This is a commentary on a Fairy Tale, which I believe was written as a commentary on the sacred scriptures. This Fairy Tale about the WHITE SNAKE is liken to a Catholic partaking of the Eucharist and obtaining Christ consciousness. This Fairy Tale shows how the initiate goes from living in the real world to living in Christ consciousness.

1. THE WHITE SNAKE: Grimm’s Fairy Tales (pgs. 98-101) An Esoteric Commentary
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THE WHITE SNAKE1
Grimm’s Fairy Tales (pgs. 98-1012
):
An Esoteric Commentary
William John Meegan
PREFACE
What inspired me to write this esoteric commentary on THE WHITE SNAKE was Professor
Murray Stein’s introductory lecture on the Fairy Tale seminars (Course 13). I was somewhat
taken aback that a Jungian psychologist would unknowingly amalgamate the two concepts of
Esotericism and Individuation. My understanding of INDIVIDUATION is that a human being
matures to adulthood into the person he or she is destine to become in the real world;
whereas, ESOTERICISM is regaining one lost spiritual sheen, which vanished in childhood in
the process of individuation. THE WHITE SNAKE is the process of going from the finite stages
of INDIVIDUATION into a higher spiritual realm of thought or what CG Jung (1875-1961)
would call the Transcendent Function4: i.e. what I would call the process of the initiate going
through the infinite spiritual stages of ESOTERICISM.
I, of course, do understand that CG Jung blended the two concepts of the INDIVIDUATION
process and the quest to know the SELF not knowing there were even two processes
diametrically opposite to one another that he was unwittingly amalgamating as one in his
theories on Analytical Psychology. The quest for the SELF (Christ consciousness) is an
ESOTERIC spiritual process, which is wholly different than the former INDIVIDUATION
process.
INDIVIDUATION is when a child maturing to adulthood undergoes the normal ‘civilization’s
mandated’ educational process of deluging a child’s psyche intofamily’s and cultural histories
and their traditions, rules, regulations and laws that govern their societal mores; however, all
this is possible only after the child loses it spiritual ambiance (sheen) that it psychically came
into the world with. The child is in this manner maturing towards the destiny the world (not
God) had unintentionally and unwittingly put it on track to achieve. That destiny is what the
world would call a civilized human being in his chosen profession or caste system (hierarchal
stations in societal mores). The world in theoretically doing the best it could possibly do for
its children actually does the worst it could ever possibly do to its enemies.
1 http://www.authorama.com/grimms-fairy-tales-36.html
2 http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Grimms-Fairy-Tales/dp/0394709306/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459951171&sr=1-
5&keywords=grimm%27s+fairy+tales
3 http://kunaki.com/accounting/ShowproductDetail.asp?PID=PX00ZC0WEG
4 http://www.amazon.com/Transcendent-Function-Psychological-Dialogue-
Unconscious/dp/0791459780/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459850250&sr=1-1&keywords=transcendent+function+jung

2. THE WHITE SNAKE: Grimm’s Fairy Tales (pgs. 98-101) An Esoteric Commentary
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THE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE OF THE SELF (Christ Consciousness) is not necessarily a quest for
Christ consciousness per se; for the reason that, no one knows what Christ consciousness is
until one has receives it directly from the higher spiritual forces (God) in creation. Once
having received Christ consciousness (BORN AGAIN: spiritual sheen lost in childhood) it is
impossible to explain or elucidate, through the vernacular, to another that has not received
it. Christ consciousness is an extraordinary paradox to say the least about it. The quest for
Christ Consciousness is basically the initiate’s pursuit of a contented life in contrast to the
sepulcher that ‘civilization’s mandated’ societal mores has entombed his or her psyche into.
What CG Jung did in unwittingly combining conceptually in his works INDIVIDUATION and
ESOTERICISM is not uncommon in human behavior globally. When an initiate studies the
sacred scriptures of his or her culture he or she unwittingly begins by doing so iconoclastically
(literally – without symbolic thought) and if that person is truly sincere in his or her heart in
the quest to understand the sacred scriptures the spiritual forces in creation will step by step
teach that person iconography (symbolic though) where he or she can read the WORD OF
GOD via symbolism. This symbolism in the sacred scriptures is found in the symbols and
alphanumeric structure of each of the alphabetic letters; thus, the sacred scriptures should be
read letter by letter not word by word. This amalgamation of iconoclasm (literalism) and
iconography (symbolism) by the secular world is a perfect example of how humans tend to
amalgamate diametrically opposite concepts into one theory unknowingly throwing the baby
(Christ Child) out with the bath water.
Realistically, from an esoteric perspective the WORD OF GOD in all the sacred scriptures
around the world is written from the standpoint of perfection; whereas, symbiotically the
surface or historical texts of the sacred scriptures is also considered a culture’s perfect
historical record or a religion’s theology. Where the surface textual sunlight (male - 100%)
does not recognizes in any way the existence of esotericism just as the Patriarchal cultures
summarily dismisses the feminine in the real world; whereas, esotericism’s moonlight: i.e.
the Matriarchal phenomenon (female - 50%/50%) knows of the existence of the surface
textual masculine materials and knows that esotericism receives its light from the surface
texts as the moon receives it light from the sun.
THE WHITE SNAKE (A Fairy Tale)
A long time ago there lived a king who was famed for his wisdom through all the land.
Nothing was hidden from him, and it seemed as if news of the most secret things was
brought to him through the air. But he had a strange custom; every day after dinner, when
the table was cleared, and no one else was present, a trusty servant had to bring him one
more dish. It was covered, however, and even the servant did not know what was in it,
neither did anyone know, for the king never took off the cover to eat of it until he was quite
alone.
A long time ago indicates that Father Time has taken control, which points to
forthcoming problems. The king for some reason or other, at one time, was

