In old European symbolism, black was the color of life, Earth and fertility of the soil. The snake was the symbol of vitality, life energy and regeneration. It was feminine-oriented. What we know of as Western Civilization is built on the macho warrior God bent on destroying everything he can't control. It is a culture of violence. Modern Europe was born and reared in an orgy of war and torture. And so we face the ultimate environmental collapse driven by this Western cultural mindset