Serpent of Shadow and Flame The Divine Feminine, Lilith, Samael, and the Left-Hand Path

 

Serpent of Shadow and Flame
The Divine Feminine, Lilith, Samael, and the Left-Hand Path

Within the Left-Hand Path, the serpent is a central and sacred symbol—neither demonic nor evil, but liberating, awakening, and alchemical. It is the current of rebellion, wisdom, and transformation. Where traditional systems may cast the serpent as deceiver, the practitioner of the Left-Hand Path sees it as the initiator—an ancient intelligence that coils within the body and consciousness, waiting to be stirred. It is the key to gnosis, the breaking of imposed limits, and the return to one's true nature.

The serpent embodies the power of shedding, of rebirth through destruction, and of navigating between light and dark. It is both earthly and celestial. In tantric systems, it is called Kundalini. In the Western esoteric tradition, it is the serpent in Eden, not as tempter, but as liberator. This serpent offers not sin, but awareness—the ability to see, to choose, and to become divine.

In relation to the Divine Feminine, the serpent is a vessel of sacred power. It winds through the body of the goddess and lies coiled in the womb of the witch. Its essence pulses through rites of blood, sensuality, and spiritual sovereignty. It is a force that is not meant to be tamed but partnered with, invoked, and ridden. Within Lilith, the serpent finds one of its most primal and exalted expressions.

Lilith, the dark feminine, is often associated with the serpent of Eden. In many esoteric traditions, she is not separate from the serpent but is the serpent. She who refused to be subjugated by Adam, she who chose exile over obedience, rises in the Left-Hand Path as a symbol of untamed feminine force. She is the mother of demons, goddess of the night winds, protector of the outcast, and awakener of hidden knowledge. The serpent within Lilith is not just an image but a current—the power of uncoiling truth and erotic sovereignty.

To work with Lilith is to call forth the coiled power within the self. Spiritually, she teaches the practitioner to confront the shadow, to embrace the full range of human experience, and to cast off the skins of guilt and shame. Symbolically, the serpent becomes a mirror for this path, silent, ancient, and deadly to illusion.

In her union with Samael, the serpent reaches a fuller mystery. Samael, the angel of severity and sacred wrath, is her consort not in a romantic sense, but in a deep alchemical polarity. Together, they are the twin serpents—she of the womb and shadow, he of the flame and blade. Their union represents the collapse of duality, the fusion of the dark feminine and dark masculine, the sacred chaos that births personal liberation. In some Kabbalistic and Qliphothic teachings, their joining is forbidden—but on the Left-Hand Path, it is embraced. They are the dark divine, and through them, the initiate finds power, not in submission, but in alignment with their inner godhood.

To invoke the serpent is to step into the current of Lilith and Samael, to awaken the energy that sleeps in the root, and to let it rise like fire through the spine, through the blood, through the breath. The following ritual is written for this purpose. It may be performed alone or with a partner. In either form, it is an act of devotion, transformation, and personal sovereignty.

---

Ritual of the Twin Serpents

Prepare your ritual space with intention. You will need two candles—one black for Lilith and one red for Samael. A bowl of water mixed with salt or ash is used for purification. A mirror should be placed where you can see your reflection. Have your personal sigil or a slip of paper on which to write what you are ready to shed. If incense is used, let it be of a deep scent such as myrrh, patchouli, or dragon’s blood. If working with a partner, sit or stand facing one another in a mirrored posture.

Begin with purification. Dip your fingers into the water and anoint your forehead, heart, and lower belly. Say aloud, or together if with a partner:

By shadow and flame, I am cleansed.
By salt and ash, I awaken the power within.

Partners may anoint one another with reverence, acknowledging the divine force present in each.

Light the black candle and speak:

Lilith, whose wings darken the moon,
Serpent of night, of rebellion, of sacred blood,
I call you to rise within me.
Come forth from the threshold and awaken your flame.

Light the red candle and say:

Samael, whose fire sears illusion,
Angel of wrath, sword of divine sovereignty,
I call you now to walk beside me.
Come forth with clarity and sharpen my will.

Stand or sit still and begin to breathe deeply. Let your body become aware of a coiling presence at the base of the spine. Begin the invocation slowly and with power. Alternate the words if with a partner. If alone, speak both names with equal weight.

Serpent of shadow, serpent of flame,
Coil and rise through every name.
Lilith, awaken in my root and womb.
Samael, ignite through breath and bone.
Twinned serpents, awaken and dance.
Through blood and breath, grant me this trance.

If you are alone, sit before the mirror and gaze into your own eyes. Watch for the flicker of another presence—your own deeper self. Whisper:

I am the serpent, born of shadow and flame.
I shed the skin of silence. I rise unbound.

If with a partner, gaze into one another’s eyes. Let the gaze become a silent communion. Speak with intention:

In your eyes, I see the flame.
In your breath, I feel the coil.
I honor the divine within you,
As I awaken the same within me.

Write down what you are ready to release: a name, a role, a fear, a memory, a mask. Burn it carefully in one of the candles. As it turns to ash, say:

By Lilith’s wisdom and Samael’s fire,
This skin I shed, this self expires.
I walk reborn. I rise in power.

If working alone, lie or sit and visualize two serpents coiling upward through your body—one black, one red—crossing at each chakra, rising to the crown. Let them merge there in luminous union. If working with a partner, allow the energy to move between you. This may be expressed through breathwork, touch, sacred sensuality, or simple shared presence. Let the serpent current guide you. If entering a sensual or sexual act, let it be done in reverence, as an offering to the gods you become.

When the current has moved through you fully and your body feels grounded again, close the ritual by snuffing the red candle, then the black. Say aloud:

Twin serpents rest. The temple closes.
But their fire remains within.

Drink water. Eat something grounding. Journal if needed. This ritual may be returned to during the dark moon, during transformation, or at any time you are ready to shed, rise, and reclaim your sacred power.