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omniscience for nothing was hidden from him. The king was so complacent that
he had a SERVANT bringing him his meals even his spiritual substance, which
he did not want anybody to see; yet, the king allowed his SERVANT to have
complete control over bringing his meals to him. The SERVANT is the hero of
this Fairy Tale. In symbolic parlance the King symbolizes ego-consciousness
(Sun); thus, everything revolves around him; therefore, from the King’s
perspective the SERVANT is an afterthought.
This had gone on for a long time, when one day the servant, who took away the dish, was
overcome with such curiosity that he could not help carrying the dish into his room. When he
had carefully locked the door, he lifted up the cover, and saw a White Snake lying on the dish.
But when he saw it he could not deny himself the pleasure of tasting it, so he cut of a little bit
and put it into his mouth. No sooner had it touched his tongue than he heard a strange
whispering of little voices outside his window. He went and listened, and then noticed that it
was the sparrows who were chattering together, and telling one another of all kinds of things
which they had seen in the fields and woods. Eating the White Snake had given him power of
understanding the language of animals.
After quite sometime of being totally loyal to the King the SERVANT was
curious as to what the content of this last dish was. The SERVANT took the
dish to his room and locked the door. In other words his room was his private
sanctuary. Think about the King, who set up that last dish with the White
Snake on it? It had to be the King that initially set up that dish and that dish
had to be in the King’s private sanctuary, which all his doors were unlocked for
the SERVANT to enter with loyalty. There is no doubt that all aspects of a
Fairy Tale are part of the whole psyche; thus, the SERVANT is a lower part of
the psyche that is taking orders from the King. The SERVANT was a follower
not a pioneer until he uncovered the dish and partook of a piece of the White
Snake. This story somewhat reminds me of Joseph and his coat of many colors
when he had total access to his master’s house and his master’s wife try to
destroy Joseph by accusing him of wrongdoing.
The SERVANT tasting a bit of the WHITE SNAKE is like being hit with the
rising of the Kundalini serpent; for the reason that, he was being inundated
with cognitive understanding of all the archetypal instincts of nature.
Now it so happened that on this very day the queen lost her most beautiful ring, and
suspicion of having stolen it fell upon this trusty servant, who was allowed to go everywhere.
The king ordered the man to be brought before him, and threatened with angry words that
unless he could before the morrow point out the thief, he himself should be looked upon as
guilty and executed. In vain he declared his innocence; he was dismissed with no better
answer.

