Greek Kundalini Monsters

There’s a lot of over-generalized stuff on the net about cross-cultural kundalini, which is a shame because there is in fact evidence of it as a widespread phenomenon. A great key there is that it can awaken in people who don’t practice at all and merely go through an NDE for example, with absolutely typical symptoms. But you can also get a lot of clues from looking at cultural objects. Most people who have seen the Caduceus of Hermes know they are in all likelihood looking at an Ancient Greek version of the familiar serpent power, in symbolic form:



Gorgon statues are particularly interesting. The hair of Medusa was often said to be composed entirely of live snakes, but gorgon depictions often showed her very differently — as an ugly or monstrous woman with ordinary hair, but with two intertwined serpents at her waist which actually recall the caduceus.




Kundalini is often associated with the monstrous feminine via the Hindu goddess Kali, so this is a Greek continuation of a traditional trope. Medusa’s blood at her death came up in two streams, one a deadly poison used by Athena afterwards, and the other a wonderful healing balm used by none other than Asclepius, who was also one of the few definite examples in actual Greek Myth of a divinized mortal, and whose Rod shows the method by which he got his divinity plainly enough.



It’s also said in some Greek myths that Pegasus, the wonderful flying horse, sprang from the blood of the slain Medusa. The horse pre-eminently (amongst many other symbolic roles of course) is an OBE animal cross-culturally. Both Mohammed and Odin, for instance, journeyed in the non-physical on the backs of horses with mythical attributes.

Not all Greek art shows Pegasus as winged. We get a great clue from a 5th c. BCE terracotta relief from Melos.



It shows the hero Bellerophon on the back of Pegasus, fighting yet another monster, the chimera. The chimera has a tail which is a snake, yet the unwinged Pegasus also has front hooves being raised off the ground by a snake, suggesting that the snake is in some way his means of flight. One snake lifts the magical horse and thereby the hero, whilst the other forms part of the monster which the hero must conquer — yet the snakes are very alike. The monstrous chimera represents a nervous system out of control, but Pegasus is an animal nature that has risen harmoniously and is able to soar. It’s the poison/healing balm duality again. It’s a duality within us all.

Bellerophon may have had kundalini but clearly he did not achieve full enlightenment, since he is specifically remembered as having been thrown off Pegasus in his attempt to assume immortality, when Zeus stung the horse with a gad-fly — he ended his days as a misanthropic cripple, and did not join the likes of Asclepius (or Heracles) in becoming an immortal.

However, Pegasus himself did make it to immortality.

Cool, thanks for the info, that was very interesting.

It is almost like snakes, representing the kundalini energy, was some sort of bridge to the spiritual in the ancient cultures.

I also love the poison/healing balm thing, it feels intuitively correct from my kundalini experiences, like the two forces, positive and negative intertwine to create an awakening. In turn, healing and intoxicating the individual. and the pegasus is definetely the heightened spiritual experience and progression that comes from a kundalini awakening IMO.

I love that the old stories are like metaphors for things in real life, it's awesome.

E

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reading. :)

It is almost like snakes, representing the kundalini energy, was some sort of bridge to the spiritual in the ancient cultures.

Yes that definitely happens. Not always -- you have to be careful, because the snakes don't have to represent k. But k is such a bridge after all.

I also love the poison/healing balm thing, it feels intuitively correct from my kundalini experiences, like the two forces, positive and negative intertwine to create an awakening. In turn, healing and intoxicating the individual

Cool exactly, and they can turn out to be the same thing (depending upon our interpretation.)

and the pegasus is definetely the heightened spiritual experience and progression that comes from a kundalini awakening IMO.

Sure, as well as the ability to fly = astral travel of course, as with those other mythical mounts.

I love that the old stories are like metaphors for things in real life, it's awesome.

I agree, especially if you've loved them since you were a kid! Myth stretches back in all directions, connecting us to the past... I've also written about the more fantasy/sf stuff too, which can be interesting at least on a psychological level.

Of course with the old mythologies you aren't just talking about stories -- these deities and heroes were part of the religion and were mystically experienced by many, still received sacrifices and performed healings etc. etc..

The cults surrounding the deities would have had their own training methods and some of those would have revolved around the kundalini stuff. The emblems were chosen accordingaly. The people who interacted with the deities on the people's behalf would have had strong contact with the non-physical.

Well, there are a few traditions that put snakes in a negative light, chrsitianity for instance, and in SOME interpretations, native canadian tribes as well ( theeres a legend about snakes fighting the tribe and them being cursed)..

But as we see, snakes are a major part of lots of religions ( funny how those traditions wouldve been labeled as "pagan" during christianitys rise, and now its a negative force. Probably more propaganda by the church to condemn pagan traditions)....

I dont think its kundalini perse ( although many symbols DO actualy show what we would assume is that), but the similarities in the depiction of the snakes compared to it is uncanny no? LOL

I have to say its becasue of trade routes. Greece was a pain point for trade, especialy from the middle east. People moving around, and both bringing their traditions with them. ITs inevitable for a culture ( especialy at that time), to assimilate some things from their trade parters. Besides the fact snakes are every where, this would explain how some is similar to another

Originally Posted by Time

Well, there are a few traditions that put snakes in a negative light

It's not exactly about negative and positive... the gorgons aren't positive on any simplistic level, they are explicitly foes and their blood is half poisonous. OTOH there are snakes in the bible with a possible positive slant, eg. Moses' brazen one which some think is a k-indicator -- could be, but I'm not so sure on that one, the details you would need to be sure aren't there. When you have a snake and a pole it starts to look like the spine (as in the symbols above), which is what makes people think about that, plus you have things like "Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" in John which sounds like it. But on that one I will defer to others as I know less about that mythology.

There are not only evil serpents in many cultures, there are also numerous good ones that are not k-related! Still, important to remember k-awakening is trans-cultural, with or without trade routes.

[Deusdrum]

Carl Jung talks a lot about mythology and fairytales, as well as Joseph Campbell that i find interesting, about the 'unconcious' realm and the archetypes within them, what they suggest on a metaphysical level, the characters and things that happen in such stories. Same with Native american tradition of storytelling, i find that very intriguing as well.

I always equated the medical-caduceus as being kundalini like. I loved dragons when i was younger, and i think they are representative of kundalini in some instances maybe.

Have also been attracted to greek mythology from a young age also, it seemed so majestic and enchanting, the strangness of the stories, the Gods, different monsters and creatures, interacting with humans.

I wonder what our mythology will look like hundreds or thousands of years from now. Or how will we define mythology even; does it exist already? Our movies? Literature? I think i remember them toying with the idea in one episode of Northern Exposure. That show is always good for making me think.

Medusa i never thought of before as Kundalini, but it makes sense. I had a dream of a girl with coloured, shimmering hair once, long time ago. Also had dreams of snakes, one in particular pretty sure was kundalini related.


Anyways, thanks for sharing. :)

Originally Posted by DeusDrum

Carl Jung talks a lot about mythology and fairytales,

Yes I've read plenty of Jung. Psychology in general is important to me... he also wrote on Kundalini of course, and I believe had an awakening. If the famous Red Book is anything to by, he didn't think his 'collective unconscious' was a merely psychological affair. Adventuring in the void puts a different spin on the mythic.

Anyways, thanks for sharing. :)

You're welcome, thanks for reading. :)

[Gem]

There are no snakes in New Zealand.

They are loosing out gem............. LOL