Glossary of terms used on this site

O

Organic

Anything having an interrelationship with living things. Organic also refers to anything produced or grown naturally, i.e., without chemical enhancement, artificial ingredients, etc.

Ouroboros

An ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon swallowing its own tail and forming a circle.

The Ouroboros often represents self-reflexivity or cyclicality, especially in the sense of something constantly re-creating itself, the eternal return, and other things perceived as cycles that begin anew as soon as they end. The ouroboros has been important in religious and mythological symbolism, but has also been frequently used in alchemical illustrations.