own island Nation under Lee Quan Yew, a former statesman in Malaysia.
• The Watts racial riots broke out in Los Angeles after a black man was stopped on suspicion of Drinking driving. The excessive force used on him sparked the largest and costliest racial urban outbreak of the Civil Rights movement in the USA. It left 34 dead, 1000 injured and cost $40 million in damages.
• Indonesia left the United Nations early in 1965, then later banned the Indonesian Communist party from operation. A coup  launched by the Communists was crushed by General Suharto. This also sparked a mass execution of known communists within this country.
• Rhodesia became a political hot spot. The county declared martial law and later its political stance became world news with many counties becoming involved.
• Nasa’s ‘Mariner’ spacecraft was launched and flew to Mars capturing its first close up photos.
• Muhammad Ali defeated Sonny Liston with one blow in a flight that lasted only minutes. The blow rendered became know as the Phantom Punch.
• Che Guevera leaves Cuba and ends his fight alongside Fidel Castro. Afterwards many Cuban refugees leave Cuba for the USA. Later in the year the US launched an airlift to assist Cubas wanting to relocate with over 250,000  refugees taking advantage of the program.
• A Charlie Brown Christmas was launched on CBC as the first Peanuts special. A classic, still loved today!
• Ferdinand Marcos was elected as president of the Philippines.
• Aboriginals were given the vote in Queensland, Australia.
• Tokyo becomes the largest city in the world, surpassing New York.
• These songs hit first on the charts. Many are now classic! Yesterday by the Beatles, The Tracks of My Tears by Smokey Robinson, Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan, Get off my Cloud by the Rolling Stones, Stop in the name of Love by the Supremes & California Dreaming by the Mamas & the Papas to name a few withThe Supremes had 4 hits on the chart at one time!

This is the first Wood Snake Year since 1965. ( 5 elements must rotate through 12 elements). Sharing both mythology and history gives us but a sneak preview of the symbology of Snake at play in real and mystical ways.
The escalation of the Vietnam war was significant in 1965. Student unrest and protest gave way to world wide involvement. It also became the precursor of the Hippy Movement that grew  out of the realities of this very devastating conflict.

Watch what will transpire this year! Can you feel change coming?

 This pivotal and profound photo by Marc Riboud was published in 1965. As seen written under the shot, the march to the Pentagon helped turn public opinion against the Vietnam war. A huge shift and the start of real change.