And another one... Caduceus

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 01 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Jenny-Li	01 Jun 2002
Hi! Still reading that book (The Robin Wood Tarot-book), still finding those words that my dictionary has never heard of. This one I THINK is the symbol of a stick or a wand with wings and two snakes spiralling up around it, Robin has that symbol on her two of cups as I recall it, the stick there being the energy rising from the union of the two people on that card. The symbol, according to Ms Wood, is for healing, but what IS it? I mean where does it come from? What was the story? Originally...? These are the kind of questions I most usually get stuck on when studying the Tarot, does anyone know a good book or other resource (except from bothering everybody on this forum with my questions...! :D) which explains stuff like this? I'm a newbie not only to Tarot, but to all that is occult and/or spiritual, the Tarot just happened to be my way in...! Thank you so much - again! Light and love, Jenny :) PS: Again an apology to the moderators, if this post is in the wrong place - it kind of falls between the usual categories...! :)

Maan	01 Jun 2002
HI Jenny- Li There is greek God can't remember his name right now that was the god of healing. He had a staff like that. I think thats where the symbol come from. I don't now is it is universal but here in the Netherlands the symbol of a docter and a pharmacy is a staff with two green snakes curling around it. Whe call it an "esculaap"

Kiama	01 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by Maan HI Jenny- Li There is greek God can't remember his name right now that was the god of healing. He had a staff like that. I think thats where the symbol come from. Hermes had a Caduceus which he used to guide the dead through Hades... It is seen as the traditional Magician's wand, but is shown on the 2 of Cups in quite a few decks... I'm not sure if the Greek god of healing, Asclepius, had one.. Hmmm..... Kiama

wavebreaker	01 Jun 2002
Here's some more info: http://www.in-ta.net/info/aesculapius/ It says that both Hermes and Aesculapius had a staff, but the one used as a symbol for medicine nowadays is the one from Hermes.

Strange2	01 Jun 2002
Here's more information about the caduceus, from J.E. Cirlot's excellent "A Dictionary of Symbols": ------------------------------------------------------- Caduceus: a wand with two serpents twined around it, surmounted by two small wings or a winged helmet. The rational and historical explanation is the supposed intervention of Mercury in a fight between two serpents who thereupon curled themselves round his wand. For the Romans, the caduceus served as a symbol of moral equilibrium and good conduct. The wand represents power; the wings diligence; and the helmet is an emblem of lofty thoughts. The caduceus also signifies the integration of the four elements, the wand corresponding to earth, the wings to air, the serpents to fire and water (by analogy with the undulating movement of waves and flames). This symbol is very ancient, and is to be found for example in India engraved upon stone tablets called nagakals, a kind of votive offering placed at the entrance to temples. The caduceus can be traced back to Mesopotamia, in the design of sacrificial cups (2600 B.C.). According to esoteric Buddhism, the wand of the caduceus corresponds to the axis of the world and the serpents refer to the force called Kundalini, which, in Tantrist teaching, sleeps coiled at the base of the backbone -- a symbol of the evolutive power of pure energy. In the caduceus, balanced duality is twice stated: in the serpents and in the wings, thereby emphasizing that supreme state of strength and self control (and consequently of health) which can be achieved both on the lower plane of the instincts (symbolized by the serpents) and on the higher level of the spirit (represented by the wings). ------------------------------------------

Pollux	05 Jun 2002
I just finished drawing one... GGGGRRRRRRRR ANOTHER POST I MISSED!!! GRRRRRRRR I'm gonna be a doctor... I do feel drawn by this stick! *LOL* It is also associated with Raphael nowadays. Those calling Archangels in the Invocation of Corners would sometimes visualize a caduceus in the East, for the Air represented by Raphael. If it weren't for Liliana and Tarotbear I would be still so doubtful about this! THANK YOU BOTH - wherever you are Tarotbear!!! :* :*

jonesy	06 Jun 2002
this symbol also goes back much further han most can coprehend. even the greeks had to base their ledgends on facts. if one was to check the sumerian texts one would find that these symbols go back to the annuniki of 480,000 years ago. they were supposedly symbolism of the gods in serpent state which is a bunch of crap but it is found in the underground governments fear tactics of e.t. invations to maintain control of the populous. the caucuses mountains is where these merigovian bloodlines stem from, but there is no reptillian dna stuff everyone is talking about. these symbols go back many millions of years in gracian sacred geometry etc. this is a short note to a very long tangent which i am currently working on. my e-mail is available for further explanations if you wish.also there are several books on the subjects including david ickes book the biggest secret. this can give you a lot more of the history, but i will be talking to him on the reptillian aspects of his beliefs to show him how this has come about. didn't mean to confuse you more but you did ask. later jonesy

Jenny-Li	06 Jun 2002
Thanks folks, I'm as always impressed by the incredible amount of knowledge represented here! Wow! :) Strange2: I will definitely have to get me a Cirlot-dictionary - that kind of information is what I constantly find myself wondering about! Thanks! Jonesy: Yup, I did ask! I did also get a wee bit confused, but it was interesting none the less! :D Pollux: Feck the Doctor's carreer - why not pursue an artistic carreer instead?! Or why not produce a Pollux's Illustrated Dictionary of Symbols, which EVERYBODY will buy and you'll be so rich you can just collect royalties and spend your days here on Aeclectic! (That was a LOT of words for saying: "Love your caduceus drawing!" :D) Jenny :)

The And another one... Caduceus thread was originally posted on 01 Jun 2002 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.