Ouroboros - the snake around the tortoise, around the world, or in your eye.

Ouroboros

Is a multicultural symbol generally represented as a serpent devouring or biting its own tail.

The ouroboros can represent self reflection, wholeness, self sufficiency, or things of a cyclical nature (i.e. self re-creating self.)

The term used here is of greek origin and Plato described a "complete in itself" creature - the first thing created. In Nordic mytology it is found as the serpent Jormungandr, a child of loki that encircles the world. Other simular symbols are found in gnostic, alchemical, Hindu, Aztec and Toltec sources.

As a magical and archtypical symbol, ouroboros serves as a pointer to completeness with a warning: The serpent devouring its tail destroys in order to create itself.

When I read Plato's description, I thought of a thermodynamic model of the universe -the first creature, is complete in itself, recycling its own waste to create its own form, with nothing outside of itself.


Primary reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouroboros

Personal gnosis is OK as long as it's clearly identified as such.