The Babylonian Caduceus: The Magical Rod of the Ancient Mysteries

"The proto-Hermes was always a snake-god. Before the era of complete anthropomorphism, he was never a single snake, for this was the prerogative of the Mother Goddess, but Hermes was double, male and female, the most prolific form of copulation in the animal kingdom. All of which has nothing to do with medicine as a symbol or attribute. It is the representation of a god - the messenger only that will lead or take you to the real, the god who carries and wields the medical power you are seeking."