The Ouroboros
& The Shadow

In the ancient symbol of the Ouroboros — a serpent devouring its own tail — lies the concept of devouring oneself and turning oneself into a circulatory process. It represents the continuous loop of destroying itself in order to be reborn. It represents the integration and assimilation of the opposite, i.e., of the shadow. The Ouroboros slays itself and brings itself to life, fertilizes itself, and gives birth to itself.

Universal, inherited patterns within the human psyche. The primary blueprints for every human experience.

The repository for all traits, impulses, and potentials that the conscious system has rejected or suppressed. It is the "dark" side of the psyche, not because it is evil — though that may be present — but because it is hidden in the darkness of the unconscious.

The survival system that is also a prison, and causes more damage than the original wound. Lifetime conditioning builds "survival selves" that eventually need to be "consumed" so one can become authentic. One is both the consumer and the consumed. The version that represses the shadow must die for the version that integrates it to live.

One "devours" parts of the shadow by understanding their origin. One constantly loops back to the parts of oneself one buried or denied, then fertilizes those with awareness, and births a more integrated version of oneself. I've used introspection and metacognition — thinking about thinking — dissecting and analyzing what I found.

The practice of observing one's own thought processes from a distance. "Thinking about thinking" allows one to recognize patterns, trace origins, and consciously choose which mental frameworks to keep or discard.

The cyclical process of alternation between ego–Self union and ego–Self separation that occurs repeatedly throughout the life of the individual.