I'm the Hermetic Tradition, Rolling, Rolling, Rolling down the Hermes

Date:   7/26/2005 9:35:41 AM ( 19 y ago)

Caduceus (kerykeion)

The caduceus is the legendary herald's wand of the Greek God Hermes (Roman, Mercury). This symbol is nearly universal, found in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, where it is always a symbol of harmony and balance.



The caduceus has been mistakenly utilized as a symbol of the medical industry in the place of the wand of Asclepius (Asculapius), the Greek God of healing and medicine. The wand of Hermes is winged, and entwined with a pair of serpents; the Asclepius wand is not winged, and has only one serpent. The latter has been a traditional symbol of the medical profession for millennia.

In the Hermetic Tradition, it is a symbol of spiritual awakening, and has been likened to the Kundalini serpents of Hindu mysticism. The original caduceus was a Mesopotamian symbol, a sign of authority carried by the Goddess Tanit, the goddess Ishtar, and others.



The planetary symbol of Mercury is a representation of the caduceus.



 

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