Born Quote by Joseph Campbell
“Sometimes the serpent is represented as a circle eating its own tail. That’s an image of life. Life sheds one generation after another, to be born again. The serpent represents immortal energy and consciousness engaged in the field of time, constantly throwing off death and being born again. There is something tremendously terrifying about life when you look at it that way. And so the serpent carries in itself the sense of both the fascination and the terror of life.”
About This Quote
Source Book: The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 1949
Uses the ouroboros as a metaphor for life's cyclical nature and eternal renewal
In simple terms: Life is a repeating cycle of death and rebirth
Key Takeaway
Accept life's cycles and find meaning in renewal
Themes
philosophy
mythology
existence
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
mythic
philosophical
When to use this quote
- personal growth
- creative projects
- spiritual practice
- counseling
Key Concepts
eternal return
symbolism
consciousness
Questions to Reflect On
- How does this metaphor influence your perception of change?
- Can you find balance between fascination and terror?
A Different Perspective
May overlook linear progress aspects
![“A constant image [in myths] is that of the conflict of the eagle and the serpent. The serpent bound to the earth, the eagle in spiritual flight – isn't that conflict something we all experience? And then, when the two amalgamate, we get a wonderful dragon, a serpent with wings.” quote by Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/5fd/joseph-campbell-300_war_a-constant-image-in-myths-is-that-of-the_1004272.jpg)
![“[The Christian story] amounts to a refusal to affirm life. In the biblical tradition we have inherited, life is corrupt, and every natural impulse is sinful unless it has been circumcised or baptized. The serpent was the one who brought sin into the wold. And the woman was the one who handed the…” quote by Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/82b/joseph-campbell-300_adam-and-eve_the-christian-story-amounts-to-a-refusal_170106.jpg)
![“The fall [of your soul] from perfection into duality...was naturally followed by the discovery of the duality of good and evil...This is the Biblical version of a myth known to many lands.” quote by Joseph Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9ff/joseph-campbell-300_biblical_the-fall-of-your-soul-from-perfection-in_22526.jpg)
