Alchemy, often associated with the mystical quest to transform base metals into gold, has a deeper, more profound purpose that extends beyond mere material wealth. Alchemy was, and is, at the same time practical, symbolic and psychological and one does not exclude the others.
The Ouroboros or Uroboros is an ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. The ouroboros entered Western tradition via ancient Egyptian iconography and the Greek magical tradition. It was adopted as a symbol in Gnosticism and Hermeticism and most notably in alchemy.
