--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Healing and protection are long-standing…" description: "\"“Healing and protection are long-standing themes for the serpent: the wand of Asclepius, Greek god of medicine, wrapped by a single serpent, inspires t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bryan-christy-72178_greek-god_healing-and-protection-are-long-standing_576482.jpg" --- # Healing and protection are long-standing themes for the… ![“Healing and protection are long-standing themes for the serpent: the wand of Asclepius, Greek god of medicine, wrapped by a single serpent, inspires the symbols of the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization. Hermes’ winged staff, entwined by a pair of snakes, forms the…” quote by Bryan Christy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bryan-christy-72178_greek-god_healing-and-protection-are-long-standing_576482.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bryan-christy-72178_greek-god_healing-and-protection-are-long-standing_576482.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bryan-christy-72178_greek-god_healing-and-protection-are-long-standing_576482.jpg) > ““Healing and protection are long-standing themes for the serpent: the wand of Asclepius, Greek god of medicine, wrapped by a single serpent, inspires the symbols of the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization. Hermes’ winged staff, entwined by a pair of snakes, forms the caduceus, a symbol of alchemy and commerce, and a second symbol of medicine. Jung considered ouroboros, the snake swallowing its own tail, to be the one archetypal symbol that explained absolutely everything.”” Bryan Christy ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The passage describes how snakes symbolize healing, medicine, and also commerce and alchemy across cultures, and how Jung saw the ouroboros as a universal archetype. **In simple terms:** Snakes represent both healing and broader symbolic meanings. Key Takeaway Recognize layered symbolism. Themes symbolism medicine mythology alchemy psychology Mood thoughtful analytical Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - medical branding - spiritual practice - educational content Key Concepts caduceus Asclepius ouroboros Jungian archetype Questions to Reflect On - How do symbols evolve across cultures? - What risks arise when symbols are commercialized? A Different Perspective The symbolism can be misinterpreted or commercialized. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Greek god](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-god/) [Serpent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/serpent/) [World health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-health/) ## Related quotes > [“Look in it,' he said, smiling slightly, as you do when you have given someone a present which you know will please him and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-k-dick/look-in-it-he-said-smiling-slightly-as-you-do-when-you-have-given/) [Philip K. Dick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-k-dick/) > [“It is chilling to know that some accepted ways of being with children can leave them vulnerable to suffering from anxiety, depression, or rage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-taylor/it-is-chilling-to-know-that-some-accepted-ways-of-being-with-children/) [Natalie Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-taylor/) > [“we are ranked thirty-seventh in overall health-system performance by the World Health Organization,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-b-agus/we-are-ranked-thirty-seventh-in-overall-health-system-performance-by/) [David B. Agus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-b-agus/) > [“The World Health Organization has twice found that schizophrenia outcomes are much, much better in poor countries like India, Nigeria, and Colombia than in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darby-penney/the-world-health-organization-has-twice-found-that-schizophrenia/) Darby Penney > [The Carter Center has a policy of doing what others do not want to do. We do not compete with the World Health Organization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/the-carter-center-has-a-policy-of-doing-what-others-do-not-want-to-do/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Ebola has killed almost 12,000 people and at least 500 health workers. So it affected the entire population. And as you know, the World…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ofeibea-quist-arcton/ebola-has-killed-almost-12-000-people-and-at-least-500-health-workers/) [Ofeibea Quist-Arcton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ofeibea-quist-arcton/) > [“We can screw up our biological clocks a lot easier than that, too. Shift work, where employees alternate between days and nights on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/we-can-screw-up-our-biological-clocks-a-lot-easier-than-that-too/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, worldwide over the past three decades, 150,000 people a year have died as a result of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-marsa/the-world-health-organization-who-estimates-that-worldwide-over-the/) [Linda Marsa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-marsa/) > [Early in 1986, the World Health Organization in Geneva still regarded AIDS as an ailment of the promiscuous few.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barton-gellman/early-in-1986-the-world-health-organization-in-geneva-still-regarded/) [Barton Gellman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barton-gellman/) > [“Well, Zimbabwe now has a higher immunization rate for one-year-olds against measles (around 95 percent) than the United States does. So do 112 other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-wright/well-zimbabwe-now-has-a-higher-immunization-rate-for-one-year-olds/) [Jennifer Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-wright/) > [“The term “myalgic encephalomyelitis” (muscle pain, “myalgic”, with “encephalomyelitis” inflammation of the brain and spinal cord) was first included by the World Health Organization…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-hooper/the-term-myalgic-encephalomyelitis-muscle-pain-myalgic-with/) Malcolm Hooper > [“One of the best countries of the world where one can expect best MBBS education is none other than China. After successful completion of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/onepoint-education-consultancy/one-of-the-best-countries-of-the-world-where-one-can-expect-best-mbbs/) Onepoint Education Consultancy > [Air quality is already a problem outside of cars: More than 80 percent of people living in cities where pollution is tracked are exposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tatiana-schlossberg/air-quality-is-already-a-problem-outside-of-cars-more-than-80-percent/) [Tatiana Schlossberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tatiana-schlossberg/) > [My 94-year-old grandmother has always been so inspiring to me. She is kind, smart, brave, and independent. After graduating number one in her medical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelsey-chow/my-94-year-old-grandmother-has-always-been-so-inspiring-to-me-she-is/) [Kelsey Chow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelsey-chow/) > [“The World Health Organization estimates that 536,000 women perished in pregnancy or childbirth in 2005, a toll that has barely budged in thirty years.