The Snake Goddess

by Jezibell

I am the Snake Goddess.
I was the charmer of the primordial garden.
I survived fire and flood,
And I blessed the Fertile Crescent.
Poised and potent, I guarded the gates of Crete,
And crowned the monarchs of Egypt.
I am sleek and supple, sharp and subtle.
You will find Me peering among the pyramids,
Winding through the labyrinth,
Slipping across the Acropolis.

I am the Sacred Serpent,
Prophet and protector, helper and healer.
With a mind of magic,
A tongue of truth,
And eyes of mystic wisdom.

I spin with the women.
With insight and imagination
We weave the strands of many lands
Into a long and shining tapestry.

I dance on frescoed floors.
I wiggle and wave over mosaic monuments -
Coiling, curving, crawling, curling,
Soaring, sliding, shimmering, shining -
Creating power and passion,
Circling the earth with divine visions,
I am the Snake Goddess.

About This Poem

In ancient Mediterranean religion, the snake was a very potent symbol of the divine, representing wisdom and prophecy. A snake shedding its skin symbolized renewal; the snake with its tail in its mouth formed the ouroboros, the world serpent encircling the earth. Snakes were often kept in palaces and temples for luck and magic. Especially fascinating are the famous Minoan statues of the elegantly dressed women holding snakes in their hands; we don't know definitively who they are - probably goddesses, queens or priestesses - but obviously the snakes had great significance for them!

About The Poet

Jezibell is a poet, actress, bellydancer, teacher, and Wiccan High Priestess who lives and works in New York City.

As a dancer, she has studied for many years at the Serena Studio, where she now teaches. With an exciting repertoire of American bellydance, Middle-Eastern folkloric elements, and Goddess/ritual dance, Jezibell is in demand for performances at clubs, restaurants, nursing homes, and festivals, as well as private parties. She also performs with the Serena Dance Theater and has danced with the Egyptian/American Folkloric Troupe.

Jezibell has been writing poetry for most of her life as a form of both catharsis and creative expression. Her insights and imagery flow out of her spiritual life, her dance, and her wide-ranging studies of ancient history, culture and mythology, especially of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece. Her work has appeared in such diverse publications as Nomad's Choir, Perceptions, Xenophilia, Our Pagan Times, and Circle Network News.

Special events have given Jezibell opportunities to combine her multi-faceted interests in poetry, dance, and spirituality. Her dance performances sometimes include brief introductions with poetry to set the mood for the flowing movements of her innovative choreography. For example, she has done readings of her Isis poems, Invocation Of The Priestess and The Utterance Of Isis [both also on this web site], followed by a sublime dance using ethereal, life-size golden wings. She also dances with a sword, demonstrating extraordinary balance, and does a haunting performance in a darkened room while holding candles that cast an exotic glow on her every gesture and motion. Further, she uses her dance and poetry skills in ritual and Goddess circles, as well as in her role as a teacher of Paganism at Enchantments, a well-known source of Goddess information and materials.

For further information about any aspect of her work or upcoming performances, she can be contacted at Jezibell@earthlink.net.
Beautiful Photograph Of Jezibell, The Poet