The Ouroboros is an iconic alchemical symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail to form a circle. It represents the cyclical nature of life, death, and rebirth, as well as the unity of opposites. Alchemists saw it as a metaphor for the self-sustaining process of transformation.
This ancient symbol dates back to Egyptian and Greek traditions, where it was associated with eternity and the cosmos. In medieval alchemy, the Ouroboros often appeared in manuscripts, illustrating the continuous cycle of creation and destruction inherent in nature.