Ourboros

The circle and the serpent are both symbols that are potent with mystical meaning and they come together the ouroboros. The serpent that constantly revolves, swallowing the end of its own tail, most commonly forms the circular oval shape of the ouroboros. However, sometimes the symbol is constructed of a dragon rather than a serpent, also hints at the image of the Cosmic Egg that is encircled by the spiralling snake.

or a pair of snakes that swallow one another's tails. The dragon and the serpent are closely connected; both creatures often guard a treasure of some kind. The ouroboros is a primal symbol of great antiquity. Although it made its first appearance in Ancient Egypt around 1600 BC (as far as some are concerned), it is likely to be older than this. The ouroboros was named by the Greeks and means “self-devourer. " The ouroboros speaks of motion, continuity, and self-fertilization. Although the name is Greek the ouroboros as a concept appears elsewhere; for example, in Norse myth the great serpent Jormungandr is so large that he can hug the planet and still be able to grasp the end of his tail in his teeth. It also appears in Hindu myth as the serpent Goddess Nahusha, which creates the world. It also hints at the image of the Cosmic Egg that is encircled by the spiralling snake.

The most obvious explanation for the ouroboros is that it symbolizes not only the cyclical nature of time and the seasons, but also the eternal cycle of rebirth. This idea makes sense because the serpent's habit of shedding its skin makes it an ideal symbol of rebirth and renewal. For the Gnostics, the ouroboros symbolises eternity. At the same time, it serves as a reminder of the confines of the material world, and yet of aspiration to a higher state of 'being. The serpent is a creature of the Earth, close to the ground. The circle is a symbol of completion and spiritual perfection, and in this sense, the ouroboros demonstrates a union of opposites (Heaven and Earth working in harmony). There is also a double ouroboros, where the serpent twists into the infinity symbol. In alchemy, the symbol speaks of purity, wholeness and infinity.