Unlocking Medusa’s Power: 6 Unexpected Ways to Work with Medusa’s Symbolism

Medusa is arguably one of the most well known and most terrifying creatures in Greek mythology. Yet, she is also one of the most misunderstood. She is far more multi-dimensional than most would think. Medusa is, of course, a powerful protector, but she is also a mother, a muse, a healer, an advocate, and more. One way to explore her many facets and uncover her magick is to work with her symbolism.

The symbols we associate with Medusa can offer us insight into the types of magick with which she can assist. Perhaps one of the most universally recognized symbols for Medusa lies with the snakes that are said to comprise her hair. Serpent symbolism has a great deal to offer anyone who wishes to form a deeper magickal relationship with Medusa, but her mythology contains many additional symbols that can inform one's magickal practice and guide us through our own shadow work and transformation. Below are six symbols associated with the myth of Medusa that offer deeply powerful and rich ways for unlocking Medusa's mysteries and for enhancing our magickal practice.

1. The Serpents. Serpents in general are symbols of regeneration and transformation. Snakes shed their skin just as we must continually identify and shed what no longer serves us in order to heal, grow, and evolve. It is interesting to consider that after her transformation from beautiful maiden to horrifying monster, the snakes that become a part of her physical body are positioned at the top of her head and act as her hair. This is significant, for it is this area of the body that ancient Greeks often associated with identity. It is also where the crown chakra is situated, which is connected to enlightenment, transcendence, and spiritual knowledge. We can therefore work with the symbol of the serpent through mechanisms such as meditation, visualization and utilizing snake shed or snake talismans as a way to both release aspects of our identity that no longer fit the core of who we are and transform these energies into greater personal power and connection with the divine.

2. The Mirror. Medusa's gaze can be viewed as a mirror. It can be very difficult to face our shadow wounds and revisit past trauma. Often, we turn away from seeing the unhealed wounds that we carry. Yet, by turning away from these shadows, we often giving them more power as they inhabit our subconscious and affect our life choices. As a mirror, Medusa's gaze can interrupt our attempts to move through life on some level of autopilot and can stop us in our tracks, "freezing" us long enough to see truths we may have chosen to avoid or perhaps didn't realize existed. Doing this actually empowers us in the long run. I have found that calling upon Medusa and sitting in her presence in front of mirror can help us to better understand ourselves and the wounds that exist in our shadows so that we can heal and learn from our past experiences. Mirrors can also be used as protective devices, reflecting and repelling energies that would attempt to do harm.

3. The Shield. Despite the fact that Medusa is slain by Perseus, her decapitated head still holds immense power. Perseus uses her head to petrify his enemies on numerous occasions and ultimately gives the head to Athena, who uses it to create her infamous aegis shield. Medusa's very name means "guardian" or "protector," which makes her an excellent ally in apotropaic magic. Working with Medusa on creating psychic or spiritual shields is one way to unlock her power. You could even make your own Aegis talisman using materials such as clay, paper, or even cloth.

4. Medusa's "Erotic Gaze." Initial descriptions of Medusa in ancient Greek mythology portray her as a beautiful maiden prior to being transformed into a monster. While the myths written by authors such as Ovid focus on a visage of Medusa as being horrifying in appearance, later artistic interpretations focus on Medusa as also being sensual and her gaze as having an erotic, compelling power. Versace has indicated that he viewed Medusa as being beautiful while also dangerous, and compelling. He chose Medusa for his company's logo because she was, in his opinion, impossible to look away from and he wanted his clothes to have that characteristic as well.

There is an implied confidence in Medusa's gaze. She is powerful, fearless, and unwilling to make herself small for anyone. This is in direct contradiction to the messages women and those who are "othered" typically get, which imply that one should shrink themselves in order to make others feel comfortable and make one's self seem less threatening. In reality, Medusa's gaze can be used to reverse these societal expectations and reclaim one's power. Medusa offers us an opportunity to define our own sensuality and have the courage to be authentic, regardless of what others may think or feel. Ironically, Medusa's gaze as representative of a woman's unabashed embrace of her own power has the ability to both attract and repel simultaneously. However, we can find power and healing in practicing Medusa's gaze not for the impact it has on its recipient but for the ability it grants us to be fully authentic and comfortable in our own skin. One way we can nurture this quality and work with this symbolism is to look directly at ourselves in the mirror while concentrating on what we feel are our best qualities—the ones that are comprise our own individual internal and external beauty—while stating the following (or something similar): "Medusa, bold and brave, grant me the confidence to embrace the beauty I possess within and without/may my gaze captivate and reflect my power, banishing self-doubt."

5. Stone. The symbolism of stones as it relates to Medusa is two-fold. First, stones can be grounding and represent qualities such as endurance, protection, and boundary setting. I have found that working with this symbolism in meditation and visualization can help me to establish and enforce a boundary for protection. I do this not just for physical protection, but also to set mental and emotional boundaries in my relationships and/or at work. You can do this by imagining yourself surrounded by stones while saying a mantra that reflects the boundary I intend to set or reinforce. This could be something like, "I will say 'no' to taking on extra commitments when my plate is already full," or, "I will retain my power and not give it away to people or things that are not in my best interest."

The other option is to use view the stone as a container for that which you wish to "petrify" or release. To do this, first set up an altar or shrine for Medusa, if you haven't already. Cast a circle as you normally would and ask for Medusa's assistance. State clearly what it is you wish to release into the stone and add any necessary parameters as appropriate. Holding the stone in your left hand, repeat what you wish to release three times while imagining the energies that you wish to release channeling into the stone. When you feel that the transfer of energy is complete, be sure to close the circle and thank Medusa for her help. I recommend either burying the stone or returning it to a natural body of water such as the ocean. Of course, before you undertake this exercise, it would be helpful to think of what energies you wish to fill the void that is left after you have released these energies so that you can work intentionally to fill it.

6. Blood. It is said that the blood from the left side of Medusa's body had the power to destroy, whereas the blood from the right hand of her body provided powerful healing. Athena gave Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, two vials of Medusa's blood—one from each side of her body. Asclepius made good use of this gift, using the blood from the right side to resurrect those who died. This ultimately angered Hades, as the souls that were in his realm were being brought back to life. Zeus killed Asclepius for this offense but ultimately relented and resurrected Asclepius with the understanding that while he could use Medusa's blood to heal, he could no longer bring back the dead.

You can incorporate this into your magical healing work by incorporating pomegranate juice, honey, and culinary-grade rose water. Pomegranate symbolizes death and rebirth, honey adds both culinary and metaphorical sweetness, and rose is representative of love, gentle healing, and transformation. I recommend adding a ½ or full tablespoon of honey (depending on your taste) and ½ teaspoon of culinary-grade rosewater to an 8 oz glass of juice. While you combine the ingredients, visualize what it is you wish to heal in Medusa's name.

Working with Medusa's symbolism can help us to tap into her power at a deeper level while also helping us to better understand her as a complex, multi-dimensional being rather than reducing her to nothing more than a grotesque, powerful monster. Through her symbols, we can hone skills of transformation, attain greater clarity, improve our confidence, enact healing, attain wisdom, and protect that which we cherish most. Delving into her symbols provides us with a road map for learning how we, too, can define ourselves rather than letting ourselves be defined by others and shows us how we can stand firmly in our own power.