The entwined serpent stones are quite common in India even at the present time. Young women are seen going round these stones in silent prayer in the hope of getting married or begetting children. This is in keeping with the spirit of ancient fertility rites wherein the entwined serpent figures were worshipped. The festival of Diasia in honour of God Zeus in ancient Greece was dominated by a Sacred Snake considered as a symbol of underworld powers.

Many look askance at these serpent emblems. But there are enough people who see great esoteric significance in them. The emblem of Manchester University depicts a looped serpent with the rising sun in the background. Certainly the serpent here is not meant to be the evil genius of the University. The Theosophical Society and the Ramakrishna Mission, two cultural and religious organisations have adopted symbols of serpents with heads meeting the tails. The ancient Celts also appear to have used serpent symbols. The Celtic Deity the horned kerunnes is pictured as sitting in a yoga posture holding in his right hand a serpent swallowing its own tail and in his left hand a serpent held by the neck. Just like the horned yogi of the Indus Valley before him, this Deity is also surrounded by animals such as a goat, a stag, a boar and a lion.

The serpent swallowing its own tail, or with head touching its own tail is said to be a symbol of eternity where there is neither beginning nor end. The Mithraic cult of ancient Persia had a symbol of seven maidens with serpent heads in white garment. Mithra was Persian God identified with sun and these serpent maidens may be representing the seven rays of the sun, divinised as seven mothers in Hindu mythology. Ancient Cretans also worshipped a Goddess holding a snake in each of her hands. In Hindu Mythology the serpent 'Adisesha', on whose coils God Maha Vishnu rests is an allegorical representation of the Divine aspect of the mind, the lower aspect of which being represented by the Venom Spitting Kaliya who was tamed by the grace of Lord Krishna. It may be noted that the concept of Adisesha (beginning and end) which signifies eternity is analogous to the concept of Alpha and Omega propounded St. John the Divine.