When we read these stories about Delphi one wonders how often metaphysical concepts are couched in mythological language. The serpent to those in the East is representative of the Kundalini force, that energy which rises up through the chakra system and brings about mysterious powers or siddhis, such as telepathy and the ability to see the future. One almost wonders if the Serpent that Apollo and his male dominated religion conquered was the serpent or mystical power within the Oracle herself, bending her powers to his will as opposed to the Gaia she was meant to serve. There are many books out these days about that transition from a feminine based religious system to a male patriarchal system.