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Can there be any doubt that eating a part of the White Snake cause the Queen’s
ring of power to be magically lost? Symbolically, was the White Snake the
Queen? Why wasn’t the Queen at the King’s dinner if she wasn’t the White
Snake? Why wasn’t that ring on her finger? It is as if, and probably so, that the
King stop eating the White Snake and I say this; for the reason that, if he had
been eating the White Snake continuously he would have known what
happened to the ring. The King would have known that the SERVANT did not
steal the ring. There can be no doubt that eating the White Snake was indeed
the theft of the ring for possession of the ring would have made the SERVANT
heir to the throne.
Think about how the SERVANT got curious about what that last dish at the
King’s dinner was all about. That curiosity was in fact a pioneer’s tendency
towards moving forward into the unknown. This is very similar to an
addiction or an obsession. Even a spiritual quest is obsessive; though, a divine
obsession.
Notice how the King threatens his SERVANT knowing that his SERVANT did
eat of the White Snake; however, the King (ego) wanted his ring of power back
so to get it back the SERVANT had to willingly give it up.
In his trouble and fear he went down into the courtyard and took thought how to help
himself out of his trouble. Now some ducks were sitting together quietly by a brook and
taking their rest; and, whilst they were making their feathers smooth with their bills, they
were having a confidential conversation together. The servant stood by and listened. They
were telling one another of all the places where they had been waddling about all the
morning, and what good food they had found; and one said in a pitiful tone: ’Something lies
heavy on my stomach; as I was eating in haste I swallowed a ring which lay under the queen’s
window.’ The servant at once seized her by the neck, carried her to the kitchen, and said to
the cook: ’Here is a fine duck; pray, kill her.’ ’Yes,’ said the cook, and weighed her in his hand;
’she has spared no trouble to fatten herself, and has been waiting to be roasted long enough.’
So he cut off her head, and as she was being dressed for the spit, the queen’s ring was found
inside her.
The SERVANT’S thoughts are analogous to him having intercourse with his
unconscious mind (sitting quietly by the brook). Water is analogous to the
unconscious mind and the creatures in the water symbolize the activities going
on in the unconscious mind. There is little doubt that upon receiving the
spiritual gift of the Kundalini rising it initially gives uncomfortable psychic
feelings: i.e. the duck’s stomach problems. This is further emphasized by the
duck being earth bound rather than flying. Remember that the White Snake is a
new kind of food that the SERVANT was not accustomed to eating.

5. THE WHITE SNAKE: Grimm’s Fairy Tales (pgs. 98-101) An Esoteric Commentary
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Symbolically, the female symbolizes the unconscious mind (water). The duck
with the ring in its stomach symbolizes the Queen and the duck’s head being
cut off and then roasted for a meal is symbolic of the two-part psyche: i.e. ego-
consciousness (king) and unconscious mind (queen) being split apart. In every
sense the duck had given the SERVANT the ring of power. Symbolically it is
birds, around the world, that symbolizes the Cygnus Constellation (Northern
Cross). It is symbolic of the crucifixion of Christ on that Cross, which split the
temple veil (psyche) in twain.
The servant could now easily prove his innocence; and the king, to make amends for the
wrong, allowed him to ask a favor, and promised him the best place in the court that he could
wish for. The servant refused everything, and only asked for a horse and some money for
travelling, as he had a mind to see the world and go about a little. When his request was
granted he set out on his way, and one day came to a pond, where he saw three fishes caught
in the reeds and gasping for water. Now, though it is said that fishes are dumb, he heard
them lamenting that they must perish so miserably, and, as he had a kind heart, he got off his
horse and put the three prisoners back into the water. They leapt with delight, put out their
heads, and cried to him: ’We will remember you and repay you for saving us!’
Throughout this story there appears to be many sleigh of hands. Was the ring
deliberately lost to see if the SERVANT wanted to become the King? Did the
SERVANT have the strength and stamina to be the King? By returning the ring
the SERVANT was literally showing he was not guilty of wanting to be the
King.
This part of the Fairy Tale about the White Snake is reminiscence of the three
temptations of Christ in the desert and Christ rebuffed all of Satan’s advances
just as the SERVANT rebuffs the King offering him a higher position in his
kingdom as outlined in this Fairy Tale. If the SERVANT had taken a higher
position he still would have been a follower and not a pioneer traveling
throughout the whole world.
The SERVANT just wanted a horse and some money to travel the world. The
horse is symbolic of the psyche. In other words the SERVANT asked for his
freedom and some means (money) to travel the world.
Coming upon the three fishes imprisoned by the reeds one can see the sympathy
in the SERVANT’S heart seeing he had just been released from the dictatorial
grasp of an egotistical KING.

