The serpent Hydra is a star constellation representing either the serpent thrown angrily into the sky by Apollo or the Lernaean Hydra as defeated by Heracles for one of his Twelve Labors. The constellation Serpens represents a snake being tamed by Ophiuchus the snake-handler, another constellation. The most probable interpretation is that Ophiuchus represents the healer Asclepius.

The main component in the system is a white main sequence star. The star has two companions, one with a visual magnitude of 9.9 located 31 arc seconds from the primary star, and another with a magnitude of 10.7, 201 arc seconds from the primary. ε Serpentis (Epsilon Serpentis) Oskar Seyffert (1901). A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities: Mythology, Religion, Literature and Art (6ed.). Swan Sonnenschein and Co. p.271 . Retrieved 2022-01-02.

Conclusion

Unfair, but sometimes, that's the way it goes. If he were still alive, Aesculapius would probably throw a hissy fit. John Bathurst Deane, The Worship of the Serpent, London: J. G. & F. Rivington, 1833. ( alternative copy online at the Internet Archive) In Late Antiquity, as the arcane study of alchemy developed, Mercury was understood to be the protector of those arts too and of arcane or occult "Hermetic" information in general. Chemistry and medicines linked the rod of Hermes with the staff of the healer Asclepius, which was wound with a serpent; it was conflated with Mercury's rod, and the modern medical symbol—which should simply be the rod of Asclepius—often became Mercury's wand of commerce. Another version is used in alchemy where the snake is crucified, known as Nicolas Flamel's caduceus. Art historian Walter J. Friedlander, in The Golden Wand of Medicine: A History of the Caduceus Symbol in Medicine (1992), collected hundreds of examples of the caduceus and the rod of Asclepius and found that professional associations were just somewhat more likely to use the staff of Asclepius, while commercial organizations in the medical field were more likely to use the caduceus.

Mundkur, Balaji (October 1980). "Ayya in Islamic Thought". The Muslim World. 70 (3–4): 213–225. doi: 10.1111/j.1478-1913.1980.tb03415.x. ISSN 0027-4909. In many parts of Africa the serpent is looked upon as the incarnation of deceased relatives. Among the amaZulu, as among the Betsileo of Madagascar, certain species are assigned as the abode of certain classes. The Maasai, on the other hand, regard each species as the habitat of a particular family of the tribe.Wow! Great book! I didn't really expect this book to be so connected to deep spirituality after having seen John Anthony West in his videos. His writing comes across much more articulately. West has referenced the brilliant work of a former fellow "amateur" researcher, R. A. Schwaller de Lubicz, whose insights have been generally overlooked by mainstream archeologists. Though West gently derides the ineptitude of most egyptologists and their bookish detours, he finally credits them with having established the scientific methods which will probably serve to prove what both of these men could see far ahead of their time.