IN THIS LESSON

The wedos questions, “It is in our embrace of earth and sky that we shine. Can you not reflect this light onto the world we fashioned for you?”

Lwa Damballa and Ayida Wedo are the most important figures in Haitian Vodou. Damballa is a Lwa associated with creation, wisdom, and fertility. He is said to have created the world by using his serpent form to shape the earth and form its features. Ayida Wedo, also known as the Rainbow Serpent, is Damballa's wife and is a symbol of divine feminine energy, fertility, and creation. She is often represented as a serpent or rainbow and is believed to be the source of all life. Essentially, every other Lwa in the Haitian Vodou pantheon is a manifestation of Damballa or Ayida; together, they are the movement of mind and matter that create all the other forms. In most mythologies and belief systems, snakes have been associated with wisdom, knowledge, fertility, and reincarnation.

They are associated with wisdom and knowledge, often because of their perceived cunning and stealthy nature. Their keen awareness and ability to navigate their environment can symbolize heightened perception and an understanding of the world's hidden aspects. In these contexts, the snake may be a symbol of hidden knowledge or the mysteries of creation.

Their prolific reproduction may contribute to their association with fertility and abundance. Their sinuous, winding movements can be seen as a representation of the flow of life energy, like the sinus and the cosinus. The snake's elongated shape may also symbolize the phallus, which is often linked to fertility, virility, and creative energy.

The shedding of their skin has led to their association with renewal, rebirth, and transformation. This process of shedding can symbolize the cyclical nature of life, as well as the potential for growth and change. The process of shedding skin can also be seen as a metaphor for spiritual transformation and the acquisition of wisdom. In the Haitian Vodou belief system, encountering a snake or undergoing a snake-related initiation symbolizes a person's spiritual awakening and their journey towards acquiring secret knowledge. When the initiation is successful, the truth becomes clear: you are Spirit, a divine magician and creator of your destiny.

- Vodou Renaissance

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