6. THE WHITE SNAKE: Grimm’s Fairy Tales (pgs. 98-101) An Esoteric Commentary
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He rode on, and after a while it seemed to him that he heard a voice in the sand at his feet.
He listened, and heard an ant-king complain: ’Why cannot folks, with their clumsy beasts,
keep off our bodies? That stupid horse, with his heavy hoofs, has been treading down my
people without mercy!’ So he turned on to a side path and the ant-king cried out to him: ’We
will remember you–one good turn deserves another!’
Here the ant-king accuses the SERVANT of treading down his ant-colony
calling his horse stupid and the SERVANT goes off to the side of the rode. The
SERVANT saw the damage he unwittingly cause others and amended his ways.
The path led him into a wood, and there he saw two old ravens standing by their nest, and
throwing out their young ones. ’Out with you, you idle, good-for-nothing creatures!’ cried
they; ’we cannot find food for you any longer; you are big enough, and can provide for
yourselves.’ But the poor young ravens lay upon the ground, flapping their wings, and crying:
’Oh, what helpless chicks we are! We must shift for ourselves, and yet we cannot fly! What
can we do, but lie here and starve?’ So the good young fellow alighted and killed his horse
with his sword, and gave it to them for food. Then they came hopping up to it, satisfied their
hunger, and cried: ’We will remember you–one good turn deserves another!’
The SERVANT killing his horse to feed the young ravens, from my perspective,
is the humbling of one’s psyche (deflated ego). Killing the horse is analogous to
ridding oneself of the old ways of thinking. This is basically how CHRIST
consciousness comes into creation. Just as the Three Kings gave the Christ
Child gold, frankincense and myrrh to baptize Him into the world so to does
the SERVANT give the heavenly birds (ravens) his domesticated psyche
(trained horse). This is how Christ comes into the world to become the
God/Man Jesus Christ.
The whole journey of the SERVANT from the King’s castle was going into the
world to teach the gospel of the WHITE SNAKE. This Fairy Tale condenses the
SERVANT’S worldwide journey down to these three animal vignettes (Water
(fish), Earth (ants) and Air (ravens)) to symbolize the LIGHT OF THE WORLD:
Christ consciousness.
And now he had to use his own legs, and when he had walked a long way, he came to a large
city. There was a great noise and crowd in the streets, and a man rode up on horseback,
crying aloud: ’The king’s daughter wants a husband; but whoever seeks her hand must
perform a hard task, and if he does not succeed he will forfeit his life.’ Many had already
made the attempt, but in vain; nevertheless when the youth saw the king’s daughter he was
so overcome by her great beauty that he forgot all danger, went before the king, and
declared himself, a suitor.

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I am reminded in this vignette of the story of Cain, who was condemned to
travel the world as a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth and at the end he
built a city. It is not that the SERVANT built a city. He went to a city and
where previously he refuse to think of ascending to being a king he now wants
to take the princess’ hand in marriage; for the reason that, he believes he is now
worthy to be her bridegroom. The city is a Garden of Eden and not to be able to
fulfill the task put before him he would be cast out of the Garden of Eden just
as Adam was threatened to die if he violated the spiritual law.
So he was led out to the sea, and a gold ring was thrown into it, before his eyes; then the king
ordered him to fetch this ring up from the bottom of the sea, and added: ’If you come up
again without it you will be thrown in again and again until you perish amid the waves.’ All
the people grieved for the handsome youth; then they went away, leaving him alone by the
sea.
The SERVANT now a stranger to the city is being tested once again as if he
wants to be the King; rather, than marry the King’s daughter. Is not the sea the
unconscious mind in which in order for there to be a mystical marriage the two
part psyche has to have intercourse with each other?
He stood on the shore and considered what he should do, when suddenly he saw three fishes
come, swimming towards him, and they were the very fishes whose lives he had saved. The
one in the middle held a mussel in its mouth, which it laid on the shore at the youth’s feet,
and when he had taken it up and opened it, there lay the gold ring in the shell. Full of joy he
took it to the king and expected that he would grant him the promised reward.
Notice that the SERVANT is again contemplating his problems by the water
(sea) as he did with the initial ring by the brook where the ducks were cleaning
themselves. It is obvious that the SERVANT had learned that internal dialogue
with the unconscious mind (sea) was his best option. The King tossing the ring
into the abyss of the unconscious mind (sea) is obviously a task that the
SERVANT has to work out as to whether he wants the princess or kingship.
The three fishes is symbolic of the Trinitarian God; for the reason that, within
the locked box (mussel) is the answer that the SERVANT is contemplating.
However, he chooses to return the ring in expectations of receiving his bride the
princess.
But when the proud princess perceived that he was not her equal in birth, she scorned him,
and required him first to perform another task. She went down into the garden and strewed
with her own hands ten sacks full of millet-seed on the grass; then she said: ’Tomorrow
morning before sunrise these must be picked up, and not a single grain be wanting.’

