Few creatures embody the process of spiritual transformation so well as the snake, who must repeatedly shed its skin in order to grow.
 
The Native Americans believed that the snake was linked to secrets, fertility, rain, and healing. The snake also became a symbol of renewal as it embraced life and death. 
 
In India the snake or serpent symbolizes the soul or life essence.
 
In Japan they focus on the life-giving nature of the snake deity.
 
In Celtic symbolism, snakes are seen not as a type of animal but as a multifaceted symbol that represents the idea of the creation process. Here too, their ability to shed their skin symbolizes rebirth.
 
From Africa, the myth of the joint snake that could remerge whole after being hacked into pieces became the symbol of strength for African slaves as they endured cruel hardships at the hands of the white slave owners.
 
Any way that you look at it, the snake is a powerful totem and should be worn with pride.