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PHOTO CREDIT: Above photo by John Rickman Photography, San Jose, California.
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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. |
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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! |
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Other Poems by Jezibell on this Site
About the Poet
Jezibell is a poet, actress, bellydancer, teacher, and Wiccan
High Priestess who lives and works in New York City.
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, this one and Invocation Of The Priestess [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. |
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