Religious sources argue over whether it is the symbol of the higher or the lower.
In the Americas, the snake served as a prominent symbol in art and lore. To the Native Americans, the snake is a symbol of transformation and healing. Snake ceremonies involved learning to transmute the poisons within the body after being bitten multiple times. Survival of this would then enable the individual to transmute all poisons-physical or otherwise. It activated the energy of kill or cure, ultimately leading to dramatic healings.