KUNDALINI SERPENT: Scottish Rite Freemasonry has 33 degrees. Jesus is said to have lived to the age of 33. What makes this number so special? The only logical conclusion, the human spine with its 33 vertebrae. 

Eastern traditions speak of a dormant serpent power that resides at the base of the spine. The Kundalini can be coaxed out of its slumber through various spiritual practices to rise towards the crown. Meditation, breathing exercises, rhythmic dancing, sexuality, plant medicines, yoga, and a number of other techniques are used for this purpose. 

It is the same ladder Jacob dreamt of in Bethel that connected heaven and earth, the base and the crown. The awakening of the seven chakras or energy vortexes believed to exist by the ancient sages accompany the rising of the Kundalini Serpent. Trees are often used as a symbol to represent the spine, as are stone pillars like obelisks. 

The Tree of Knowledge and snake can be interpreted as representing this idea. When Eve ate the forbidden fruit it awakened her kundalini. It is only in monotheistic religions that the serpent is associated with the devil and evil. Many cultures across the globe revere serpents as sacred animals that represent some of their most important spiritual beliefs.