109
Love
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Infinity Symbol
Ancient India / 17th-Century Europe
The infinity symbol — a horizontal figure eight — represents endless possibility, eternal love, and the boundless nature of the universe.
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General#108 of 489 in the WorldAncient Egypt
Ouroboros
The Ouroboros — a serpent or dragon consuming its own tail — is one of the oldest symbols in the world, representing the infinite cycle of creation and destruction, death and rebirth, and the eternal nature of existence.
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About Ouroboros
The Ouroboros first appears in ancient Egyptian texts from around 1600 BCE, where it represented the primordial chaos that existed before creation and the cyclical nature of the sun's journey through the underworld. From Egypt, the symbol traveled to the ancient Greeks (who named it from their words for 'tail' and 'devouring'), to the Gnostics of late antiquity, to Norse mythology (where the World Serpent Jormungandr encircles the world biting its own tail), to medieval European alchemy where it became a central symbol of the Great Work.
In alchemical symbolism, the Ouroboros represented several key principles: the unity of all matter (one substance consuming and becoming itself), the philosopher's stone (the end product that is both beginning and end), and the axiom 'solve et coagula' — dissolve and recombine. Carl Jung adopted the Ouroboros as a symbol of the process of individuation — the psychological journey of becoming a whole, integrated self — and it became central to his theory of the collective unconscious.
As a modern lucky charm, the Ouroboros is used by those who embrace change and cyclical thinking, who understand that endings are also beginnings, and who want a talisman that speaks to the longest possible view of time and meaning.
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Meaning
Eternal return, the cycle of life and death, infinity, self-sufficiency, the unity of all things, and transformation through completion.
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How to Use
Wear an Ouroboros ring or pendant when you are closing one chapter of your life and opening another, to honor both the ending and the beginning simultaneously. Use it as a focal point for meditation on the nature of change and continuity. Give it as a gift to mark significant life transitions such as retirement, graduation, or recovery.
Fun Fact
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The chemist August Kekulé claimed to have dreamed of the Ouroboros in 1865, which led him to discover that the benzene molecule forms a closed ring — a dream of an ancient symbol directly contributing to one of the most important advances in organic chemistry.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ouroboros a lucky symbol or more of a philosophical one?▾
It is both. Philosophically it represents the cycle of existence. As a lucky charm, it is used specifically for transitions — to invite the luck that comes with new beginnings while honoring what has been completed.
Why is it sometimes a dragon and sometimes a serpent?▾
The choice of creature varies by culture and artistic tradition. Serpents appear in Egyptian and Greek versions; dragons appear in European and East Asian versions. Both serve the same symbolic purpose.
Can the Ouroboros be used for protection?▾
Yes. Its unbroken circular form is seen as a complete protective boundary. Unlike a simple circle, however, the Ouroboros specifically protects through transformation — consuming what threatens and incorporating it into its own being.
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Phoenix
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