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The ten sacks of seed is obviously the MATRIX OF WISDOM (10 x 10 matrix).
The Princess scattering out the seed, in the garden (psychic matrix), is in every
sense doing her job; for the reason that, the unconscious mind is CHAOS and it
is the job of the ego to discriminate and bring about ORDER. Every day is a
new creation that is why it all had to be done by sunrise.
The youth sat down in the garden and considered how it might be possible to perform this
task, but he could think of nothing, and there he sat sorrowfully awaiting the break of day,
when he should be led to death. But as soon as the first rays of the sun shone into the garden
he saw all the ten sacks standing side by side, quite full, and not a single grain was missing.
The ant-king had come in the night with thousands and thousands of ants, and the grateful
creatures had by great industry picked up all the millet-seed and gathered them into the
sacks.
It is as if the SERVANT is being given Herculean tasks to fulfill. Sitting in the
garden is actually sitting in the midst of the Garden of Eden (two part psyche).
Again the SERVANT knows that his ego has neither the power nor the ability
to do this task. When he wakes up he finds all the sacks full and not a seed is
loose on the ground. The unconscious mind; though, it is CHAOS is ORDERED
by the Christ consciousness (eating of the White Snake).
Presently the king’s daughterherself came down into the garden, and was amazed to see that
the young man had done the task she had given him. But she could not yet conquer her proud
heart, and said: ’Although he has performed both the tasks, he shall not be my husband until
he had brought me an apple from the Tree of Life.’ The youth did not know where the Tree of
Life stood, but he set out, and would have gone on forever, as long as his legs would carry
him, though he had no hope of finding it. After he had wandered through three kingdoms, he
came one evening to a wood and lay down under a tree to sleep. But he heard a rustling in
the branches, and a golden apple fell into his hand. At the same time three ravens flew down
to him, perched themselves upon his knee, and said: ’We are the three young ravens whom
you saved from starving; when we had grown big, and heard that you were seeking the
Golden Apple, we flew over the sea to the end of the world, where the Tree of Life stands,
and have brought you the apple.’ The youth, full of joy, set out homewards, and took the
Golden Apple to the king’s beautiful daughter, who had now no more excuses left to make.
They cut the Apple of Life in two and ate it together; and then her heart became full of love
for him, and they lived in undisturbed happiness to a great age.
The princess in this Fairy Tale remind me of Sarai Abram’s wife. The word
‘SARAI’ means ‘CONTENTIOUS’ and it can be understood why Abram did
not have a child by her at that time of their lives. Later Sarai would change
her name to SARAH, which means ‘PRINCESS’ and then she bared a son
called Isaac.

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The princess’ desire for an Apple from the Tree of Life and to force that task
upon her would-be husband was surely as contentious as anyone can be
towards another. For who knows where the Tree of Life is? Christ is the
Tree of Life and even he said that no one would know where he was. The
forest again is the unconscious mind where the birds rise from the depths of
the sea as seen in the fifth day of creation.
Notice that the raven symbol is analogous to the raven that Noah sent out to
see if there was any land after the deluge was over. The land emerging from
the depths of the sea was like the creation mound in Egypt or the earth
emerging in the third day of creation. So for the apple to fall suddenly out of
the sky like it did for Isaac Newton was liken to an inspiration.
The SERVANT was no longer a SERVANT because his escapades with the
fish (water), ants (earth) and raven (air) and his psyche was the spiritual fire,
which collectively represents CHRIST consciousness: i.e. Apple from the
TREE OF LIFE. No, his ego could do nothing on its own only through Christ
consciousness can anything spiritual be achieved.
This is why the Fairy Tale ends in both Him and the Princess eating of the
Apple from the Tree of Life showing that they are mystically married; for the
reason that, they are having psychic intercourse with each other.
In the first chapter of Genesis it clearly explains explicitly from an esoteric
point of view that the first four days of creation symbolized the LIGHT of the
world: i.e. Christ and this is what the four gospels symbolized: i.e. Air
(Matthew), Earth (Luke), Fire (Mark) and Water (John). Not the story of
Christ; but, Christ from a collective perspective. This is why the fish, ants,
ravens and the SERVANT’S psyche were symbolized as the four basic
elements of creation.
At least, for me, the White Snake is Christ, which is COVERED by the
REVEALED Torah. Throughout this entire Fairy Tale the SERVANT per se
became the WHITE SNAKE the moment he partook of it. This is why the
White Snake quickly vanished from this Fairy Tale. Once Christ had fulfilled
his mission in revitalizing the lost sheep He ascended back into the Kingdom
of God and the SERVANT became the new Christ.
Most if not all of this Fairy Tales comes from the esotericism COVERED by
the REVEALED nature of the Old Testament otherwise ask yourself why all
these memories of the Old and New Testament rises in the psyche when
reading this Fairy Tale?