Author Description

This essay discusses the origins of the designs of the caduceus, kerukeion, & the Rod of Asclepius while discussing their esoteric symbolism & use as medical symbols. The caduceus imagery evolved from the kerukeion and the Egyptian Sun disk. The snake imagery of these two symbols comes from observing the combat behavior of male snakes. The Rod of Asclepius imagery was independently derived from a common motif in the Mediterranean region of a snake on a pole. It bears a striking similarity to the Egyptian hieroglyph for the papyrus plant stalk. The ancient Greeks apparently considered the snake to be a physical representation of a primordial Earth energy of creation and destruction that they equated with “life force.” From an esoteric perspective these symbols all represent the Axis Mundi of Mircea Eliade which can be thought of as a portal that connects the underworld, Earth and heavens. Hermes/Mercury could seamlessly travel between these three realms as a messenger of the Gods and as a psychopomp by holding the Axis Mundi in the form of the caduceus. Asclepius could heal the sick and raise dead by holding the Axis Mundi since it is the portal between life and death and holding it represents his control over these two processes. Zeus killed him for wielding this power and later deified him as the healing god. The use of the Asclepian Rod as a symbol of modern-day medicine is in error because it implies that healing is done by the Gods. Its use should be abandoned by medical professionals. The caduceus is the appropriate symbol for medicine because it nicely represents several themes that define modern day medical practice. The caduceus should be adopted as the universal symbol of medicine.