Happy Friday, soul family! We’re almost halfway through the Year of the Wood Snake, a year of transformation, introspection and renewal. This week’s Serpent Wisdom Pick-a-Pile reading is an invitation to connect with these energies to shed the old skin of self-perception, illusion, and fear. The wisdom of the snake is not about control, but transformation. We simply let go of the old and trust the process of renewal.
Go to:
Serpent Wisdom in Hermeticism and Beyond
In Hermeticism, the serpent is not a symbol of temptation or deceit, as some later traditions would paint it, but a bearer of gnosis—hidden knowledge. The serpent winds its way through the pre-cosmic chaos of the Corpus Hermeticum, not as an enemy of light but as part of the very mystery Poimandres reveals: that the mind of the divine is both radiant and unfathomable, coiling through shadow and silence alike.
The Agathos Daimon, often invoked as a protective serpent spirit in Greco-Egyptian magical traditions, represents an intermediary between the human soul and the higher realms. This daimonic guide is not an abstract archetype, but a living presence, tasked with guiding us toward truth and alignment with divine will. In Hermetic texts, Hermes himself is sometimes said to have been taught by this serpent being, which can be seen as a representative of the nous. The wisdom it imparts is intuitive and often unsettling—it asks us to see through the veils we wear.
Beyond Hermeticism, serpent symbolism recurs in countless wisdom traditions. In Gnosticism, the serpent in Eden is sometimes reimagined not as the deceiver but as the liberator. In alchemy, the Ouroboros—the serpent swallowing its own tail—becomes the emblem of eternal return, of death birthing new life. And in esoteric Christianity, the bronze serpent raised by Moses is a foreshadowing of resurrection itself. The serpent is not simply a creature; it is a current—one that pulses beneath the surface of all genuine transformation.
The Serpent & The Dove: Daily Oracular Light
This weekday Substack newsletter weaves together mystical Christianity, Sophianic spirituality and oracular wisdom.
Each Serpent & Dove post follows a gentle rhythm, rooted in sacred practice and soul remembrance:
- A short video Tarot reading
- A contemplative reflection
- A simple prayer to draw the heart inward
- A journaling prompt for deepening
It’s designed to meet you where you are — a whisper of oracular insight in a world that often forgets to listen.
If your heart longs to reconnect with the Christ-Sophia current, to gather the scattered pieces of your spiritual life into something beautiful and wise, or if you simply want to begin your day with something holy and honest, you’re warmly invited to walk this path with me.
Subscribe to The Serpent & The Dove on Substack
Pile 1 – Serpent Wisdom
1. What old skin needs to be shed?
There’s a rush of new energy wanting to move through you. However, you may feel hesitant or resistant to taking bold, inspired action. The “old skin” here is that hesitation, second-guessing your passion or doubting your fire. The Ace of Wands speaks of an ignition, a spark waiting to light the fuse. But clinging to outdated self-concepts or fears around visibility is dimming the flame. You are being called to shed inertia and burn through any self-doubt.
2. What inner wisdom is awakening?
From your experience of lack—emotional, financial, or spiritual—emerges a profound awareness of your interconnectedness with others and the divine. You’ve learned what it means to be left in the cold, but now you are beginning to see that you always belonged. Your suffering has sharpened your ability to recognise false belonging versus true spiritual alignment. This hard-earned 5 of Pentacles wisdom will help you help others feel that they, too, belong.
3. How can I embody my transformation?
Approach this rebirth with curiosity and a willingness to learn. You don’t have to have all the answers, but you do need to ask new questions. The Page of Swords urges you to observe and inquire, to sharpen your inner vision and question the narratives you’ve inherited. It’s time to use your voice, even if it shakes. This is a card of mental clarity and cutting through emotional fog—an early strike of lightning from that fiery Ace of Wands.
Pile 2 – Serpent Wisdom
1. What old skin needs to be shed?
This may seem surprising, but the old skin here could be a false sense of belonging, relationships or social circles that once felt nourishing but are no longer aligned. The 3 of Cups can also point to emotional codependence masquerading as community. If you’re clinging to group identities or interpersonal dynamics that dilute your truth, it’s time to step away with gratitude and clarity. Shed the need to fit in.
2. What inner wisdom is awakening?
You are beginning to see how you’ve kept yourself trapped in a prison of perception. The bars were built from fear, but the door was never locked. The serpent wisdom here whispers: “You can leave at any time, but you must see clearly first.” You’re being invited to recognise how thoughts can bind—but also liberate. The dawning insight of the 8 of Swords is that sovereignty begins in the mind.
3. How can I embody my transformation?
Let the old form die. Fully. Do not try to bargain or negotiate with what no longer belongs to you. XIII Death is your rite of passage now, and the serpent coils around your spine not to strike, but to support your shedding. This is more than change; it’s metamorphosis. You may be entering a liminal phase or even a “Dark Night of the Soul,” but trust it. What falls away now fertilises what is to come.
Pile 3 – Serpent Wisdom
1. What old skin needs to be shed?
You’ve been waiting for the right moment to expand, but there’s a kind of over-watching here—a reluctance to leap. The 3 of Wands says you’ve done the planning and you’ve scanned the horizons. Now, the skin to be shed is hesitation rooted in the feeling that you need guarantees of success. The serpent sheds by stretching into movement. It’s time to stop watching and demanding certainty before you set sail.
2. What inner wisdom is awakening?
There’s a newfound gentleness within you that is anything but weak. This is not dominance through force, but mastery through compassion. Strength shows that you are awakening to the wisdom of holding fierce boundaries with an open heart. The serpent within is not always fire—it is also coiled grace, quiet resilience, and the patient power that tames the lion.
3. How can I embody my transformation?
Trust the timing. The Wheel asks you to move with it, not resist it. This is about surrendering to your own soul’s momentum. Transformation will happen regardless; the choice is whether to participate consciously. Embrace the spiral. Let the serpent lift you upward. Every ending now is a turn toward alignment.
You can find more pick-a-pile tarot readings by clicking this link.
If you found guidance in this week’s reading, feel free to share your pile in the comments and reflect on what you’re ready to shed. Let the wisdom of the serpent continue to speak to you in dreams, signs, and sudden flashes of clarity. And if you’d like to go deeper, you can book a personalised reading with me by clicking the button below.
Until next time, may your shedding be sacred and your transformation sovereign.
Discover more from Angelorum Tarot
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.