Such associations expand its semantic territory as agent of metamorphosis and into the realm of spiritual conceptions. Its inherent duality renders the dragon image an embodiment of change and transformation par excellence. The intrinsic as well as extrinsic ambiguity of the great beast necessarily entails an element of transcendence, since its mystery can only be explained as flowing from the juxtaposition of two or more levels of reality. This quality is revealed in its astral-cosmological, alchemical, astrological, and metaphysical manifestations, glimpses of which can be found in Islamic, Jewish, Christian, and Zoroastrian writings. The dichotomous nature of the dragon is reflected in its chthonic, aquatic, and aerial aspects, allowing it to cross boundaries within its natural environment, metamorphosing from air to land or sea creature and back again, its winged aspect implying an independence from local position and the ability to attain whatever plane of apperception it desires. His daughter Hygiea, the goddess of Health, also commonly appears with a snake, and the Temples of Asclepios where the sick would sleep featured sacred snakes in both the main temples and in the dream incubation chambers.
With respect specifically to healing and dreams, serpents played an important role in ancient Greece in the temples of Asklepios, which the sick visited with the expectation that they would either receive information to effect a cure, or would receive healing directly from the gods while dreaming.1 In depictions of the Greek god Asklepios, he holds The Sceptre of Medicine, which has a single snake coiled about it, representing divine wisdom and the power of healing. Archetypal symbols, symbols that resonate across a wide range of cultures, have a powerful role in dreams, and the archetypal symbol of the snake with its association with wisdom and higher knowledge, whether for good or for ill, appears universal. For thousands of years symbols have played an integral role in understanding the meaning of dreams. A Publication of The International Association for the Study of Dreams.
"Wisdom of the Serpent," Chapter 13 in Dreams that Change Our Lives, edited by Robert J.
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