The snake plays an important role in dreams as a fear-symbol.
C.G. Jung
Jung on Snakes in Dream: As a Symbol of Fear
The snake plays an important role in dreams as a fear-symbol. Because of its poisonousness, its appearance is often an early symptom of physical disease.
As a rule, however, it expresses an abnormally active or “constellated” unconscious and the physiological symptoms mainly abdominal associated there with .
Interpretation in any given case depends as always on individual circumstances and must be modified accordingly.
In youth it denotes fear of life; in age, fear of death.