THE CADUCEUS
You have probably seen this symbol a lot. It’s often used in the medical profession (as an error since it was confused with the staff of Asclepius, which was the god of medicine/healing in Greece and therefore symbolizes health, medicine and healing). The caduceus was also carried by the Egyptian god Anubis and goddess Isis.
The symbol is basically a staff with wings with two serpents intertwined around it, facing one another. The spiraling serpents symbolize an expansion of knowledge. The heads of the twining serpents (facing each other) is a symbol of settled quarrels, commerce, trade, transportation, communication and enterprise. The staff/wand/rod symbolizes transference between body and mind, and the wings are symbolic of ascension.
The caduceus is related to the god Hermes, who was the messenger of the gods and known as the “prince of thieves” and the god of commerce. It was viewed as the emblem of life and displayed on healing temples in Greece. The symbol represents power over wealth, prosperity, happiness, dreams, strength and wisdom.
The caduceus means different things for various cultures. In Hindu symbolism it represents the central spirit of the human body. The serpents represent a human’s DNA pattern – the double helix. In Greece and Rome it represented the four elements (air, fire, water, earth). In Roman times, it was used as a symbol of peace or neutrality in battle.
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