蛇是一個好吊詭的象徵，它既是毒也是藥，代表死亡，也有醫治。蛇年有不少機遇，也暗藏殺機。
錢、性、權力乃人之所慾。懂得駕馭它們，導引向生命及豐盛，不斷追求它們，為它們所奴役，會帶來羞辱和死亡。
就以賺錢為例。聖經說：「敬虔加上知足的心便是大利了。因為我們沒有帶什麼到世上來，也不能帶什麼去。只要有衣有食，就當知足。但那些想要發財的人，就陷在迷惑，落在網羅和許多無知有害的私慾裡，叫人沉在敗壞和滅亡中。貪財是萬惡之根。有人貪戀錢財，就被引誘離了真道，用許多愁苦把自己刺透了。」（提前6:6-10）
耶穌雖說「你們要靈巧像蛇，馴良如鴿子」，但靈巧並不代表狡猾。經濟下行、百業蕭條的日子，好容易受貪婪引誘追求賺快錢，或鋌而走險，從事騙人的勾當。「不要自欺，神是輕慢不得的。人種的是什麼，收的也是什麼。」（加6:7）所謂「多行不義必自斃」是有道理的，慣了走捷徑、偷功減料、好逸惡勞，就算給你賺到大錢，也會很快去如流水。
在伊甸園中，作為誘惑者的蛇反映了陰影原型，榮格描述陰影為人類被壓抑的恐懼、欲望與本能的集合體。當亞當與夏娃接受蛇的引誘時，他們面對了心理中較黑暗的層面——如驕傲、不服從以及對自主權的渴望。
在基督教象徵中，基督最終戰勝蛇（《啟示錄》20:2），象徵著陰影的整合，這是實現靈性與心理完整性的重要過程。榮格將聖經中的蛇解讀為從墮落到救贖的原型旅程，這與心理學中個體化的過程相呼應。蛇首先破壞和諧（《創世記》中墮落），但通過面對與整合，它成為救贖故事的一部分（《民數記》中銅蛇，並在《約翰福音》中與基督的犧牲相連）。
人不是聖人，往往一念天堂，一念地獄。走向最好的自己(self-at-best)，或最糟的自己(self-at-worst)，在乎每一下當下的抉擇，因此，生命要時刻操練覺醒，重複強化，讓「擇善」漸漸養成，變得不費力。
最重要的戰場不在外面，在你心中。
（作者：許德謙牧師是Soul Weaver的靈修導師及精神分析師）
▉ The Serpent: danger as well as opportunity
The serpent is a profoundly paradoxical symbol—it is both poison and cure, representing death yet also healing. The Year of the Serpent brings many opportunities, but it also harbors hidden dangers.
Money, sex, and power are the great desires of humanity. Mastering them brings abundant life, but obsessively pursuing them and becoming enslaved by them brings shame and destruction.
Take wealth as an example. The Bible says:
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:6-10)
Jesus said, “Be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves,” but shrewdness does not mean cunning. During times of economic downturn and industry decline, it is easy to be tempted by greed, chasing quick money, or even taking reckless risks by engaging in deceitful schemes.“Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7) There is truth in the saying, “Those who do evil will bring about their own destruction.” If one gets accustomed to cutting corners and avoiding hard work, even if wealth is gained, it will soon disappear like flowing water.
In the Garden of Eden, the serpent as the tempter reflects the shadow archetype. Jung describes the shadow as the collective repository of humanity’s repressed fears, desires, and instincts. When Adam and Eve succumb to the serpent’s temptation, they confront the darker aspects of their psyche—such as pride, disobedience, and the longing for autonomy.
In Christian symbolism, Christ ultimately triumphs over the serpent (Revelation 20:2), signifying the integration of the shadow—an essential process for achieving both spiritual and psychological wholeness. Jung interprets the biblical serpent as representing an archetypal journey from fall to redemption, mirroring the process of individuation in psychology. The serpent first disrupts harmony (the Fall in Genesis), but through confrontation and integration, it becomes part of the redemptive narrative (the bronze serpent in Numbers, later linked to Christ’s sacrifice in the Gospel of John).
Humans are not saints; they often stand one thought away from heaven or hell. Whether one moves toward their best self (self-at-best) or their worst self (self-at-worst) depends on the choices made in each moment. Therefore, life requires constant awareness and mindful practice—a repeated reinforcement of choosing what is good, until it becomes effortless.
The most important battlefield is not outside, but within your heart.
（Authored by Rev.Jeff Shu., Psy.D., Spiritual Director & Licensed Psychoanalyst at Soul Weaver)
•Photo source of 2nd picture:
Eileen Russell , Restoring Resilience: discovering your clients’ capacity for healing. W. W. Norton & Company,2015.P.41）