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicholas-d-kristof-and-sheryl-wudunn/the-world-health-organization-estimates-that-536-000-women-perished/) Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn ## More by Bryan Christy > [“A squiggle, they are believed to be the first animal ever drawn.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-christy/a-squiggle-they-are-believed-to-be-the-first-animal-ever-drawn/) Bryan Christy > [“In The Frog Prince, a beautiful princess drops her golden ball into a deep spring and must allow a frog into her bedroom to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-christy/in-the-frog-prince-a-beautiful-princess-drops-her-golden-ball-into-a/) Bryan Christy > [“Snakes are the most widely dreamed about, most feared, most religiously significant creature in the world. A squiggle, they are believed to be the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-christy/snakes-are-the-most-widely-dreamed-about-most-feared-most-religiously/) Bryan Christy Explore all 4 Bryan Christy quotes ## More Greek god quotes > [To be in love is merely to be in a perpetual state of anesthesia - to mistake an ordinary young man for a Greek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-louis-mencken/to-be-in-love-is-merely-to-be-in-a-perpetual-state-of-anesthesia-to/) [Henry Louis Mencken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-louis-mencken/) > [In a way, it's nice to know that there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/in-a-way-it-s-nice-to-know-that-there-are-greek-gods-out-there/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [“Just look at the fellow, standing there like a bloody Greek god. Do you think she chose him because of his intellect?” “I graduated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/just-look-at-the-fellow-standing-there-like-a-bloody-greek-god-do-you/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“I shut my eyes and concentrated on the sun, and on feeling it warm my skin. On pleasure. Hedon. The Greek god. Or idol,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/i-shut-my-eyes-and-concentrated-on-the-sun-and-on-feeling-it-warm-my/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) > [Everyone would tell me they couldn't identify with sexual abuse. No one says they can't identify with the tales of the Greek gods and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-chee/everyone-would-tell-me-they-couldn-t-identify-with-sexual-abuse-no/) [Alexander Chee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-chee/) > [“What could you possibly write at Gates of Hades?” Cadmus asked. “Keep your spirits up.” Lycon sheathed the dagger he’d used to chisel the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sulari-gentill/what-could-you-possibly-write-at-gates-of-hades-cadmus-asked-keep/) [Sulari Gentill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sulari-gentill/) > [Envy is what makes you, when an acquaintance is lustily telling you that she's dating a Greek god of a guy, ask, 'Which one,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-barreca/envy-is-what-makes-you-when-an-acquaintance-is-lustily-telling-you/) [Gina Barreca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-barreca/) > [“Clearly, Mr Beautiful Blue Eyes and Sexy Greek God Face is a loony tune.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-proby/clearly-mr-beautiful-blue-eyes-and-sexy-greek-god-face-is-a-loony-tune/) [Kristen Proby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-proby/) > [“Even with my eyes shut, the dancing flickers and shadows penetrate through my lids. I try to remind myself it’s just from the fire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-kelly/even-with-my-eyes-shut-the-dancing-flickers-and-shadows-penetrate/) Naomi Kelly > [“Life is about whoyou are and what you believen. Or life is about who you are and what you do. So if you try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nickolas-irons/life-is-about-whoyou-are-and-what-you-believen-or-life-is-about-who/) Nickolas Irons > [“Just look at the fellow, standing there like a bloody Greek god. Do you think she chose him because of his intellect?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-kleypas/just-look-at-the-fellow-standing-there-like-a-bloody-greek-god-do-you-2/) [Lisa Kleypas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-kleypas/) > [“Schartz would never live in a world so open. His would always be occluded by the fact that his understanding and his ambition outstripped…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chad-harbach/schartz-would-never-live-in-a-world-so-open-his-would-always-be/) [Chad Harbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chad-harbach/) > [I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/i-to-die-and-you-to-live-which-is-better-god-only-knows/) [Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/) > [Everybody can't be like Redford and pop out there and make big bucks right away because you look like a Greek god... The guy's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-dern/everybody-can-t-be-like-redford-and-pop-out-there-and-make-big-bucks/) [Bruce Dern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-dern/) > [“A man. A really manly man with a lot of mannishness in his manliness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-thier/a-man-a-really-manly-man-with-a-lot-of-mannishness-in-his-manliness/) Robert Thier [Browse all 64 Greek god quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/greek-god/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Healing and protection are long-standing themes for the serpent: the wand of Asclepius, Greek god of medicine, wrapped by a single serpent, inspires the symbols of the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization. Hermes’ winged staff, entwined by a pair of snakes, forms the caduceus, a symbol of alchemy and commerce, and a second symbol of medicine. Jung considered ouroboros, the snake swallowing its own tail, to be the one archetypal symbol that explained absolutely everything.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bryan Christy" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-christy/healing-and-protection-are-long-standing-themes-for-the-serpent-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Greek god" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-christy/healing-and-protection-are-long-standing-themes-for-the-serpent-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bryan-christy-72178_greek-god_healing-and-protection-are-long-standing_576482.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bryan-christy-72178_greek-god_healing-and-protection-are-long-standing_576482.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bryan-christy-72178_greek-god_healing-and-protection-are-long-standing_576482.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Healing and protection are long-standing themes for the serpent: the wand of Asclepius, Greek god of…” — Bryan Christy", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bryan Christy", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-christy/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Healing and protection are long-standing themes...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-christy/healing-and-protection-are-long-standing-themes-for-the-serpent-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-christy/healing-and-protection-are-long-standing-themes-for-the-serpent-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```