The Way of Initiation

The caduceus, also known as the Staff of Hermes, is an ancient Greek symbol. We invariably see it as representing medicine but that is a mistake:

The caduceus is often incorrectly used as a symbol of healthcare organizations and medical practice, particularly in the United States of America, due to confusion with the traditional medical symbol, the Rod of Asclepius, which has only one snake and is never depicted with wings – the logo of the World Health Organization uses the Rod of Asclepius as its basis.

Wikipedia

The use of the single snake goes back in the Old Testament to the time Moses lifted up the snake to heal the people.

So, now, this brings us to the point of the image: the Serpent from the Garden of Eden.

Here are a couple of thoughts from Carl Jung:

And this:

The Ophites, a Gnostic sect known in France through the Middle Ages:

This was the long way to arrive at the title of this post. We are indebted yet again to Oriental thinking when it comes to spiritual knowledge. The Middle Way takes us from point A to point B without having to pass go. It’s your ‘get out of jail free’ card.

When your Kundalini starts to rise, you are being initiated into the spiritual realms.

End of lesson.