OUROBOROS, the snake consuming itself.
this symbol can represent: cycles, renewal, life and death, rebirth, self destruction, self sustainability, content, independence

there are many interpretations of the ouroboros by this point in history, these are the ones I've come to see within the symbol

snakes can be associated with knowledge, the looping of knowledge could represent a closed mind. Stuck in a vicious cycle, repeating the same patterns, the same thoughts. Being "stuck" or "trapped" in the ouroboros is darker aspect of this symbol. It looks like watching yourself repeat the same mistakes as if you're destined to make them. As if you're trapped in the belly of endless digestion.

Shedding ouroboros, leaving these cycles, means identifying they exist in the first place.

Once you see the snake, you'll see how far it wraps around certain aspects of your life. How much of a tolerance for it's venom have you've built up? What are things in your life that don't truly belong there, yet are so normal you don't think twice about it? What have you felt "not able" to give up?

Don't misuse these questions, we're exploring things that do not serve you. If a certain person comes to mind, make sure you've ruled out your own actions and thoughts being the source of the problem first. The brain does not like accepting blame, even if you actively blame yourself for things that are not your fault, it's important to have humility when responsibility needs to come from us, not others.

If you cannot accept responsibility for your actions and strive to make genuine changes when faced with consequencies. This work is going to be pointless for you.

Now what is 100% NOT your fault, is the systems that exploit us. This is much larger ouroboros that hang over the world. For each snake you identify, there is always a bigger one.

Let's run through some hypotheticals using the ouroboros as a means to identify where to place focus.

You're going through a lot right now, you have a list of things bothering you, things do do, giving you trouble, people expecting things, work demanding energy, anything that live consistently throws at us.

Of all these problems, which are reoccurring? ancient? feels like "something you've always done", almost "a part of you", almost cyclical. The kind of habits that make you forget what it was like before it joined your life.

This could be anything from the same spending habits, the same itchy christmas sweater you forget to replace because you only wear it for one day and forget to buy a better one by the next christmas, or losing your keys every single day. At some point, if you fail to identify these snakes, you'll become tangled between them.

These are very small snake examples, because covering the ones beyond our control, is a lot to unravel on just this page. We'll just keep looking at the personal application to this symbol.

A healthy ouroboros is content with simply placing it's tail in it's mouth. Not devouring, not consuming, but contemplating on it.

This looks like being aware of these cycles, but actively choosing to engage in them or not, out of free will, not autopilot.

This can look like abstaining from something you have the tendency to overdo, or distancing yourself from people who do not let you be true. A happy ouroboros sees it has all it needs to be alive, and does not destroy itself in search for more. Being around authentic people, being in control of what you do with your time and how you decide to spend it. It is possible, you just need to be on the lookout for snakes in the grass.